diff --git a/console.c b/console.c
index 7155b9f0..ce70c104 100644
--- a/console.c
+++ b/console.c
@@ -9,11 +9,15 @@
 #include "misc.h"
 #include "console.h"
 
-const char hk_absentmsg_common_fmt[] =
-    "The server's host key is not cached. You have no guarantee\n"
-    "that the server is the computer you think it is.\n"
-    "The server's %s key fingerprint is:\n"
-    "%s\n";
+char *hk_absentmsg_common(const char *keytype, const char *fingerprint)
+{
+    return dupprintf(
+        "The server's host key is not cached. You have no guarantee\n"
+        "that the server is the computer you think it is.\n"
+        "The server's %s key fingerprint is:\n"
+        "%s\n", keytype, fingerprint);
+}
+
 const char hk_absentmsg_interactive_intro[] =
     "If you trust this host, enter \"y\" to add the key to\n"
     "PuTTY's cache and carry on connecting.\n"
@@ -25,14 +29,18 @@ const char hk_absentmsg_interactive_prompt[] =
     "Store key in cache? (y/n, Return cancels connection, "
     "i for more info) ";
 
-const char hk_wrongmsg_common_fmt[] =
-    "WARNING - POTENTIAL SECURITY BREACH!\n"
-    "The server's host key does not match the one PuTTY has\n"
-    "cached. This means that either the server administrator\n"
-    "has changed the host key, or you have actually connected\n"
-    "to another computer pretending to be the server.\n"
-    "The new %s key fingerprint is:\n"
-    "%s\n";
+char *hk_wrongmsg_common(const char *keytype, const char *fingerprint)
+{
+    return dupprintf(
+        "WARNING - POTENTIAL SECURITY BREACH!\n"
+        "The server's host key does not match the one PuTTY has\n"
+        "cached. This means that either the server administrator\n"
+        "has changed the host key, or you have actually connected\n"
+        "to another computer pretending to be the server.\n"
+        "The new %s key fingerprint is:\n"
+        "%s\n", keytype, fingerprint);
+}
+
 const char hk_wrongmsg_interactive_intro[] =
     "If you were expecting this change and trust the new key,\n"
     "enter \"y\" to update PuTTY's cache and continue connecting.\n"
diff --git a/console.h b/console.h
index a8b22466..d28acbdc 100644
--- a/console.h
+++ b/console.h
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
  * Common pieces between the platform console frontend modules.
  */
 
-extern const char hk_absentmsg_common_fmt[];
+char *hk_absentmsg_common(const char *keytype, const char *fingerprint);
 extern const char hk_absentmsg_interactive_intro[];
 extern const char hk_absentmsg_interactive_prompt[];
-extern const char hk_wrongmsg_common_fmt[];
+
+char *hk_wrongmsg_common(const char *keytype, const char *fingerprint);
 extern const char hk_wrongmsg_interactive_intro[];
 extern const char hk_wrongmsg_interactive_prompt[];
 
diff --git a/unix/console.c b/unix/console.c
index e4e372fc..6b6379ed 100644
--- a/unix/console.c
+++ b/unix/console.c
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ int console_verify_ssh_host_key(
 
     char line[32];
     struct termios cf;
-    const char *common_fmt, *intro, *prompt;
+    char *common;
+    const char *intro, *prompt;
 
     /*
      * Verify the key.
@@ -121,21 +122,23 @@ int console_verify_ssh_host_key(
     if (ret == 0)                      /* success - key matched OK */
         return 1;
 
-    premsg(&cf);
+    FingerprintType fptype_default =
+        ssh2_pick_default_fingerprint(fingerprints);
+
     if (ret == 2) {                    /* key was different */
-        common_fmt = hk_wrongmsg_common_fmt;
+        common = hk_wrongmsg_common(keytype, fingerprints[fptype_default]);
         intro = hk_wrongmsg_interactive_intro;
         prompt = hk_wrongmsg_interactive_prompt;
     } else {                           /* key was absent */
-        common_fmt = hk_absentmsg_common_fmt;
+        common = hk_absentmsg_common(keytype, fingerprints[fptype_default]);
         intro = hk_absentmsg_interactive_intro;
         prompt = hk_absentmsg_interactive_prompt;
     }
 
-    FingerprintType fptype_default =
-        ssh2_pick_default_fingerprint(fingerprints);
+    premsg(&cf);
+    fputs(common, stderr);
+    sfree(common);
 
-    fprintf(stderr, common_fmt, keytype, fingerprints[fptype_default]);
     if (console_batch_mode) {
         fputs(console_abandoned_msg, stderr);
         postmsg(&cf);
diff --git a/windows/console.c b/windows/console.c
index 9bdfb6f4..21d33cd2 100644
--- a/windows/console.c
+++ b/windows/console.c
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ int console_verify_ssh_host_key(
     int ret;
     HANDLE hin;
     DWORD savemode, i;
-    const char *common_fmt, *intro, *prompt;
+    char *common;
+    const char *intro, *prompt;
 
     char line[32];
 
@@ -52,20 +53,22 @@ int console_verify_ssh_host_key(
     if (ret == 0)                      /* success - key matched OK */
         return 1;
 
+    FingerprintType fptype_default =
+        ssh2_pick_default_fingerprint(fingerprints);
+
     if (ret == 2) {                    /* key was different */
-        common_fmt = hk_wrongmsg_common_fmt;
+        common = hk_wrongmsg_common(keytype, fingerprints[fptype_default]);
         intro = hk_wrongmsg_interactive_intro;
         prompt = hk_wrongmsg_interactive_prompt;
     } else {                           /* key was absent */
-        common_fmt = hk_absentmsg_common_fmt;
+        common = hk_absentmsg_common(keytype, fingerprints[fptype_default]);
         intro = hk_absentmsg_interactive_intro;
         prompt = hk_absentmsg_interactive_prompt;
     }
 
-    FingerprintType fptype_default =
-        ssh2_pick_default_fingerprint(fingerprints);
+    fputs(common, stderr);
+    sfree(common);
 
-    fprintf(stderr, common_fmt, keytype, fingerprints[fptype_default]);
     if (console_batch_mode) {
         fputs(console_abandoned_msg, stderr);
         return 0;