diff --git a/src/c/alloc_2.d b/src/c/alloc_2.d
index adb4b655b..00aeb3d3c 100644
--- a/src/c/alloc_2.d
+++ b/src/c/alloc_2.d
@@ -487,6 +487,7 @@ cl_object_mark_proc(void *addr, struct GC_ms_entry *msp, struct GC_ms_entry *msl
 		break;
 # endif
         case t_codeblock:
+                MAYBE_MARK(o->cblock.error);
                 MAYBE_MARK(o->cblock.source);
                 MAYBE_MARK(o->cblock.links);
                 MAYBE_MARK(o->cblock.name);
@@ -1037,7 +1038,8 @@ init_alloc(void)
                 to_bitmap(&o, &(o.cblock.next)) |
                 to_bitmap(&o, &(o.cblock.name)) |
                 to_bitmap(&o, &(o.cblock.links)) |
-                to_bitmap(&o, &(o.cblock.source));
+                to_bitmap(&o, &(o.cblock.source)) |
+		to_bitmap(&o, &(o.cblock.error));
         type_info[t_foreign].descriptor =
                 to_bitmap(&o, &(o.foreign.data)) |
                 to_bitmap(&o, &(o.foreign.tag));
diff --git a/src/c/ffi.d b/src/c/ffi.d
index bcca92ec1..c9934bc47 100644
--- a/src/c/ffi.d
+++ b/src/c/ffi.d
@@ -709,8 +709,9 @@ si_load_foreign_module(cl_object filename)
 # endif
 	output = ecl_library_open(filename, 0);
 	if (output->cblock.handle == NULL) {
+		cl_object aux = ecl_library_error(output);
 		ecl_library_close(output);
-		output = ecl_library_error(output);
+		output = aux;
 	}
 # ifdef ECL_THREADS
 	(void)0; /* MSVC complains about missing ';' before '}' */
diff --git a/src/c/ffi/libraries.d b/src/c/ffi/libraries.d
index 7382f119a..56ffc0f84 100644
--- a/src/c/ffi/libraries.d
+++ b/src/c/ffi/libraries.d
@@ -144,6 +144,37 @@ copy_object_file(cl_object original)
 }
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_DLOPEN
+
+static void
+set_library_error(cl_object block) {
+	cl_object output;
+	ecl_disable_interrupts();
+#ifdef HAVE_DLFCN_H
+	output = make_base_string_copy(dlerror());
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_MACH_O_DYLD_H
+	{
+		NSLinkEditErrors c;
+		int number;
+		const char *filename;
+		NSLinkEditError(&c, &number, &filename, &message);
+		output = make_base_string_copy(message);
+	}
+#endif
+#if defined(ECL_MS_WINDOWS_HOST)
+	{
+		const char *message;
+		FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM |
+			      FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER,
+			      0, GetLastError(), 0, (void*)&message, 0, NULL);
+		output = make_base_string_copy(message);
+		LocalFree(message);
+	}
+#endif
+	ecl_enable_interrupts();
+	block->cblock.source = output;
+}
+
 static void
 dlopen_wrapper(cl_object block)
 {
@@ -170,6 +201,8 @@ dlopen_wrapper(cl_object block)
 #if defined(ECL_MS_WINDOWS_HOST)
 	block->cblock.handle = LoadLibrary(filename_string);
 #endif
+	if (block->cblock.handle == NULL)
+		set_library_error(block);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -390,37 +423,17 @@ ecl_library_symbol(cl_object block, const char *symbol, bool lock) {
 			block->cblock.locked |= lock;
 		}
 	}
+	if (!p)
+		set_library_error(block);
 	return p;
 }
 
 cl_object
 ecl_library_error(cl_object block) {
-	cl_object output;
-	ecl_disable_interrupts();
-#ifdef HAVE_DLFCN_H
-	output = make_base_string_copy(dlerror());
-#endif
-#ifdef HAVE_MACH_O_DYLD_H
-	{
-		NSLinkEditErrors c;
-		int number;
-		const char *filename;
-		NSLinkEditError(&c, &number, &filename, &message);
-		output = make_base_string_copy(message);
-	}
-#endif
-#if defined(ECL_MS_WINDOWS_HOST)
-	{
-		const char *message;
-		FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM |
-			      FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER,
-			      0, GetLastError(), 0, (void*)&message, 0, NULL);
-		output = make_base_string_copy(message);
-		LocalFree(message);
-	}
-#endif
-	ecl_enable_interrupts();
-	return output;
+	if (block->cblock.handle)
+		return block->cblock.error;
+	else
+		return ECL_NIL;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/h/object.h b/src/h/object.h
index 76db4465f..acdb92cff 100644
--- a/src/h/object.h
+++ b/src/h/object.h
@@ -700,6 +700,7 @@ struct ecl_codeblock {
 	const struct ecl_cfun *cfuns;
         cl_object source;		/*  common debug information for this block  */
         cl_object refs;			/*  reference counter for the library  */
+	cl_object error;		/*  error message when loading */
 };
 
 struct ecl_bytecodes {