diff --git a/gdb/ChangeLog b/gdb/ChangeLog
index 423084169e..0475bfe0ae 100644
--- a/gdb/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdb/ChangeLog
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 	* utils.c (phex_nz): For default case, set str to phex_nz return
 	value.
+	(phex): Ditto.
 
 2001-11-15  Andrew Cagney  <ac131313@redhat.com>
 
diff --git a/gdb/utils.c b/gdb/utils.c
index 377547280b..ed1b2b7ba6 100644
--- a/gdb/utils.c
+++ b/gdb/utils.c
@@ -2418,22 +2418,25 @@ static int thirty_two = 32;
 char *
 phex (ULONGEST l, int sizeof_l)
 {
-  char *str = get_cell ();
+  char *str;
   switch (sizeof_l)
     {
     case 8:
+      str = get_cell ();
       sprintf (str, "%08lx%08lx",
 	       (unsigned long) (l >> thirty_two),
 	       (unsigned long) (l & 0xffffffff));
       break;
     case 4:
+      str = get_cell ();
       sprintf (str, "%08lx", (unsigned long) l);
       break;
     case 2:
+      str = get_cell ();
       sprintf (str, "%04x", (unsigned short) (l & 0xffff));
       break;
     default:
-      phex (l, sizeof (l));
+      str = phex (l, sizeof (l));
       break;
     }
   return str;