diff --git a/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.cc b/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.cc
index 581b903f1a0..5fe6514802b 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.cc
+++ b/src/core/lib/iomgr/error.cc
@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@ const char* grpc_error_string(grpc_error* err) {
 
   if (!gpr_atm_rel_cas(&err->atomics.error_string, 0, (gpr_atm)out)) {
     gpr_free(out);
-    out = (char*)gpr_atm_no_barrier_load(&err->atomics.error_string);
+    out = (char*)gpr_atm_acq_load(&err->atomics.error_string);
   }
 
   GPR_TIMER_END("grpc_error_string", 0);
diff --git a/src/core/lib/transport/error_utils.cc b/src/core/lib/transport/error_utils.cc
index acac1330b56..69c8ae6de36 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/transport/error_utils.cc
+++ b/src/core/lib/transport/error_utils.cc
@@ -71,10 +71,7 @@ void grpc_error_get_status(grpc_exec_ctx* exec_ctx, grpc_error* error,
   if (code != nullptr) *code = status;
 
   if (error_string != NULL && status != GRPC_STATUS_OK) {
-    const char* str = grpc_error_string(error);
-    if (str != nullptr) {
-      *error_string = gpr_strdup(str);
-    }
+    *error_string = gpr_strdup(grpc_error_string(error));
   }
 
   if (http_error != nullptr) {