Index: src/sqliteInt.h
==================================================================
--- src/sqliteInt.h
+++ src/sqliteInt.h
@@ -3151,17 +3151,18 @@
 #  define sqlite3VtabSavepoint(X, Y, Z) SQLITE_OK
 #  define sqlite3GetVTable(X,Y)  ((VTable*)0)
 #else
    void sqlite3VtabClear(sqlite3 *db, Table*);
    void sqlite3VtabDisconnect(sqlite3 *db, Table *p);
-   int sqlite3VtabSync(sqlite3 *db, char **);
+   int sqlite3VtabSync(sqlite3 *db, Vdbe*);
    int sqlite3VtabRollback(sqlite3 *db);
    int sqlite3VtabCommit(sqlite3 *db);
    void sqlite3VtabLock(VTable *);
    void sqlite3VtabUnlock(VTable *);
    void sqlite3VtabUnlockList(sqlite3*);
    int sqlite3VtabSavepoint(sqlite3 *, int, int);
+   void sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(Vdbe*, sqlite3_vtab*);
    VTable *sqlite3GetVTable(sqlite3*, Table*);
 #  define sqlite3VtabInSync(db) ((db)->nVTrans>0 && (db)->aVTrans==0)
 #endif
 void sqlite3VtabMakeWritable(Parse*,Table*);
 void sqlite3VtabBeginParse(Parse*, Token*, Token*, Token*, int);

Index: src/vdbe.c
==================================================================
--- src/vdbe.c
+++ src/vdbe.c
@@ -495,23 +495,10 @@
   assert( n==(db->nSavepoint + db->isTransactionSavepoint) );
   return 1;
 }
 #endif
 
-/*
-** Transfer error message text from an sqlite3_vtab.zErrMsg (text stored
-** in memory obtained from sqlite3_malloc) into a Vdbe.zErrMsg (text stored
-** in memory obtained from sqlite3DbMalloc).
-*/
-static void importVtabErrMsg(Vdbe *p, sqlite3_vtab *pVtab){
-  sqlite3 *db = p->db;
-  sqlite3DbFree(db, p->zErrMsg);
-  p->zErrMsg = sqlite3DbStrDup(db, pVtab->zErrMsg);
-  sqlite3_free(pVtab->zErrMsg);
-  pVtab->zErrMsg = 0;
-}
-
 
 /*
 ** Execute as much of a VDBE program as we can then return.
 **
 ** sqlite3VdbeMakeReady() must be called before this routine in order to
@@ -4348,11 +4335,11 @@
   }else if( pC->pVtabCursor ){
     pVtab = pC->pVtabCursor->pVtab;
     pModule = pVtab->pModule;
     assert( pModule->xRowid );
     rc = pModule->xRowid(pC->pVtabCursor, &v);
-    importVtabErrMsg(p, pVtab);
+    sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(p, pVtab);
 #endif /* SQLITE_OMIT_VIRTUALTABLE */
   }else{
     assert( pC->pCursor!=0 );
     rc = sqlite3VdbeCursorMoveto(pC);
     if( rc ) goto abort_due_to_error;
@@ -5741,11 +5728,11 @@
 */
 case OP_VBegin: {
   VTable *pVTab;
   pVTab = pOp->p4.pVtab;
   rc = sqlite3VtabBegin(db, pVTab);
-  if( pVTab ) importVtabErrMsg(p, pVTab->pVtab);
+  if( pVTab ) sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(p, pVTab->pVtab);
   break;
 }
 #endif /* SQLITE_OMIT_VIRTUALTABLE */
 
 #ifndef SQLITE_OMIT_VIRTUALTABLE
@@ -5792,11 +5779,11 @@
   pVtabCursor = 0;
   pVtab = pOp->p4.pVtab->pVtab;
   pModule = (sqlite3_module *)pVtab->pModule;
   assert(pVtab && pModule);
   rc = pModule->xOpen(pVtab, &pVtabCursor);
-  importVtabErrMsg(p, pVtab);
+  sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(p, pVtab);
   if( SQLITE_OK==rc ){
     /* Initialize sqlite3_vtab_cursor base class */
     pVtabCursor->pVtab = pVtab;
 
     /* Initialize vdbe cursor object */
@@ -5870,11 +5857,11 @@
     }
 
     p->inVtabMethod = 1;
     rc = pModule->xFilter(pVtabCursor, iQuery, pOp->p4.z, nArg, apArg);
     p->inVtabMethod = 0;
-    importVtabErrMsg(p, pVtab);
+    sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(p, pVtab);
     if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
       res = pModule->xEof(pVtabCursor);
     }
 
     if( res ){
@@ -5921,11 +5908,11 @@
   */
   sqlite3VdbeMemMove(&sContext.s, pDest);
   MemSetTypeFlag(&sContext.s, MEM_Null);
 
   rc = pModule->xColumn(pCur->pVtabCursor, &sContext, pOp->p2);
-  importVtabErrMsg(p, pVtab);
+  sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(p, pVtab);
   if( sContext.isError ){
     rc = sContext.isError;
   }
 
   /* Copy the result of the function to the P3 register. We
@@ -5974,11 +5961,11 @@
   ** some other method is next invoked on the save virtual table cursor.
   */
   p->inVtabMethod = 1;
   rc = pModule->xNext(pCur->pVtabCursor);
   p->inVtabMethod = 0;
-  importVtabErrMsg(p, pVtab);
+  sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(p, pVtab);
   if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
     res = pModule->xEof(pCur->pVtabCursor);
   }
 
   if( !res ){
@@ -6011,11 +5998,11 @@
   testcase( pName->enc==SQLITE_UTF16BE );
   testcase( pName->enc==SQLITE_UTF16LE );
   rc = sqlite3VdbeChangeEncoding(pName, SQLITE_UTF8);
   if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
     rc = pVtab->pModule->xRename(pVtab, pName->z);
-    importVtabErrMsg(p, pVtab);
+    sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(p, pVtab);
     p->expired = 0;
   }
   break;
 }
 #endif
@@ -6073,11 +6060,11 @@
       pX++;
     }
     db->vtabOnConflict = pOp->p5;
     rc = pModule->xUpdate(pVtab, nArg, apArg, &rowid);
     db->vtabOnConflict = vtabOnConflict;
-    importVtabErrMsg(p, pVtab);
+    sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(p, pVtab);
     if( rc==SQLITE_OK && pOp->p1 ){
       assert( nArg>1 && apArg[0] && (apArg[0]->flags&MEM_Null) );
       db->lastRowid = lastRowid = rowid;
     }
     if( (rc&0xff)==SQLITE_CONSTRAINT && pOp->p4.pVtab->bConstraint ){

Index: src/vdbeaux.c
==================================================================
--- src/vdbeaux.c
+++ src/vdbeaux.c
@@ -1763,11 +1763,11 @@
   ** virtual module tables written in this transaction. This has to
   ** be done before determining whether a master journal file is 
   ** required, as an xSync() callback may add an attached database
   ** to the transaction.
   */
-  rc = sqlite3VtabSync(db, &p->zErrMsg);
+  rc = sqlite3VtabSync(db, p);
 
   /* This loop determines (a) if the commit hook should be invoked and
   ** (b) how many database files have open write transactions, not 
   ** including the temp database. (b) is important because if more than 
   ** one database file has an open write transaction, a master journal
@@ -3302,5 +3302,20 @@
     v->expmask = 0xffffffff;
   }else{
     v->expmask |= ((u32)1 << (iVar-1));
   }
 }
+
+#ifndef SQLITE_OMIT_VIRTUALTABLE
+/*
+** Transfer error message text from an sqlite3_vtab.zErrMsg (text stored
+** in memory obtained from sqlite3_malloc) into a Vdbe.zErrMsg (text stored
+** in memory obtained from sqlite3DbMalloc).
+*/
+void sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(Vdbe *p, sqlite3_vtab *pVtab){
+  sqlite3 *db = p->db;
+  sqlite3DbFree(db, p->zErrMsg);
+  p->zErrMsg = sqlite3DbStrDup(db, pVtab->zErrMsg);
+  sqlite3_free(pVtab->zErrMsg);
+  pVtab->zErrMsg = 0;
+}
+#endif /* SQLITE_OMIT_VIRTUALTABLE */

Index: src/vtab.c
==================================================================
--- src/vtab.c
+++ src/vtab.c
@@ -808,14 +808,13 @@
 /*
 ** Invoke the xSync method of all virtual tables in the sqlite3.aVTrans
 ** array. Return the error code for the first error that occurs, or
 ** SQLITE_OK if all xSync operations are successful.
 **
-** Set *pzErrmsg to point to a buffer that should be released using 
-** sqlite3DbFree() containing an error message, if one is available.
+** If an error message is available, leave it in p->zErrMsg.
 */
-int sqlite3VtabSync(sqlite3 *db, char **pzErrmsg){
+int sqlite3VtabSync(sqlite3 *db, Vdbe *p){
   int i;
   int rc = SQLITE_OK;
   VTable **aVTrans = db->aVTrans;
 
   db->aVTrans = 0;
@@ -822,13 +821,11 @@
   for(i=0; rc==SQLITE_OK && i<db->nVTrans; i++){
     int (*x)(sqlite3_vtab *);
     sqlite3_vtab *pVtab = aVTrans[i]->pVtab;
     if( pVtab && (x = pVtab->pModule->xSync)!=0 ){
       rc = x(pVtab);
-      sqlite3DbFree(db, *pzErrmsg);
-      *pzErrmsg = pVtab->zErrMsg;
-      pVtab->zErrMsg = 0;
+      sqlite3VtabImportErrmsg(p, pVtab);
     }
   }
   db->aVTrans = aVTrans;
   return rc;
 }