diff --git a/resource/modules/resource_match.cpp b/resource/modules/resource_match.cpp
index c66905b90..13c0b7251 100644
--- a/resource/modules/resource_match.cpp
+++ b/resource/modules/resource_match.cpp
@@ -1201,7 +1201,6 @@ static int mark_now (std::shared_ptr<resource_ctx_t> &ctx,
                         "%s: traverser::mark: %s",
                         __FUNCTION__,
                         ctx->traverser->err_message ().c_str ());
-        ctx->traverser->clear_err_message ();
         goto done;
     }
     flux_log (ctx->h,
@@ -2685,7 +2684,6 @@ static int run_find (std::shared_ptr<resource_ctx_t> &ctx,
                             "%s: %s",
                             __FUNCTION__,
                             ctx->traverser->err_message ().c_str ());
-            ctx->traverser->clear_err_message ();
         }
         goto error;
     }
@@ -2956,7 +2954,6 @@ static void set_status_request_cb (flux_t *h,
                         "%s: traverser::mark: %s",
                         __FUNCTION__,
                         ctx->traverser->err_message ().c_str ());
-        ctx->traverser->clear_err_message ();
         errmsg = "Failed to set status of resource vertex";
         goto error;
     }
diff --git a/resource/reapi/bindings/c++/reapi_cli_impl.hpp b/resource/reapi/bindings/c++/reapi_cli_impl.hpp
index 1d81410fe..e9fda8306 100644
--- a/resource/reapi/bindings/c++/reapi_cli_impl.hpp
+++ b/resource/reapi/bindings/c++/reapi_cli_impl.hpp
@@ -682,7 +682,6 @@ int resource_query_t::remove_job (const uint64_t jobid)
         }
     } else {
         m_err_msg += traverser->err_message ();
-        traverser->clear_err_message ();
     }
     return rc;
 }
@@ -716,7 +715,6 @@ int resource_query_t::remove_job (const uint64_t jobid, const std::string &R, bo
         }
     } else {
         m_err_msg += traverser->err_message ();
-        traverser->clear_err_message ();
     }
 
     return rc;
diff --git a/resource/utilities/command.cpp b/resource/utilities/command.cpp
index 782d0dd0f..94e9ecc06 100644
--- a/resource/utilities/command.cpp
+++ b/resource/utilities/command.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ static int do_remove (std::shared_ptr<resource_context_t> &ctx, int64_t jobid)
         }
     } else {
         std::cout << ctx->traverser->err_message ();
-        ctx->traverser->clear_err_message ();
     }
     return rc;
 }
@@ -135,7 +134,6 @@ static int do_partial_remove (std::shared_ptr<resource_context_t> &ctx,
         }
     } else {
         std::cout << ctx->traverser->err_message ();
-        ctx->traverser->clear_err_message ();
     }
     return rc;
 }
@@ -295,7 +293,6 @@ static int run_match (std::shared_ptr<resource_context_t> &ctx,
 
     if (ctx->traverser->err_message () != "") {
         std::cerr << "ERROR: " << ctx->traverser->err_message ();
-        ctx->traverser->clear_err_message ();
     }
     if ((rc = ctx->writers->emit (o)) < 0) {
         std::cerr << "ERROR: match writer emit: " << strerror (errno) << std::endl;
@@ -436,7 +433,6 @@ static int update_run (std::shared_ptr<resource_context_t> &ctx,
             std::cerr << "ERROR: traverser run () returned error " << std::endl;
             if (ctx->traverser->err_message () != "") {
                 std::cerr << "ERROR: " << ctx->traverser->err_message ();
-                ctx->traverser->clear_err_message ();
             }
         }
     }
@@ -619,7 +615,6 @@ int cmd_find (std::shared_ptr<resource_context_t> &ctx, std::vector<std::string>
     if ((rc = ctx->traverser->find (ctx->writers, criteria)) < 0) {
         if (ctx->traverser->err_message () != "") {
             std::cerr << "ERROR: " << ctx->traverser->err_message ();
-            ctx->traverser->clear_err_message ();
         }
         goto done;
     }