diff --git a/stdlib/fmtmsg.c b/stdlib/fmtmsg.c
index 9203317..4c02302 100644
--- a/stdlib/fmtmsg.c
+++ b/stdlib/fmtmsg.c
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ fmtmsg (long int classification, const char *label, int severity,
 	const char *text, const char *action, const char *tag)
 {
   __libc_once_define (static, once);
-  int result = MM_OK;
   struct severity_info *severity_rec;
 
   /* Make sure everything is initialized.  */
@@ -124,17 +123,6 @@ fmtmsg (long int classification, const char *label, int severity,
 	return MM_NOTOK;
     }
 
-  for (severity_rec = severity_list; severity_rec != NULL;
-       severity_rec = severity_rec->next)
-    if (severity == severity_rec->severity)
-      /* Bingo.  */
-      break;
-
-  /* If we don't know anything about the severity level return an error.  */
-  if (severity_rec == NULL)
-    return MM_NOTOK;
-
-
 #ifdef __libc_ptf_call
   /* We do not want this call to be cut short by a thread
      cancellation.  Therefore disable cancellation for now.  */
@@ -143,54 +131,73 @@ fmtmsg (long int classification, const char *label, int severity,
 		   0);
 #endif
 
-  /* Now we can print.  */
-  if (classification & MM_PRINT)
-    {
-      int do_label = (print & label_mask) && label != MM_NULLLBL;
-      int do_severity = (print & severity_mask) && severity != MM_NULLSEV;
-      int do_text = (print & text_mask) && text != MM_NULLTXT;
-      int do_action = (print & action_mask) && action != MM_NULLACT;
-      int do_tag = (print & tag_mask) && tag != MM_NULLTAG;
-
-      if (__fxprintf (stderr, "%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s\n",
-		      do_label ? label : "",
-		      do_label && (do_severity | do_text | do_action | do_tag)
-		      ? ": " : "",
-		      do_severity ? severity_rec->string : "",
-		      do_severity && (do_text | do_action | do_tag)
-		      ? ": " : "",
-		      do_text ? text : "",
-		      do_text && (do_action | do_tag) ? "\n" : "",
-		      do_action ? "TO FIX: " : "",
-		      do_action ? action : "",
-		      do_action && do_tag ? "  " : "",
-		      do_tag ? tag : "") < 0)
-	/* Oh, oh.  An error occurred during the output.  */
-	result = MM_NOMSG;
-    }
+  __libc_lock_lock (lock);
 
-  if (classification & MM_CONSOLE)
+  for (severity_rec = severity_list; severity_rec != NULL;
+       severity_rec = severity_rec->next)
+    if (severity == severity_rec->severity)
+      /* Bingo.  */
+      break;
+
+  /* If we don't know anything about the severity level return an error.  */
+  int result = MM_NOTOK;
+  if (severity_rec != NULL)
     {
-      int do_label = label != MM_NULLLBL;
-      int do_severity = severity != MM_NULLSEV;
-      int do_text = text != MM_NULLTXT;
-      int do_action = action != MM_NULLACT;
-      int do_tag = tag != MM_NULLTAG;
-
-      syslog (LOG_ERR, "%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s\n",
-	      do_label ? label : "",
-	      do_label && (do_severity | do_text | do_action | do_tag)
-	      ? ": " : "",
-	      do_severity ? severity_rec->string : "",
-	      do_severity && (do_text | do_action | do_tag) ? ": " : "",
-	      do_text ? text : "",
-	      do_text && (do_action | do_tag) ? "\n" : "",
-	      do_action ? "TO FIX: " : "",
-	      do_action ? action : "",
-	      do_action && do_tag ? "  " : "",
-	      do_tag ? tag : "");
+      result = MM_OK;
+
+      /* Now we can print.  */
+      if (classification & MM_PRINT)
+	{
+	  int do_label = (print & label_mask) && label != MM_NULLLBL;
+	  int do_severity = (print & severity_mask) && severity != MM_NULLSEV;
+	  int do_text = (print & text_mask) && text != MM_NULLTXT;
+	  int do_action = (print & action_mask) && action != MM_NULLACT;
+	  int do_tag = (print & tag_mask) && tag != MM_NULLTAG;
+	  int need_colon = (do_label
+			    && (do_severity | do_text | do_action | do_tag));
+
+	  if (__fxprintf (stderr, "%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s\n",
+			  do_label ? label : "",
+			  need_colon ? ": " : "",
+			  do_severity ? severity_rec->string : "",
+			  do_severity && (do_text | do_action | do_tag)
+			  ? ": " : "",
+			  do_text ? text : "",
+			  do_text && (do_action | do_tag) ? "\n" : "",
+			  do_action ? "TO FIX: " : "",
+			  do_action ? action : "",
+			  do_action && do_tag ? "  " : "",
+			  do_tag ? tag : "") < 0)
+	    /* Oh, oh.  An error occurred during the output.  */
+	    result = MM_NOMSG;
+	}
+
+      if (classification & MM_CONSOLE)
+	{
+	  int do_label = label != MM_NULLLBL;
+	  int do_severity = severity != MM_NULLSEV;
+	  int do_text = text != MM_NULLTXT;
+	  int do_action = action != MM_NULLACT;
+	  int do_tag = tag != MM_NULLTAG;
+	  int need_colon = (do_label
+			    && (do_severity | do_text | do_action | do_tag));
+
+	  syslog (LOG_ERR, "%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s\n",
+		  do_label ? label : "",
+		  need_colon ? ": " : "",
+		  do_severity ? severity_rec->string : "",
+		  do_severity && (do_text | do_action | do_tag) ? ": " : "",
+		  do_text ? text : "",
+		  do_text && (do_action | do_tag) ? "\n" : "",
+		  do_action ? "TO FIX: " : "",
+		  do_action ? action : "",
+		  do_action && do_tag ? "  " : "",
+		  do_tag ? tag : "");
+	}
     }
 
+  __libc_lock_unlock (lock);
+
 #ifdef __libc_ptf_call
   __libc_ptf_call (pthread_setcancelstate, (state, NULL), 0);
 #endif