diff --git a/src/java.base/unix/native/libnet/net_util_md.c b/src/java.base/unix/native/libnet/net_util_md.c
index 1496be5f5c6..48cc1a7bb02 100644
--- a/src/java.base/unix/native/libnet/net_util_md.c
+++ b/src/java.base/unix/native/libnet/net_util_md.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997, 2025, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 1997, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -68,13 +68,14 @@ NET_ThrowByNameWithLastError(JNIEnv *env, const char *name,
 void
 NET_ThrowNew(JNIEnv *env, int errorNumber, char *msg) {
     char fullMsg[512];
-    if (!msg) {
-        msg = "no further information";
-    }
     switch(errorNumber) {
     case EBADF:
-        jio_snprintf(fullMsg, sizeof(fullMsg), "socket closed: %s", msg);
-        JNU_ThrowByName(env, JNU_JAVANETPKG "SocketException", fullMsg);
+        if (msg == NULL) {
+            JNU_ThrowByName(env, JNU_JAVANETPKG "SocketException", "socket closed");
+        } else {
+            jio_snprintf(fullMsg, sizeof(fullMsg), "socket closed: %s", msg);
+            JNU_ThrowByName(env, JNU_JAVANETPKG "SocketException", fullMsg);
+        }
         break;
     default:
         errno = errorNumber;
diff --git a/src/java.base/windows/native/libnet/net_util_md.c b/src/java.base/windows/native/libnet/net_util_md.c
index bac3d1438ab..a798e9bb43c 100644
--- a/src/java.base/windows/native/libnet/net_util_md.c
+++ b/src/java.base/windows/native/libnet/net_util_md.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997, 2024, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 1997, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -139,13 +139,6 @@ NET_ThrowNew(JNIEnv *env, int errorNum, char *msg)
         return;
     }
 
-    /*
-     * Default message text if not provided
-     */
-    if (!msg) {
-        msg = "no further information";
-    }
-
     /*
      * Check table for known winsock errors
      */
@@ -163,13 +156,22 @@ NET_ThrowNew(JNIEnv *env, int errorNum, char *msg)
      */
     if (i < table_size) {
         excP = (char *)winsock_errors[i].exc;
-        jio_snprintf(fullMsg, sizeof(fullMsg), "%s: %s",
-                     (char *)winsock_errors[i].errString, msg);
+        if (msg == NULL) {
+            jio_snprintf(fullMsg, sizeof(fullMsg), "%s",
+                                     (char *)winsock_errors[i].errString);
+        } else {
+            jio_snprintf(fullMsg, sizeof(fullMsg), "%s: %s",
+                             (char *)winsock_errors[i].errString, msg);
+        }
     } else {
-        jio_snprintf(fullMsg, sizeof(fullMsg),
-                     "Unrecognized Windows Sockets error: %d: %s",
-                     errorNum, msg);
-
+        if (msg == NULL) {
+            jio_snprintf(fullMsg, sizeof(fullMsg),
+                         "Unrecognized Windows Sockets error: %d", errorNum);
+        } else {
+            jio_snprintf(fullMsg, sizeof(fullMsg),
+                         "Unrecognized Windows Sockets error: %d: %s",
+                         errorNum, msg);
+        }
     }
 
     /*
diff --git a/src/java.base/windows/native/libnio/ch/Net.c b/src/java.base/windows/native/libnio/ch/Net.c
index 814f502c48a..adfd67b5017 100644
--- a/src/java.base/windows/native/libnio/ch/Net.c
+++ b/src/java.base/windows/native/libnio/ch/Net.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2001, 2025, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2001, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -733,7 +733,7 @@ Java_sun_nio_ch_Net_pollConnect(JNIEnv* env, jclass this, jobject fdo, jlong tim
                 NET_ThrowNew(env, lastError, "getsockopt");
             }
         } else if (optError != NO_ERROR) {
-            NET_ThrowNew(env, optError, "getsockopt");
+            NET_ThrowNew(env, optError, NULL);
         }
         return JNI_FALSE;
     }