diff --git a/src/core/debug.c b/src/core/debug.c
index 3899ca2c..20edd0a3 100644
--- a/src/core/debug.c
+++ b/src/core/debug.c
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ void janet_debug_find(
 }
 
 void janet_stacktrace(JanetFiber *fiber, Janet err) {
-    janet_stacktrace_ext(fiber, err, NULL);
+    const char *prefix = janet_checktype(err, JANET_NIL) ? NULL : "";
+    janet_stacktrace_ext(fiber, err, prefix);
 }
 
 /* Error reporting. This can be emulated from within Janet, but for
@@ -129,9 +130,8 @@ void janet_stacktrace_ext(JanetFiber *fiber, Janet err, const char *prefix) {
             /* Print prelude to stack frame */
             if (!wrote_error) {
                 JanetFiberStatus status = janet_fiber_status(fiber);
-                const char *override_prefix = prefix ? prefix : "";
                 janet_eprintf("%s%s: %s\n",
-                              override_prefix,
+                              prefix,
                               janet_status_names[status],
                               errstr);
                 wrote_error = 1;
diff --git a/src/core/ev.c b/src/core/ev.c
index 1f10ec5c..abc330ab 100644
--- a/src/core/ev.c
+++ b/src/core/ev.c
@@ -1236,14 +1236,14 @@ JanetFiber *janet_loop1(void) {
         int is_suspended = sig == JANET_SIGNAL_EVENT || sig == JANET_SIGNAL_YIELD || sig == JANET_SIGNAL_INTERRUPT;
         if (NULL == sv) {
             if (!is_suspended) {
-                janet_stacktrace(task.fiber, res);
+                janet_stacktrace_ext(task.fiber, res, "");
             }
         } else if (sig == JANET_SIGNAL_OK || (task.fiber->flags & (1 << sig))) {
             JanetChannel *chan = janet_channel_unwrap(sv);
             janet_channel_push(chan, make_supervisor_event(janet_signal_names[sig],
                                task.fiber, chan->is_threaded), 2);
         } else if (!is_suspended) {
-            janet_stacktrace(task.fiber, res);
+            janet_stacktrace_ext(task.fiber, res, "");
         }
         if (sig == JANET_SIGNAL_INTERRUPT) {
             /* On interrupts, return the interrupted fiber immediately */
diff --git a/src/core/run.c b/src/core/run.c
index 482bec36..9c0c7e80 100644
--- a/src/core/run.c
+++ b/src/core/run.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ int janet_dobytes(JanetTable *env, const uint8_t *bytes, int32_t len, const char
                 fiber->env = env;
                 JanetSignal status = janet_continue(fiber, janet_wrap_nil(), &ret);
                 if (status != JANET_SIGNAL_OK && status != JANET_SIGNAL_EVENT) {
-                    janet_stacktrace(fiber, ret);
+                    janet_stacktrace_ext(fiber, ret, "");
                     errflags |= 0x01;
                     done = 1;
                 }
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ int janet_dobytes(JanetTable *env, const uint8_t *bytes, int32_t len, const char
                 ret = janet_wrap_string(cres.error);
                 if (cres.macrofiber) {
                     janet_eprintf("compile error in %s: ", sourcePath);
-                    janet_stacktrace(cres.macrofiber, ret);
+                    janet_stacktrace_ext(cres.macrofiber, ret, "");
                 } else {
                     janet_eprintf("compile error in %s: %s\n", sourcePath,
                                   (const char *)cres.error);
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ int janet_loop_fiber(JanetFiber *fiber) {
     Janet out;
     status = janet_continue(fiber, janet_wrap_nil(), &out);
     if (status != JANET_SIGNAL_OK && status != JANET_SIGNAL_EVENT) {
-        janet_stacktrace(fiber, out);
+        janet_stacktrace_ext(fiber, out, "");
     }
 #endif
     return status;