diff --git a/table/format.cc b/table/format.cc
index db11f9d4a..768e00165 100644
--- a/table/format.cc
+++ b/table/format.cc
@@ -334,9 +334,9 @@ Status UncompressBlockContents(const char* data, size_t n,
     case kZlibCompression:
       ubuf = std::unique_ptr<char[]>(
           port::Zlib_Uncompress(data, n, &decompress_size));
-      static char zlib_corrupt_msg[] =
-        "Zlib not supported or corrupted Zlib compressed block contents";
       if (!ubuf) {
+        static char zlib_corrupt_msg[] =
+          "Zlib not supported or corrupted Zlib compressed block contents";
         return Status::Corruption(zlib_corrupt_msg);
       }
       *contents =
@@ -345,9 +345,9 @@ Status UncompressBlockContents(const char* data, size_t n,
     case kBZip2Compression:
       ubuf = std::unique_ptr<char[]>(
           port::BZip2_Uncompress(data, n, &decompress_size));
-      static char bzip2_corrupt_msg[] =
-        "Bzip2 not supported or corrupted Bzip2 compressed block contents";
       if (!ubuf) {
+        static char bzip2_corrupt_msg[] =
+          "Bzip2 not supported or corrupted Bzip2 compressed block contents";
         return Status::Corruption(bzip2_corrupt_msg);
       }
       *contents =
@@ -356,9 +356,9 @@ Status UncompressBlockContents(const char* data, size_t n,
     case kLZ4Compression:
       ubuf = std::unique_ptr<char[]>(
           port::LZ4_Uncompress(data, n, &decompress_size));
-      static char lz4_corrupt_msg[] =
-          "LZ4 not supported or corrupted LZ4 compressed block contents";
       if (!ubuf) {
+        static char lz4_corrupt_msg[] =
+          "LZ4 not supported or corrupted LZ4 compressed block contents";
         return Status::Corruption(lz4_corrupt_msg);
       }
       *contents =
@@ -367,9 +367,9 @@ Status UncompressBlockContents(const char* data, size_t n,
     case kLZ4HCCompression:
       ubuf = std::unique_ptr<char[]>(
           port::LZ4_Uncompress(data, n, &decompress_size));
-      static char lz4hc_corrupt_msg[] =
-          "LZ4HC not supported or corrupted LZ4HC compressed block contents";
       if (!ubuf) {
+        static char lz4hc_corrupt_msg[] =
+          "LZ4HC not supported or corrupted LZ4HC compressed block contents";
         return Status::Corruption(lz4hc_corrupt_msg);
       }
       *contents =