diff --git a/dlls/kernel32/format_msg.c b/dlls/kernel32/format_msg.c
index 0ba0229dab4..1ee5bd483eb 100644
--- a/dlls/kernel32/format_msg.c
+++ b/dlls/kernel32/format_msg.c
@@ -404,6 +404,115 @@ static LPCWSTR format_insertW( int insert, LPCWSTR format, DWORD flags,
     return format;
 }
 
+/**********************************************************************
+ *	format_messageA    (internal)
+ */
+static LPSTR format_messageA( DWORD dwFlags, LPCSTR fmtstr, struct format_args *format_args )
+{
+    LPSTR target,t;
+    DWORD talloced;
+    LPCSTR f;
+    DWORD width = dwFlags & FORMAT_MESSAGE_MAX_WIDTH_MASK;
+    BOOL eos = FALSE;
+    CHAR ch;
+
+    target = t = HeapAlloc( GetProcessHeap(), HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY, 100);
+    talloced = 100;
+
+#define ADD_TO_T(c) do { \
+        *t++=c;\
+        if ((DWORD)(t-target) == talloced) {\
+            target = HeapReAlloc(GetProcessHeap(),HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY,target,talloced*2);\
+            t = target+talloced;\
+            talloced*=2;\
+      }\
+} while (0)
+
+    f = fmtstr;
+    if (dwFlags & FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS) {
+        while (*f && !eos)
+            ADD_TO_T(*f++);
+    }
+    else {
+        while (*f && !eos) {
+            if (*f=='%') {
+                int insertnr;
+                char *str,*x;
+
+                f++;
+                if (!*f) {
+                    ADD_TO_T('%');
+                    continue;
+                }
+                switch (*f) {
+                case '1':case '2':case '3':case '4':case '5':
+                case '6':case '7':case '8':case '9':
+                    insertnr = *f-'0';
+                    switch (f[1]) {
+                    case '0':case '1':case '2':case '3':
+                    case '4':case '5':case '6':case '7':
+                    case '8':case '9':
+                        f++;
+                        insertnr = insertnr*10 + *f-'0';
+                        f++;
+                        break;
+                    default:
+                        f++;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    f = format_insertA( insertnr, f, dwFlags, format_args, &str );
+                    for (x = str; *x; x++) ADD_TO_T(*x);
+                    HeapFree( GetProcessHeap(), 0, str );
+                    break;
+                case 'n':
+                    ADD_TO_T('\r');
+                    ADD_TO_T('\n');
+                    f++;
+                    break;
+                case '0':
+                    eos = TRUE;
+                    f++;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    ADD_TO_T(*f++);
+                    break;
+                }
+            } else {
+                ch = *f;
+                f++;
+                if (ch == '\r') {
+                    if (*f == '\n')
+                        f++;
+                    if(width)
+                        ADD_TO_T(' ');
+                    else
+                    {
+                        ADD_TO_T('\r');
+                        ADD_TO_T('\n');
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    if (ch == '\n')
+                    {
+                        if(width)
+                            ADD_TO_T(' ');
+                        else
+                        {
+                            ADD_TO_T('\r');
+                            ADD_TO_T('\n');
+                        }
+                    }
+                    else
+                        ADD_TO_T(ch);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    *t = '\0';
+
+    return target;
+}
+#undef ADD_TO_T
+
 /**********************************************************************
  *	format_messageW    (internal)
  */
@@ -529,13 +638,10 @@ DWORD WINAPI FormatMessageA(
 {
     struct format_args format_args;
     DWORD ret = 0;
-    LPSTR	target,t;
+    LPSTR	target;
     DWORD	talloced;
     LPSTR	from;
-    LPCSTR f;
     DWORD	width = dwFlags & FORMAT_MESSAGE_MAX_WIDTH_MASK;
-    BOOL    eos = FALSE;
-    CHAR	ch;
 
     TRACE("(0x%x,%p,%d,0x%x,%p,%d,%p)\n",
           dwFlags,lpSource,dwMessageId,dwLanguageId,lpBuffer,nSize,args);
@@ -578,101 +684,9 @@ DWORD WINAPI FormatMessageA(
             from = load_messageA( kernel32_handle, dwMessageId, dwLanguageId );
         if (!from) return 0;
     }
-    target	= HeapAlloc( GetProcessHeap(), HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY, 100);
-    t	= target;
-    talloced= 100;
 
-#define ADD_TO_T(c) do { \
-        *t++=c;\
-        if ((DWORD)(t-target) == talloced) {\
-            target = HeapReAlloc(GetProcessHeap(),HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY,target,talloced*2);\
-            t = target+talloced;\
-            talloced*=2;\
-      }\
-} while (0)
+    target = format_messageA( dwFlags, from, &format_args );
 
-    if (from) {
-        f=from;
-        if (dwFlags & FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS) {
-            while (*f && !eos)
-                ADD_TO_T(*f++);
-        }
-        else {
-            while (*f && !eos) {
-                if (*f=='%') {
-                    int insertnr;
-                    char *str,*x;
-
-                    f++;
-                    if (!*f) {
-                        ADD_TO_T('%');
-                        continue;
-                    }
-                    switch (*f) {
-                    case '1':case '2':case '3':case '4':case '5':
-                    case '6':case '7':case '8':case '9':
-                        insertnr=*f-'0';
-                        switch (f[1]) {
-                        case '0':case '1':case '2':case '3':
-                        case '4':case '5':case '6':case '7':
-                        case '8':case '9':
-                            f++;
-                            insertnr=insertnr*10+*f-'0';
-                            f++;
-                            break;
-                        default:
-                            f++;
-                            break;
-                        }
-                        f = format_insertA( insertnr, f, dwFlags, &format_args, &str );
-                        for (x = str; *x; x++) ADD_TO_T(*x);
-                        HeapFree( GetProcessHeap(), 0, str );
-                        break;
-                    case 'n':
-                        ADD_TO_T('\r');
-                        ADD_TO_T('\n');
-                        f++;
-                        break;
-                    case '0':
-                        eos = TRUE;
-                        f++;
-                        break;
-                    default:
-                        ADD_TO_T(*f++);
-                        break;
-                    }
-                } else {
-                    ch = *f;
-                    f++;
-                    if (ch == '\r') {
-                        if (*f == '\n')
-                            f++;
-                        if(width)
-                            ADD_TO_T(' ');
-                        else
-                        {
-                            ADD_TO_T('\r');
-                            ADD_TO_T('\n');
-                        }
-                    } else {
-                        if (ch == '\n')
-                        {
-                            if(width)
-                                ADD_TO_T(' ');
-                            else
-                            {
-                                ADD_TO_T('\r');
-                                ADD_TO_T('\n');
-                            }
-                        }
-                        else
-                            ADD_TO_T(ch);
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        *t='\0';
-    }
     talloced = strlen(target)+1;
     TRACE("-- %s\n",debugstr_a(target));
     if (dwFlags & FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER) {