diff --git a/src/flb_network.c b/src/flb_network.c
index 5b62a697535..e96f2576045 100644
--- a/src/flb_network.c
+++ b/src/flb_network.c
@@ -49,6 +49,14 @@
 #include <monkey/mk_core.h>
 #include <ares.h>
 
+#ifdef FLB_SYSTEM_MACOS
+#ifdef _GNU_SOURCE
+#undef _GNU_SOURCE
+#endif
+/* Use POSIX version of strerror_r forcibly on macOS. */
+#include <string.h>
+#endif
+
 #ifndef SOL_TCP
 #define SOL_TCP IPPROTO_TCP
 #endif
@@ -524,7 +532,20 @@ static int net_connect_async(int fd,
             }
 
             /* Connection is broken, not much to do here */
+#if ((defined(_POSIX_C_SOURCE) && _POSIX_C_SOURCE >= 200112L) ||    \
+     (defined(_XOPEN_SOURCE) || _XOPEN_SOURCE - 0L >= 600L)) &&     \
+  (!defined(_GNU_SOURCE))
+            ret = strerror_r(error, so_error_buf, sizeof(so_error_buf));
+            if (ret == 0) {
+                str = so_error_buf;
+            }
+            else {
+                flb_errno();
+                return -1;
+            }
+#else
             str = strerror_r(error, so_error_buf, sizeof(so_error_buf));
+#endif
             flb_error("[net] TCP connection failed: %s:%i (%s)",
                       u->tcp_host, u->tcp_port, str);
             return -1;