diff --git a/library/std/src/io/error.rs b/library/std/src/io/error.rs
index 6dbe37ca9fba8..f1208e090f040 100644
--- a/library/std/src/io/error.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/io/error.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ mod tests;
 )]
 use crate::{
     io::{Error, OsFunctions, RawOsError},
-    sys::io::{decode_error_kind, errno, error_string, is_interrupted},
+    sys::io::{decode_error_kind, errno, format_error, is_interrupted},
 };
 
 // Because std is linked in during testing, these incoherent implementations would
@@ -74,11 +74,8 @@ impl Error {
     #[must_use]
     #[inline]
     pub fn from_raw_os_error(code: RawOsError) -> Error {
-        const FUNCTIONS: &'static OsFunctions = &OsFunctions {
-            format_os_error: |code, fmt| fmt.write_str(&error_string(code)),
-            decode_error_kind,
-            is_interrupted,
-        };
+        const FUNCTIONS: &'static OsFunctions =
+            &OsFunctions { format_os_error: format_error, decode_error_kind, is_interrupted };
 
         // SAFETY: `FUNCTIONS` is a constant and not created at runtime.
         unsafe { Error::from_raw_os_error_with_functions(code, FUNCTIONS) }
diff --git a/library/std/src/io/error/tests.rs b/library/std/src/io/error/tests.rs
index a3a2f5830ae91..7f75d7b4c980c 100644
--- a/library/std/src/io/error/tests.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/io/error/tests.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use crate::io::{Error, ErrorKind, const_error};
-use crate::sys::io::{decode_error_kind, error_string};
+use crate::sys::io::{decode_error_kind, format_error};
 use crate::{assert_matches, error, fmt};
 
 #[test]
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ fn test_size() {
 #[test]
 fn test_debug_error() {
     let code = 6;
-    let msg = error_string(code);
+    let msg = fmt::from_fn(|f| format_error(code, f)).to_string();
     let kind = decode_error_kind(code);
     let err = Error::new(ErrorKind::InvalidInput, Error::from_raw_os_error(code));
     let expected = format!(
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/generic.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/generic.rs
index fc70fbaba7e8c..1ff0e9303041d 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/generic.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/generic.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use crate::fmt;
+
 pub fn errno() -> i32 {
     0
 }
@@ -10,6 +12,6 @@ pub fn decode_error_kind(_code: i32) -> crate::io::ErrorKind {
     crate::io::ErrorKind::Uncategorized
 }
 
-pub fn error_string(_errno: i32) -> String {
-    "operation successful".to_string()
+pub fn format_error(_errno: i32, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+    f.write_str("operation successful")
 }
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/hermit.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/hermit.rs
index 5f42144bb7cfb..28735c4c8275c 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/hermit.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/hermit.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::io;
+use crate::{fmt, io};
 
 pub fn errno() -> i32 {
     unsafe { hermit_abi::get_errno() }
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ pub fn decode_error_kind(errno: i32) -> io::ErrorKind {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn error_string(errno: i32) -> String {
-    hermit_abi::error_string(errno).to_string()
+pub fn format_error(errno: i32, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+    let description = hermit_abi::error_string(errno);
+    f.write_str(description)
 }
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/motor.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/motor.rs
index 06417417e8554..3afbd3fa9b7f1 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/motor.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/motor.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::io;
+use crate::{fmt, io};
 
 pub fn errno() -> io::RawOsError {
     // Not used in Motor OS because it is ambiguous: Motor OS
@@ -57,11 +57,12 @@ pub fn decode_error_kind(code: io::RawOsError) -> io::ErrorKind {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn error_string(errno: io::RawOsError) -> String {
-    let error: moto_rt::Error = match errno {
+pub fn format_error(errno: io::RawOsError, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+    let error = match errno {
         x if x < 0 => moto_rt::Error::Unknown,
         x if x > u16::MAX.into() => moto_rt::Error::Unknown,
-        x => (x as moto_rt::ErrorCode).into(), /* u16 */
+        x => moto_rt::Error::from(x as moto_rt::ErrorCode), /* u16 */
     };
-    format!("{}", error)
+
+    write!(f, "{error}")
 }
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/sgx.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/sgx.rs
index b7b4030422e12..2d0827aad39ab 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/sgx.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/sgx.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use fortanix_sgx_abi::{Error, RESULT_SUCCESS};
 
-use crate::io;
+use crate::{fmt, io};
 
 pub fn errno() -> i32 {
     RESULT_SUCCESS
@@ -54,12 +54,13 @@ pub fn decode_error_kind(code: i32) -> io::ErrorKind {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn error_string(errno: i32) -> String {
+pub fn format_error(errno: i32, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
     if errno == RESULT_SUCCESS {
-        "operation successful".into()
+        f.write_str("operation successful")
     } else if ((Error::UserRangeStart as _)..=(Error::UserRangeEnd as _)).contains(&errno) {
-        format!("user-specified error {errno:08x}")
+        write!(f, "user-specified error {errno:08x}")
     } else {
-        format!("{}", decode_error_kind(errno))
+        let kind = decode_error_kind(errno);
+        write!(f, "{kind}")
     }
 }
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/solid.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/solid.rs
index 8e9503272abbc..ced354cb4c6e2 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/solid.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/solid.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-use crate::io;
 use crate::sys::pal::error;
+use crate::{fmt, io};
 
 pub fn errno() -> i32 {
     0
@@ -14,6 +14,6 @@ pub fn decode_error_kind(code: i32) -> io::ErrorKind {
     error::decode_error_kind(code)
 }
 
-pub fn error_string(errno: i32) -> String {
-    if let Some(name) = error::error_name(errno) { name.to_owned() } else { format!("{errno}") }
+pub fn format_error(errno: i32, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+    if let Some(name) = error::error_name(errno) { f.write_str(name) } else { write!(f, "{errno}") }
 }
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/uefi.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/uefi.rs
index bedea240d523b..a8793f2799be9 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/uefi.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/uefi.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use r_efi::efi::Status;
 
-use crate::io;
+use crate::{fmt, io};
 
 pub fn errno() -> io::RawOsError {
     0
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ pub fn decode_error_kind(code: io::RawOsError) -> io::ErrorKind {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn error_string(errno: io::RawOsError) -> String {
+pub fn format_error(errno: io::RawOsError, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
     // Keep the List in Alphabetical Order
     // The Messages are taken from UEFI Specification Appendix D - Status Codes
     #[rustfmt::skip]
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ pub fn error_string(errno: io::RawOsError) -> String {
         Status::VOLUME_FULL => "There is no more space on the file system.",
         Status::VOLUME_CORRUPTED => "An inconstancy was detected on the file system causing the operating to fail.",
         Status::WRITE_PROTECTED => "The device cannot be written to.",
-        _ => return format!("Status: {errno}"),
+        _ => return write!(f, "Status: {errno}"),
     };
-    msg.to_owned()
+    f.write_str(msg)
 }
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/unix.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/unix.rs
index 12acde7311e4c..5f60abf9d9528 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/unix.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/unix.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::ffi::c_int;
 #[cfg(not(target_os = "teeos"))]
 use crate::ffi::{CStr, c_char};
-use crate::io;
+use crate::{fmt, io};
 
 unsafe extern "C" {
     #[cfg(not(any(
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ pub fn decode_error_kind(errno: i32) -> io::ErrorKind {
 
 /// Gets a detailed string description for the given error number.
 #[cfg(any(target_family = "unix", target_os = "wasi"))]
-pub fn error_string(errno: i32) -> String {
+pub fn format_error(errno: i32, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
     const TMPBUF_SZ: usize = if cfg!(target_os = "wasi") { 1024 } else { 128 };
 
     unsafe extern "C" {
@@ -226,11 +226,11 @@ pub fn error_string(errno: i32) -> String {
         let p = p as *const _;
         // We can't always expect a UTF-8 environment. When we don't get that luxury,
         // it's better to give a low-quality error message than none at all.
-        String::from_utf8_lossy(CStr::from_ptr(p).to_bytes()).into()
+        write!(f, "{}", CStr::from_ptr(p).display())
     }
 }
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "teeos")]
-pub fn error_string(_errno: i32) -> String {
-    "error string unimplemented".to_string()
+pub fn format_error(_errno: i32, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+    f.write_str("error string unimplemented")
 }
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/windows.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/windows.rs
index 0ca3aee389b3e..6056f1774c146 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/windows.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/windows.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use crate::sys::pal::{api, c};
-use crate::{io, ptr};
+use crate::{fmt, io, ptr};
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests;
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ pub fn decode_error_kind(errno: i32) -> io::ErrorKind {
 }
 
 /// Gets a detailed string description for the given error number.
-pub fn error_string(mut errnum: i32) -> String {
+pub fn format_error(mut errnum: i32, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
     let mut buf = [0 as c::WCHAR; 2048];
 
     unsafe {
@@ -131,21 +131,15 @@ pub fn error_string(mut errnum: i32) -> String {
         if res == 0 {
             // Sometimes FormatMessageW can fail e.g., system doesn't like 0 as langId,
             let fm_err = errno();
-            return format!("OS Error {errnum} (FormatMessageW() returned error {fm_err})");
+            return write!(f, "OS Error {errnum} (FormatMessageW() returned error {fm_err})");
         }
 
         match String::from_utf16(&buf[..res]) {
-            Ok(mut msg) => {
+            Ok(msg) => {
                 // Trim trailing CRLF inserted by FormatMessageW
-                let len = msg.trim_ascii_end().len();
-                msg.truncate(len);
-                msg
+                f.write_str(msg.trim_ascii_end())
             }
-            Err(..) => format!(
-                "OS Error {} (FormatMessageW() returned \
-                 invalid UTF-16)",
-                errnum
-            ),
+            Err(..) => write!(f, "OS Error {} (FormatMessageW() returned invalid UTF-16)", errnum),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/windows/tests.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/windows/tests.rs
index 7fc545ad00666..088472eceab71 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/windows/tests.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/windows/tests.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::io::Error;
 use crate::sys::pal::c;
 
-// tests `error_string` above
+// tests `format_error`
 #[test]
 fn ntstatus_error() {
     const STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL: u32 = 0xc000_0001;
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/xous.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/xous.rs
index 2e9ea8e4f0928..bdecf437d0126 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/error/xous.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/error/xous.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use crate::fmt;
 use crate::os::xous::ffi::Error as XousError;
 
 pub fn errno() -> i32 {
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ pub fn decode_error_kind(_code: i32) -> crate::io::ErrorKind {
     crate::io::ErrorKind::Uncategorized
 }
 
-pub fn error_string(errno: i32) -> String {
-    Into::<XousError>::into(errno).to_string()
+pub fn format_error(errno: i32, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+    let error = XousError::from(errno);
+    write!(f, "{error}")
 }
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/io/mod.rs b/library/std/src/sys/io/mod.rs
index 33182e4eb5539..b9c48e3fe6ba5 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/io/mod.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/io/mod.rs
@@ -51,5 +51,5 @@ pub use error::errno_location;
     target_os = "wasi",
 ))]
 pub use error::set_errno;
-pub use error::{decode_error_kind, errno, error_string, is_interrupted};
+pub use error::{decode_error_kind, errno, format_error, is_interrupted};
 pub use is_terminal::is_terminal;
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/process/uefi.rs b/library/std/src/sys/process/uefi.rs
index 0f5c7c9a58c40..8c233a0d2024e 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/process/uefi.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/process/uefi.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use crate::num::{NonZero, NonZeroI32};
 use crate::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use crate::process::StdioPipes;
 use crate::sys::fs::File;
-use crate::sys::io::error_string;
+use crate::sys::io::format_error;
 use crate::sys::pal::helpers;
 use crate::sys::unsupported;
 use crate::{fmt, io};
@@ -264,8 +264,7 @@ impl ExitStatus {
 
 impl fmt::Display for ExitStatus {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
-        let err_str = error_string(self.0.as_usize());
-        write!(f, "{}", err_str)
+        format_error(self.0.as_usize(), f)
     }
 }
 
@@ -280,8 +279,7 @@ pub struct ExitStatusError(r_efi::efi::Status);
 
 impl fmt::Debug for ExitStatusError {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
-        let err_str = error_string(self.0.as_usize());
-        write!(f, "{}", err_str)
+        format_error(self.0.as_usize(), f)
     }
 }