diff --git a/src/library.cpp b/src/library.cpp
index 3b3cb06a6c..ad075cdaa6 100644
--- a/src/library.cpp
+++ b/src/library.cpp
@@ -2953,8 +2953,6 @@ void lammps_decode_image_flags(imageint image, int *flags)
 // Library functions for error handling with exceptions enabled
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-#ifdef LAMMPS_EXCEPTIONS
-
 /** \brief Check if there is a (new) error message available
 
 \verbatim embed:rst
@@ -2963,19 +2961,24 @@ has thrown a :ref:`C++ exception <exceptions>`.
 
 .. note:
 
-   This function is only available when the LAMMPS library has been
-   compiled with ``-DLAMMPS_EXCEPTIONS`` which turns errors aborting
-   LAMMPS into a C++ exceptions. You can use the library function
-   :cpp:func:`lammps_config_has_exceptions` to check if this is the case.
+   This function will always report "no error" when the LAMMPS library
+   has been compiled without ``-DLAMMPS_EXCEPTIONS`` which turns fatal
+   errors aborting LAMMPS into a C++ exceptions. You can use the library
+   function :cpp:func:`lammps_config_has_exceptions` to check if this is
+   the case.
 \endverbatim
  *
  * \param handle   pointer to a previously created LAMMPS instance cast to ``void *``.
  * \return 0 on no error, 1 on error.
  */
 int lammps_has_error(void *handle) {
+#ifdef LAMMPS_EXCEPTIONS
   LAMMPS *  lmp = (LAMMPS *) handle;
   Error * error = lmp->error;
   return (error->get_last_error().empty()) ? 0 : 1;
+#else
+  return 0;
+#endif
 }
 
 /** \brief Copy the last error message into the provided buffer
@@ -2994,8 +2997,8 @@ the failing MPI ranks to send messages.
 
 .. note:
 
-   This function is only available when the LAMMPS library has been
-   compiled with ``-DLAMMPS_EXCEPTIONS`` which turns errors aborting
+   This function will do nothing when the LAMMPS library has been
+   compiled without ``-DLAMMPS_EXCEPTIONS`` which turns errors aborting
    LAMMPS into a C++ exceptions.  You can use the library function
    :cpp:func:`lammps_config_has_exceptions` to check if this is the case.
 \endverbatim
@@ -3006,6 +3009,7 @@ the failing MPI ranks to send messages.
  * \return 1 when all ranks had the error, 1 on a single rank error.
  */
 int lammps_get_last_error_message(void *handle, char * buffer, int buf_size) {
+#ifdef LAMMPS_EXCEPTIONS
   LAMMPS *  lmp = (LAMMPS *) handle;
   Error * error = lmp->error;
 
@@ -3015,11 +3019,10 @@ int lammps_get_last_error_message(void *handle, char * buffer, int buf_size) {
     error->set_last_error("", ERROR_NONE);
     return error_type;
   }
+#endif
   return 0;
 }
 
-#endif
-
 // Local Variables:
 // fill-column: 72
 // End:
diff --git a/src/library.h b/src/library.h
index a035273c4e..dee9155657 100644
--- a/src/library.h
+++ b/src/library.h
@@ -191,10 +191,8 @@ void lammps_set_fix_external_callback(void *, char *, FixExternalFnPtr, void*);
 void lammps_fix_external_set_energy_global(void *, char *, double);
 void lammps_fix_external_set_virial_global(void *, char *, double *);
 
-#ifdef LAMMPS_EXCEPTIONS
 int lammps_has_error(void *handle);
 int lammps_get_last_error_message(void *handle, char *buffer, int buf_size);
-#endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }