diff --git a/lib/libthr/thread/thr_private.h b/lib/libthr/thread/thr_private.h
--- a/lib/libthr/thread/thr_private.h
+++ b/lib/libthr/thread/thr_private.h
@@ -577,6 +577,10 @@
 
 	/* pthread_set/get_name_np */
 	char			*name;
+
+	/* rtld thread-local dlerror message and seen control */
+	char			dlerror_msg[512];
+	int			dlerror_seen;
 };
 
 #define THR_SHOULD_GC(thrd) 						\
diff --git a/lib/libthr/thread/thr_rtld.c b/lib/libthr/thread/thr_rtld.c
--- a/lib/libthr/thread/thr_rtld.c
+++ b/lib/libthr/thread/thr_rtld.c
@@ -182,6 +182,29 @@
 	return (0);
 }
 
+/*
+ * ABI bug workaround: This symbol must be present for rtld to accept
+ * RTLI_VERSION from RtldLockInfo
+ */
+char *_thr_dlerror_loc(void);
+char *
+_thr_dlerror_loc(void)
+{
+	struct pthread *curthread;
+
+	curthread = _get_curthread();
+	return (curthread->dlerror_msg);
+}
+
+static int *
+_thr_dlerror_seen(void)
+{
+	struct pthread *curthread;
+
+	curthread = _get_curthread();
+	return (&curthread->dlerror_seen);
+}
+
 void
 _thr_rtld_init(void)
 {
@@ -205,6 +228,7 @@
 	mprotect(NULL, 0, 0);
 	_rtld_get_stack_prot();
 
+	li.rtli_version = RTLI_VERSION;
 	li.lock_create  = _thr_rtld_lock_create;
 	li.lock_destroy = _thr_rtld_lock_destroy;
 	li.rlock_acquire = _thr_rtld_rlock_acquire;
@@ -213,6 +237,9 @@
 	li.thread_set_flag = _thr_rtld_set_flag;
 	li.thread_clr_flag = _thr_rtld_clr_flag;
 	li.at_fork = NULL;
+	li.dlerror_loc = _thr_dlerror_loc;
+	li.dlerror_loc_sz = sizeof(curthread->dlerror_msg);
+	li.dlerror_seen = _thr_dlerror_seen;
 
 	/*
 	 * Preresolve the symbols needed for the fork interposer.  We
diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.h b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.h
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.h
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.h
@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@
 Obj_Entry *globallist_next(const Obj_Entry *obj);
 void obj_free(Obj_Entry *);
 Obj_Entry *obj_new(void);
+Obj_Entry *obj_from_addr(const void *);
 void _rtld_bind_start(void);
 void *rtld_resolve_ifunc(const Obj_Entry *obj, const Elf_Sym *def);
 void symlook_init(SymLook *, const char *);
diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@
 static void map_stacks_exec(RtldLockState *);
 static int obj_disable_relro(Obj_Entry *);
 static int obj_enforce_relro(Obj_Entry *);
-static Obj_Entry *obj_from_addr(const void *);
 static void objlist_call_fini(Objlist *, Obj_Entry *, RtldLockState *);
 static void objlist_call_init(Objlist *, RtldLockState *);
 static void objlist_clear(Objlist *);
@@ -195,7 +194,6 @@
 /*
  * Data declarations.
  */
-static char *error_message;	/* Message for dlerror(), or NULL */
 struct r_debug r_debug __exported;	/* for GDB; */
 static bool libmap_disable;	/* Disable libmap */
 static bool ld_loadfltr;	/* Immediate filters processing */
@@ -443,6 +441,8 @@
     assert(aux_info[AT_BASE] != NULL);
     init_rtld((caddr_t) aux_info[AT_BASE]->a_un.a_ptr, aux_info);
 
+    dlerror_dflt_init();
+
     __progname = obj_rtld.path;
     argv0 = argv[0] != NULL ? argv[0] : "(null)";
     environ = env;
@@ -927,14 +927,14 @@
 void
 _rtld_error(const char *fmt, ...)
 {
-    static char buf[512];
-    va_list ap;
+	va_list ap;
 
-    va_start(ap, fmt);
-    rtld_vsnprintf(buf, sizeof buf, fmt, ap);
-    error_message = buf;
-    va_end(ap);
-    LD_UTRACE(UTRACE_RTLD_ERROR, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, error_message);
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	rtld_vsnprintf(lockinfo.dlerror_loc(), lockinfo.dlerror_loc_sz,
+	    fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+	*lockinfo.dlerror_seen() = 0;
+	LD_UTRACE(UTRACE_RTLD_ERROR, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, lockinfo.dlerror_loc());
 }
 
 /*
@@ -943,7 +943,7 @@
 static char *
 errmsg_save(void)
 {
-    return error_message == NULL ? NULL : xstrdup(error_message);
+	return (xstrdup(lockinfo.dlerror_loc()));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -953,12 +953,12 @@
 static void
 errmsg_restore(char *saved_msg)
 {
-    if (saved_msg == NULL)
-	error_message = NULL;
-    else {
-	_rtld_error("%s", saved_msg);
-	free(saved_msg);
-    }
+	if (saved_msg == NULL)
+		_rtld_error("");
+	else {
+		_rtld_error("%s", saved_msg);
+		free(saved_msg);
+	}
 }
 
 static const char *
@@ -2687,7 +2687,7 @@
     return (NULL);
 }
 
-static Obj_Entry *
+Obj_Entry *
 obj_from_addr(const void *addr)
 {
     Obj_Entry *obj;
@@ -3389,9 +3389,10 @@
 char *
 dlerror(void)
 {
-    char *msg = error_message;
-    error_message = NULL;
-    return msg;
+	if (*(lockinfo.dlerror_seen()) != 0)
+		return (NULL);
+	*lockinfo.dlerror_seen() = 1;
+	return (lockinfo.dlerror_loc());
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_lock.h b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_lock.h
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_lock.h
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_lock.h
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@
 #ifndef _RTLD_LOCK_H_
 #define	_RTLD_LOCK_H_
 
-#define	RTLI_VERSION	0x01
+#define	RTLI_VERSION_ONE	0x01
+#define	RTLI_VERSION		0x02
+
 #define	MAX_RTLD_LOCKS	8
 
 struct RtldLockInfo
@@ -44,6 +46,9 @@
 	int   (*thread_set_flag)(int);
 	int   (*thread_clr_flag)(int);
 	void  (*at_fork)(void);
+	char *(*dlerror_loc)(void);
+	int  *(*dlerror_seen)(void);
+	int   dlerror_loc_sz;
 };
 
 extern void _rtld_thread_init(struct RtldLockInfo *) __exported;
@@ -59,6 +64,8 @@
 extern rtld_lock_t	rtld_libc_lock;
 extern rtld_lock_t	rtld_phdr_lock;
 
+extern struct RtldLockInfo lockinfo;
+
 #define	RTLD_LOCK_UNLOCKED	0
 #define	RTLD_LOCK_RLOCKED	1
 #define	RTLD_LOCK_WLOCKED	2
@@ -72,6 +79,8 @@
 void	lock_upgrade(rtld_lock_t, RtldLockState *);
 void	lock_restart_for_upgrade(RtldLockState *);
 
+void	dlerror_dflt_init(void);
+
 #endif	/* IN_RTLD */
 
 #endif
diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_lock.c b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_lock.c
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_lock.c
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_lock.c
@@ -59,6 +59,21 @@
 void _rtld_atfork_pre(int *) __exported;
 void _rtld_atfork_post(int *) __exported;
 
+static char def_dlerror_msg[512];
+static int def_dlerror_seen_val;
+
+static char *
+def_dlerror_loc(void)
+{
+	return (def_dlerror_msg);
+}
+
+static int *
+def_dlerror_seen(void)
+{
+	return (&def_dlerror_seen_val);
+}
+
 #define WAFLAG		0x1	/* A writer holds the lock */
 #define RC_INCR		0x2	/* Adjusts count of readers desiring lock */
 
@@ -192,7 +207,7 @@
 /*
  * Public interface exposed to the rest of the dynamic linker.
  */
-static struct RtldLockInfo lockinfo;
+struct RtldLockInfo lockinfo;
 static struct RtldLockInfo deflockinfo;
 
 static __inline int
@@ -299,6 +314,14 @@
 	}
 }
 
+void
+dlerror_dflt_init(void)
+{
+	lockinfo.dlerror_loc = def_dlerror_loc;
+	lockinfo.dlerror_loc_sz = sizeof(def_dlerror_msg);
+	lockinfo.dlerror_seen = def_dlerror_seen;
+}
+
 void
 lockdflt_init(void)
 {
@@ -313,6 +336,9 @@
 	deflockinfo.thread_set_flag = def_thread_set_flag;
 	deflockinfo.thread_clr_flag = def_thread_clr_flag;
 	deflockinfo.at_fork = NULL;
+	deflockinfo.dlerror_loc = def_dlerror_loc;
+	deflockinfo.dlerror_loc_sz = sizeof(def_dlerror_msg);
+	deflockinfo.dlerror_seen = def_dlerror_seen;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < RTLD_LOCK_CNT; i++) {
 		rtld_locks[i].mask   = (1 << i);
@@ -344,8 +370,24 @@
 void
 _rtld_thread_init(struct RtldLockInfo *pli)
 {
-	int flags, i;
+	const Obj_Entry *obj;
+	SymLook req;
 	void *locks[RTLD_LOCK_CNT];
+	int flags, i, res;
+
+	if (pli == NULL) {
+		lockinfo.rtli_version = RTLI_VERSION;
+	} else {
+		lockinfo.rtli_version = RTLI_VERSION_ONE;
+		obj = obj_from_addr(pli->lock_create);
+		if (obj != NULL) {
+			symlook_init(&req, "_thr_dlerror_loc");
+			req.flags = SYMLOOK_IN_PLT;
+			res = symlook_obj(&req, obj);
+			if (res == 0)
+				lockinfo.rtli_version = pli->rtli_version;
+		}
+	}
 
 	/* disable all locking while this function is running */
 	flags =	thread_mask_set(~0);
@@ -389,6 +431,13 @@
 	lockinfo.thread_set_flag = pli->thread_set_flag;
 	lockinfo.thread_clr_flag = pli->thread_clr_flag;
 	lockinfo.at_fork = pli->at_fork;
+	if (lockinfo.rtli_version > RTLI_VERSION_ONE && pli != NULL) {
+		strlcpy(pli->dlerror_loc(), lockinfo.dlerror_loc(),
+		    lockinfo.dlerror_loc_sz);
+		lockinfo.dlerror_loc = pli->dlerror_loc;
+		lockinfo.dlerror_loc_sz = pli->dlerror_loc_sz;
+		lockinfo.dlerror_seen = pli->dlerror_seen;
+	}
 
 	/* restore thread locking state, this time with new locks */
 	thread_mask_clear(~0);