diff --git a/common/misc.c b/common/misc.c
index 43c1a0c62..675469659 100644
--- a/common/misc.c
+++ b/common/misc.c
@@ -75,13 +75,13 @@ int errno;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(errno);
 
 
-const char *errno_str(void)
+const char *strerror(int errnum)
 {
 	static char errno_string[10];
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_ERRNO_MESSAGES
 	char *str;
-	switch(-errno) {
+	switch(errnum) {
 	case	0		: str = "No error"; break;
 	case	EPERM		: str = "Operation not permitted"; break;
 	case	ENOENT		: str = "No such file or directory"; break;
@@ -145,16 +145,23 @@ const char *errno_str(void)
 	case	EREMOTEIO	: str = "Remote I/O error"; break;
 #endif
 	default:
-		sprintf(errno_string, "error %d", errno);
+		sprintf(errno_string, "error %d", errnum);
 		return errno_string;
 	};
 
         return str;
 #else
-	sprintf(errno_string, "error %d", errno);
+	sprintf(errno_string, "error %d", errnum);
+
 	return errno_string;
 #endif
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strerror);
+
+const char *errno_str(void)
+{
+	return strerror(-errno);
+}
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(errno_str);
 
 void perror(const char *s)
diff --git a/include/errno.h b/include/errno.h
index 56614262e..025816e06 100644
--- a/include/errno.h
+++ b/include/errno.h
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@ extern int errno;
 
 void perror(const char *s);
 const char *errno_str(void);
+const char *strerror(int errnum);
 
 #endif /* __ERRNO_H */