diff --git a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.cc b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.cc
index 4f65a4c12..992ea0a2a 100644
--- a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.cc
+++ b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.cc
@@ -57,6 +57,12 @@ nix_err nix_set_err_msg(nix_c_context * context, nix_err err, const char * msg)
     return err;
 }
 
+void nix_clear_err(nix_c_context * context)
+{
+    if (context)
+        context->last_err_code = NIX_OK;
+}
+
 const char * nix_version_get()
 {
     return PACKAGE_VERSION;
@@ -106,7 +112,7 @@ const char * nix_err_msg(nix_c_context * context, const nix_c_context * read_con
 {
     if (context)
         context->last_err_code = NIX_OK;
-    if (read_context->last_err) {
+    if (read_context->last_err && read_context->last_err_code != NIX_OK) {
         if (n)
             *n = read_context->last_err->size();
         return read_context->last_err->c_str();
diff --git a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.h b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.h
index ad6f32859..6790a6964 100644
--- a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.h
+++ b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util.h
@@ -225,7 +225,9 @@ const char * nix_version_get();
  * @param[out] n optional: a pointer to an unsigned int that is set to the
  * length of the error.
  * @return nullptr if no error message was ever set,
- *         a borrowed pointer to the error message otherwise.
+ *         a borrowed pointer to the error message otherwise, which is valid
+ *         until the next call to a Nix function, or until the context is
+ *         destroyed.
  */
 const char * nix_err_msg(nix_c_context * context, const nix_c_context * ctx, unsigned int * n);
 
@@ -286,13 +288,34 @@ nix_err nix_err_code(const nix_c_context * read_context);
  *
  * All other use is internal to the API.
  *
- * @param context context to write the error message to, or NULL
+ * @param context context to write the error message to, required unless C++ exceptions are supported
  * @param err The error code to set and return
- * @param msg The error message to set.
+ * @param msg The error message to set. This string is copied.
  * @returns the error code set
  */
 nix_err nix_set_err_msg(nix_c_context * context, nix_err err, const char * msg);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Clear the error message from a nix context.
+ *
+ * This is performed implicitly by all functions that accept a context, so
+ * this won't be necessary in most cases.
+ * However, if you want to clear the error message without calling another
+ * function, you can use this.
+ *
+ * Example use case: a higher order function that helps with error handling,
+ * to make it more robust in the following scenario:
+ *
+ * 1. A previous call failed, and the error was caught and handled.
+ * 2. The context is reused with our error handling helper function.
+ * 3. The callback passed to the helper function doesn't actually make a call to
+ *    a Nix function.
+ * 4. The handled error is raised again, from an unrelated call.
+ *
+ * This failure can be avoided by clearing the error message after handling it.
+ */
+void nix_clear_err(nix_c_context * context);
+
 /**
  *  @}
  */
diff --git a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util_internal.h b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util_internal.h
index aa829feaf..7fa4252ac 100644
--- a/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util_internal.h
+++ b/src/libutil-c/nix_api_util_internal.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 struct nix_c_context
 {
     nix_err last_err_code = NIX_OK;
+    /** The last error message. Always check last_err_code. This may not have been cleared, so that clearing is fast. */
     std::optional<std::string> last_err = {};
     std::optional<nix::ErrorInfo> info = {};
     std::string name = "";
diff --git a/tests/unit/libutil/nix_api_util.cc b/tests/unit/libutil/nix_api_util.cc
index 2b7e38225..0f1cbe5dd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/libutil/nix_api_util.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/libutil/nix_api_util.cc
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ TEST_F(nix_api_util_context, nix_context_error)
     }
     ASSERT_EQ(ctx->last_err_code, NIX_ERR_UNKNOWN);
     ASSERT_EQ(*ctx->last_err, err_msg_ref);
+
+    nix_clear_err(ctx);
+    ASSERT_EQ(ctx->last_err_code, NIX_OK);
 }
 
 TEST_F(nix_api_util_context, nix_set_err_msg)