diff --git a/include/netdb.h b/include/netdb.h
index 4278794af072..57cd70b0b023 100644
--- a/include/netdb.h
+++ b/include/netdb.h
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ int		getaddrinfo(const char *, const char *,
 int		getnameinfo(const struct sockaddr *, socklen_t, char *,
 			    size_t, char *, size_t, int);
 void		freeaddrinfo(struct addrinfo *);
-char		*gai_strerror(int);
+const char	*gai_strerror(int);
 void		setnetgrent(const char *);
 void		setservent(int);
 
diff --git a/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c b/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c
index 29b1f6d73cc1..eb811cbad2ad 100644
--- a/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c
+++ b/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c
@@ -285,26 +285,23 @@ static int res_searchN(const char *, struct res_target *);
 static int res_querydomainN(const char *, const char *,
 	struct res_target *);
 
-static struct ai_errlist {
-	const char *str;
-	int code;
-} ai_errlist[] = {
-	{ "Success",					0, },
-	{ "Temporary failure in name resolution",	EAI_AGAIN, },
-	{ "Invalid value for ai_flags",		       	EAI_BADFLAGS, },
-	{ "Non-recoverable failure in name resolution", EAI_FAIL, },
-	{ "ai_family not supported",			EAI_FAMILY, },
-	{ "Memory allocation failure", 			EAI_MEMORY, },
-	{ "hostname nor servname provided, or not known", EAI_NONAME, },
-	{ "servname not supported for ai_socktype",	EAI_SERVICE, },
-	{ "ai_socktype not supported", 			EAI_SOCKTYPE, },
-	{ "System error returned in errno", 		EAI_SYSTEM, },
-	{ "Invalid value for hints",			EAI_BADHINTS, },
-	{ "Resolved protocol is unknown",		EAI_PROTOCOL, },
-	/* backward compatibility with userland code prior to 2553bis-02 */
-	{ "Address family for hostname not supported",	1, },
-	{ "No address associated with hostname", 	7, },
-	{ NULL,						-1, },
+/* Entries EAI_ADDRFAMILY (1) and EAI_NODATA (7) are obsoleted, but left */
+/* for backward compatibility with userland code prior to 2553bis-02 */
+static const char *ai_errlist[] = {
+	"Success",					/* 0 */
+	"Address family for hostname not supported",	/* 1 */
+	"Temporary failure in name resolution",		/* EAI_AGAIN */
+	"Invalid value for ai_flags",			/* EAI_BADFLAGS */
+	"Non-recoverable failure in name resolution",	/* EAI_FAIL */
+	"ai_family not supported",			/* EAI_FAMILY */
+	"Memory allocation failure", 			/* EAI_MEMORY */
+	"No address associated with hostname",		/* 7 */
+	"hostname nor servname provided, or not known",	/* EAI_NONAME */
+	"servname not supported for ai_socktype",	/* EAI_SERVICE */
+	"ai_socktype not supported", 			/* EAI_SOCKTYPE */
+	"System error returned in errno", 		/* EAI_SYSTEM */
+	"Invalid value for hints",			/* EAI_BADHINTS */
+	"Resolved protocol is unknown"			/* EAI_PROTOCOL */
 };
 
 /*
@@ -360,16 +357,11 @@ do { \
 #define MATCH(x, y, w) \
 	((x) == (y) || (/*CONSTCOND*/(w) && ((x) == ANY || (y) == ANY)))
 
-char *
-gai_strerror(ecode)
-	int ecode;
+const char *
+gai_strerror(int ecode)
 {
-	struct ai_errlist *p;
-
-	for (p = ai_errlist; p->str; p++) {
-		if (p->code == ecode)
-			return (char *)p->str;
-	}
+	if (ecode >= 0 && ecode < EAI_MAX)
+		return ai_errlist[ecode];
 	return "Unknown error";
 }