diff --git a/src/proj_transform.cpp b/src/proj_transform.cpp
index b2f519c0f..624e9147a 100644
--- a/src/proj_transform.cpp
+++ b/src/proj_transform.cpp
@@ -130,14 +130,22 @@ proj_transform::proj_transform(projection const& source, projection const& dest)
             {
                 throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Cannot initialize proj_transform  (crs_to_crs) for given projections: '") +
                                          source.params() + "'->'" + dest.params() +
+#if MAPNIK_PROJ_VERSION >= 80000
                                          "' because of " + std::string(proj_context_errno_string(ctx_, proj_context_errno(ctx_))));
+#else
+                                         "'");
+#endif
             }
             PJ* transform_gis = proj_normalize_for_visualization(ctx_, transform_);
             if (transform_gis == nullptr)
             {
                 throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Cannot initialize proj_transform (normalize) for given projections: '") +
                                          source.params() + "'->'" + dest.params() +
+#if MAPNIK_PROJ_VERSION >= 80000
                                          "' because of " + std::string(proj_context_errno_string(ctx_, proj_context_errno(ctx_))));
+#else
+                                         "'");
+#endif
             }
             proj_destroy(transform_);
             transform_ = transform_gis;