diff --git a/nvme-print-json.c b/nvme-print-json.c
index d59f7e7449..d8b25faede 100644
--- a/nvme-print-json.c
+++ b/nvme-print-json.c
@@ -123,9 +123,9 @@ static void obj_add_result(struct json_object *o, const char *v, ...)
 	va_start(ap, v);
 
 	if (vasprintf(&value, v, ap) < 0)
-		value = alloc_error;
+		value = NULL;
 
-	obj_add_str(o, "Result", value);
+	obj_add_str(o, "Result", value ? value : alloc_error);
 
 	va_end(ap);
 }
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@ static void obj_add_key(struct json_object *o, const char *k, const char *v, ...
 	va_start(ap, v);
 
 	if (vasprintf(&value, v, ap) < 0)
-		value = alloc_error;
+		value = NULL;
 
-	obj_add_str(o, k, value);
+	obj_add_str(o, k, value ? value : alloc_error);
 
 	va_end(ap);
 }
@@ -5357,9 +5357,9 @@ static void json_output_message(bool error, const char *msg, va_list ap)
 	_cleanup_free_ char *value = NULL;
 
 	if (vasprintf(&value, msg, ap) < 0)
-		value = alloc_error;
+		value = NULL;
 
-	obj_add_str(r, error ? "error" : "result", value);
+	obj_add_str(r, error ? "error" : "result", value ? value : alloc_error);
 
 	obj_print(r);
 }
@@ -5371,9 +5371,10 @@ static void json_output_perror(const char *msg, va_list ap)
 	_cleanup_free_ char *error = NULL;
 
 	if (vasprintf(&error, msg, ap) < 0)
-		error = alloc_error;
+		error = NULL;
 
-	obj_add_key(r, "error", "%s: %s", error, nvme_strerror(errno));
+	obj_add_key(r, "error", "%s: %s", error ? error : alloc_error,
+		    nvme_strerror(errno));
 
 	json_output_object(r);
 }
diff --git a/nvme-print-stdout.c b/nvme-print-stdout.c
index aa7964aab3..b446ebb7c3 100644
--- a/nvme-print-stdout.c
+++ b/nvme-print-stdout.c
@@ -6281,9 +6281,9 @@ static void stdout_perror(const char *msg, va_list ap)
 	_cleanup_free_ char *error = NULL;
 
 	if (vasprintf(&error, msg, ap) < 0)
-		error = alloc_error;
+		error = NULL;
 
-	perror(error);
+	perror(error ? error : alloc_error);
 }
 
 static void stdout_key_value(const char *key, const char *val, va_list ap)
@@ -6293,7 +6293,7 @@ static void stdout_key_value(const char *key, const char *val, va_list ap)
 	if (vasprintf(&value, val, ap) < 0)
 		value = NULL;
 
-	printf("%s: %s\n", key, value ? value : "Could not allocate string");
+	printf("%s: %s\n", key, value ? value : alloc_error);
 }
 
 static void stdout_discovery_log(struct nvmf_discovery_log *log, int numrec)
diff --git a/plugins/ocp/ocp-print-json.c b/plugins/ocp/ocp-print-json.c
index 1d873d9ca8..49227f744c 100644
--- a/plugins/ocp/ocp-print-json.c
+++ b/plugins/ocp/ocp-print-json.c
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ static void obj_add_result(struct json_object *o, const char *v, ...)
 	va_start(ap, v);
 
 	if (vasprintf(&value, v, ap) < 0)
-		value = alloc_error;
+		value = NULL;
 
-	obj_add_str(o, "Result", value);
+	obj_add_str(o, "Result", value ? value : alloc_error);
 
 	va_end(ap);
 }