diff --git a/util/mkerr.pl b/util/mkerr.pl
index 8d2fdbc7e8..d87c4fd22c 100644
--- a/util/mkerr.pl
+++ b/util/mkerr.pl
@@ -534,14 +534,21 @@ EOF
 	# First, read any existing reason string definitions:
 	my %err_reason_strings;
 	if (open(IN,"<$cfile")) {
+		my $line = "";
 		while (<IN>) {
-			if (/\b(${lib}_R_\w*)\b.*\"(.*)\"/) {
-				$err_reason_strings{$1} = $2;
-			}
-			if (/\b${lib}_F_(\w*)\b.*\"(.*)\"/) {
-				if (!exists $ftrans{$1} && ($1 ne $2)) {
-					print STDERR "WARNING: Mismatched function string $2\n";
-					$ftrans{$1} = $2;
+			chomp;
+			$_ = $line . $_;
+			$line = "";
+			if (/{ERR_(FUNC|REASON)\(/) {
+				if (/\b(${lib}_R_\w*)\b.*\"(.*)\"/) {
+					$err_reason_strings{$1} = $2;
+				} elsif (/\b${lib}_F_(\w*)\b.*\"(.*)\"/) {
+					if (!exists $ftrans{$1} && ($1 ne $2)) {
+						print STDERR "WARNING: Mismatched function string $2\n";
+						$ftrans{$1} = $2;
+					}
+				} else {
+					$line = $_;
 				}
 			}
 		}