diff --git a/git-compat-util.h b/git-compat-util.h
index cc2abeea0d..b7eaaa99a8 100644
--- a/git-compat-util.h
+++ b/git-compat-util.h
@@ -305,13 +305,13 @@ extern void warning(const char *err, ...) __attribute__((format (printf, 1, 2)))
 
 /*
  * Let callers be aware of the constant return value; this can help
- * gcc with -Wuninitialized analysis. We have to restrict this trick to
- * gcc, though, because of the variadic macro and the magic ## comma pasting
- * behavior. But since we're only trying to help gcc, anyway, it's OK; other
- * compilers will fall back to using the function as usual.
+ * gcc with -Wuninitialized analysis. We restrict this trick to gcc, though,
+ * because some compilers may not support variadic macros. Since we're only
+ * trying to help gcc, anyway, it's OK; other compilers will fall back to
+ * using the function as usual.
  */
 #if defined(__GNUC__) && ! defined(__clang__)
-#define error(fmt, ...) (error((fmt), ##__VA_ARGS__), -1)
+#define error(...) (error(__VA_ARGS__), -1)
 #endif
 
 extern void set_die_routine(NORETURN_PTR void (*routine)(const char *err, va_list params));