diff --git a/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-common.c b/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-common.c
index 8c0a64caf..8276fe27f 100644
--- a/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-common.c
+++ b/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-common.c
@@ -419,10 +419,9 @@ fu_uefi_guess_esp_path (GError **error)
 	return fu_uefi_probe_for_esp (error);
 }
 
-gboolean
-fu_uefi_prefix_efi_errors (GError **error)
+void
+fu_uefi_print_efivar_errors (void)
 {
-	g_autoptr(GString) str = g_string_new (NULL);
 	for (gint i = 0; ; i++) {
 		gchar *filename = NULL;
 		gchar *function = NULL;
@@ -432,12 +431,8 @@ fu_uefi_prefix_efi_errors (GError **error)
 		if (efi_error_get (i, &filename, &function, &line,
 				   &message, &err) <= 0)
 			break;
-		g_string_append_printf (str, "{error #%d} %s:%d %s(): %s: %s\t",
-					i, filename, line, function,
-					message, strerror (err));
+		g_debug ("{efivar error #%d} %s:%d %s(): %s: %s\t",
+			 i, filename, line, function,
+			 message, strerror (err));
 	}
-	if (str->len > 1)
-		g_string_truncate (str, str->len - 1);
-	g_prefix_error (error, "%s: ", str->str);
-	return FALSE;
 }
diff --git a/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-common.h b/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-common.h
index 7c9c92fac..50a26b491 100644
--- a/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-common.h
+++ b/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-common.h
@@ -83,6 +83,6 @@ GPtrArray	*fu_uefi_get_esrt_entry_paths	(const gchar	*esrt_path,
 						 GError		**error);
 guint64		 fu_uefi_read_file_as_uint64	(const gchar	*path,
 						 const gchar	*attr_name);
-gboolean	 fu_uefi_prefix_efi_errors	(GError		**error);
+void		 fu_uefi_print_efivar_errors	(void);
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-device.c b/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-device.c
index e4e649a04..0d88aaf44 100644
--- a/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-device.c
+++ b/plugins/uefi/fu-uefi-device.c
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ fu_uefi_device_write_update_info (FuUefiDevice *self,
 	/* convert to EFI device path */
 	dp_buf = fu_uefi_device_build_dp_buf (filename, &dp_bufsz, error);
 	if (dp_buf == NULL) {
-		fu_uefi_prefix_efi_errors (error);
+		fu_uefi_print_efivar_errors ();
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ fu_uefi_device_write_update_info (FuUefiDevice *self,
 				    FU_UEFI_VARS_ATTR_BOOTSERVICE_ACCESS |
 				    FU_UEFI_VARS_ATTR_RUNTIME_ACCESS,
 				    error)) {
-		fu_uefi_prefix_efi_errors (error);
+		fu_uefi_print_efivar_errors ();
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	return TRUE;