--- a/libbb/copy_file.c	2018-03-01 12:07:42.710585231 -0500
+++ b/libbb/copy_file.c	2018-03-01 12:07:20.634470427 -0500
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@
 	/* We are lazy here, a bit lax with races... */
 	if (dest_exists) {
 		errno = EEXIST;
+		errstr()[0] = 0;
 		ovr = ask_and_unlink(dest, flags);
 		if (ovr <= 0)
 			return ovr;