diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a26b08b..29423f9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ LDFLAGS = -lncursesw
 EXECUTABLE = bin/ttysolitaire
 LIB_DIR    = lib
 SRC        = ${LIB_DIR}/ttysolitaire.c
-LIB_OBJECTS = ${LIB_DIR}/frame.o    \
+LIB_OBJECTS = ${LIB_DIR}/common.o   \
+              ${LIB_DIR}/frame.o    \
               ${LIB_DIR}/card.o     \
               ${LIB_DIR}/stack.o    \
               ${LIB_DIR}/deck.o     \
diff --git a/lib/card.c b/lib/card.c
index ee3be10..06a41ef 100644
--- a/lib/card.c
+++ b/lib/card.c
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include "card.h"
+#include "common.h"
 
 void allocate_card(struct card **card) {
   if (!(*card = malloc(sizeof(**card)))) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s (%s:%d)\n", program_name, strerror(errno), __FILE__, __LINE__ - 1);
+    fprintf(stderr, tty_solitaire_error_message(errno, __FILE__, __LINE__));
     exit(errno);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/card.h b/lib/card.h
index 996a5cf..6c03f62 100644
--- a/lib/card.h
+++ b/lib/card.h
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@ struct card {
   enum face    face;
 };
 
-extern const char *program_name;
-
 void allocate_card(struct card **);
 void initialize_card(struct card *);
 struct card *duplicate_card(struct card *);
diff --git a/lib/common.c b/lib/common.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07f4f36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/common.c
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <malloc.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include "common.h"
+
+char *tty_solitaire_error_message(int errno, char *file, int line) {
+  char *message = malloc(sizeof(ERROR_MESSAGE_BUFFER_SIZE));
+  snprintf(message,
+           ERROR_MESSAGE_BUFFER_SIZE,
+           "%s: %s (%s:%d)\n",
+           program_name,
+           strerror(errno),
+           file,
+           line - 1);
+  return(message);
+}
diff --git a/lib/common.h b/lib/common.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6fdd074
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#ifndef COMMON_H
+#define COMMON_H
+
+extern const char *program_name;
+#define ERROR_MESSAGE_BUFFER_SIZE 100
+char *tty_solitaire_error_message(int, char *, int);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/lib/cursor.c b/lib/cursor.c
index 1c74de4..10620cd 100644
--- a/lib/cursor.c
+++ b/lib/cursor.c
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@
 #include "display.h"
 #include "game.h"
 #include "cursor.h"
+#include "common.h"
 
 void allocate_cursor(struct cursor **cursor) {
   if (!(*cursor = malloc(sizeof(**cursor)))) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s (%s:%d)\n", program_name, strerror(errno), __FILE__, __LINE__ - 1);
+    fprintf(stderr, tty_solitaire_error_message(errno, __FILE__, __LINE__));
     exit(errno);
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/cursor.h b/lib/cursor.h
index 3d280e8..3d0c499 100644
--- a/lib/cursor.h
+++ b/lib/cursor.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ struct cursor {
 enum movement { LEFT, DOWN, UP, RIGHT };
 
 extern struct deck *deck;
-extern const char *program_name;
 
 void allocate_cursor(struct cursor **);
 void initialize_cursor(struct cursor *);
diff --git a/lib/deck.c b/lib/deck.c
index 1f7eca0..5639b17 100644
--- a/lib/deck.c
+++ b/lib/deck.c
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include "deck.h"
+#include "common.h"
 
 void allocate_deck(struct deck **deck) {
   if (!(*deck = malloc(sizeof(**deck)))) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s (%s:%d)\n", program_name, strerror(errno), __FILE__, __LINE__ - 1);
+    fprintf(stderr, tty_solitaire_error_message(errno, __FILE__, __LINE__));
     exit(errno);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/deck.h b/lib/deck.h
index 98959da..2107cfe 100644
--- a/lib/deck.h
+++ b/lib/deck.h
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ struct deck {
   struct stack *maneuvre_6;
 };
 
-extern const char *program_name;
-
 void allocate_deck(struct deck **);
 void initialize_deck(struct deck *);
 void free_deck(struct deck *);
diff --git a/lib/display.c b/lib/display.c
index a6549f5..fa97ddb 100644
--- a/lib/display.c
+++ b/lib/display.c
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #include "game.h"
 #include "display.h"
+#include "common.h"
 
 static char *card_suit(enum suit suit) {
   char *card_suit;
 
   if (!(card_suit = malloc(5 * sizeof(*card_suit)))) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s (%s:%d)\n", program_name, strerror(errno), __FILE__, __LINE__ - 1);
+    fprintf(stderr, tty_solitaire_error_message(errno, __FILE__, __LINE__));
     exit(errno);
   }
 
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ static char *card_value(enum value value) {
   char *card_value;
 
   if (!(card_value = malloc(2 * sizeof(*card_value)))) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s (%s:%d)\n", program_name, strerror(errno), __FILE__, __LINE__ - 1);
+    fprintf(stderr, tty_solitaire_error_message(errno, __FILE__, __LINE__));
     exit(errno);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/display.h b/lib/display.h
index 8dc4168..12133e4 100644
--- a/lib/display.h
+++ b/lib/display.h
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@
 #define WHITE_ON_BLUE  3
 #define WHITE_ON_GREEN 4
 
-extern const char *program_name;
-
 void erase_stack(struct stack *);
 void draw_value(struct card *);
 void draw_suit(struct card *);
diff --git a/lib/frame.c b/lib/frame.c
index 3717ace..fd52903 100644
--- a/lib/frame.c
+++ b/lib/frame.c
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include "frame.h"
+#include "common.h"
 
 void allocate_frame(struct frame **frame) {
   if (!(*frame = malloc(sizeof(**frame)))) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s (%s:%d)\n", program_name, strerror(errno), __FILE__, __LINE__ - 1);
+    fprintf(stderr, tty_solitaire_error_message(errno, __FILE__, __LINE__));
     exit(errno);
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/frame.h b/lib/frame.h
index 1b4ad04..c519400 100644
--- a/lib/frame.h
+++ b/lib/frame.h
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ struct frame {
   int    start_x;
 };
 
-extern const char *program_name;
-
 void allocate_frame(struct frame **);
 void initialize_frame(struct frame *);
 struct frame *duplicate_frame(struct frame *);
diff --git a/lib/game.c b/lib/game.c
index 13c4972..5349259 100644
--- a/lib/game.c
+++ b/lib/game.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <time.h>
 #include "display.h"
 #include "util.h"
+#include "common.h"
 #include "game.h"
 
 bool stock_stack(struct stack *stack) {
@@ -198,7 +199,7 @@ static void shuffle_deck(struct deck *deck) {
   int random;
 
   if (!(stack = malloc(NUMBER_OF_CARDS * sizeof(*stack)))) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s (%s:%d)\n", program_name, strerror(errno), __FILE__, __LINE__ - 1);
+    fprintf(stderr, tty_solitaire_error_message(errno, __FILE__, __LINE__));
     exit(errno);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/game.h b/lib/game.h
index cda2071..e1b307c 100644
--- a/lib/game.h
+++ b/lib/game.h
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 #define MANEUVRE_5_STARTING_X   41
 #define MANEUVRE_6_STARTING_X   49
 
-extern const char *program_name;
 struct deck *deck;
 struct cursor *cursor;
 
diff --git a/lib/stack.c b/lib/stack.c
index 7ec5fdb..74b6aac 100644
--- a/lib/stack.c
+++ b/lib/stack.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 void allocate_stack(struct stack **stack) {
   if (!(*stack = malloc(sizeof(**stack)))) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s (%s:%d)\n", program_name, strerror(errno), __FILE__, __LINE__ - 1);
+    fprintf(stderr, tty_solitaire_error_message(errno, __FILE__, __LINE__));
     exit(errno);
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/stack.h b/lib/stack.h
index fe5b655..1a3efec 100644
--- a/lib/stack.h
+++ b/lib/stack.h
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ struct stack {
   struct stack *next;
 };
 
-extern const char *program_name;
-
 void allocate_stack(struct stack **);
 void initialize_stack(struct stack *);
 struct stack *duplicate_stack(struct stack *);