diff --git a/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/wasm.rs b/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/wasm.rs
index 100669c3f7..fb19a8a677 100644
--- a/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/wasm.rs
+++ b/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/wasm.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use core::cell::Cell;
+use libc::c_char;
 use roc_gen_wasm::wasm_module::{Export, ExportType};
 use std::collections::hash_map::DefaultHasher;
+use std::ffi::CStr;
 use std::hash::{Hash, Hasher};
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
@@ -17,7 +19,7 @@ const OUT_DIR_VAR: &str = "TEST_GEN_OUT";
 
 const TEST_WRAPPER_NAME: &str = "test_wrapper";
 const INIT_REFCOUNT_NAME: &str = "init_refcount_test";
-const GET_PANIC_MSG_NAME: &str = "get_panic_msg";
+const PANIC_MSG_NAME: &str = "panic_msg";
 
 fn promote_expr_to_module(src: &str) -> String {
     let mut buffer = String::from("app \"test\" provides [ main ] to \"./platform\"\n\nmain =\n");
@@ -135,15 +137,6 @@ fn compile_roc_to_wasm_bytes<'a, T: Wasm32Result>(
         index: init_refcount_idx,
     });
 
-    // Export the getter function for panic messages
-    let get_panic_msg_bytes = GET_PANIC_MSG_NAME.as_bytes();
-    let get_panic_msg_idx = module.names.functions[get_panic_msg_bytes];
-    module.export.append(Export {
-        name: arena.alloc_slice_copy(get_panic_msg_bytes),
-        ty: ExportType::Func,
-        index: get_panic_msg_idx,
-    });
-
     module.remove_dead_preloads(env.arena, called_preload_fns);
 
     let mut app_module_bytes = std::vec::Vec::with_capacity(module.size());
@@ -202,10 +195,22 @@ where
     let test_wrapper = instance.exports.get_function(TEST_WRAPPER_NAME).unwrap();
 
     match test_wrapper.call(&[]) {
-        Err(e) => match get_panic_msg(&instance, memory) {
-            Ok(msg) => Err(msg),
-            Err(_) => Err(format!("{}", e)),
-        },
+        Err(e) => {
+            // Check if the error is from roc_panic
+            // Our test roc_panic stores a pointer to its message in a global variable so we can find it.
+            let panic_msg_global = instance.exports.get_global(PANIC_MSG_NAME).unwrap();
+            let panic_msg_index = panic_msg_global.get().unwrap_i32() as usize;
+            if panic_msg_index == 0 {
+                 // Pointer is null. The error isn't a roc_panic.
+                Err(e.to_string())
+            } else {
+                let memory_bytes = unsafe { memory.data_unchecked() };
+                let msg_ptr = memory_bytes[panic_msg_index..].as_ptr() as *const c_char;
+                let msg_cstr = unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(msg_ptr) };
+                let msg_str = msg_cstr.to_str().unwrap();
+                Err(msg_str.into())
+            }
+        }
         Ok(result) => {
             let address = result[0].unwrap_i32();
 
@@ -226,35 +231,6 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-/// Call our test platform's getter function for panic messages
-fn get_panic_msg(instance: &wasmer::Instance, memory: &wasmer::Memory) -> Result<String, String> {
-    let msg_getter = instance
-        .exports
-        .get_function(GET_PANIC_MSG_NAME)
-        .map_err(|e| format!("{:?}", e))?;
-
-    let msg_result = msg_getter.call(&[]).map_err(|e| format!("{:?}", e))?;
-
-    let msg_addr: i32 = match msg_result[0] {
-        wasmer::Value::I32(a) => a,
-        _ => panic!(),
-    };
-    if msg_addr == 0 {
-        return Err("no panic msg".to_string());
-    }
-
-    let msg_index = msg_addr as usize;
-    let memory_bytes = unsafe { memory.data_unchecked() };
-    let msg_len = memory_bytes[msg_index..]
-        .iter()
-        .position(|c| *c == 0)
-        .unwrap();
-
-    let msg_bytes = &memory_bytes[msg_index..msg_len];
-    let msg = unsafe { String::from_utf8_unchecked(msg_bytes.to_vec()) };
-    Ok(msg)
-}
-
 #[allow(dead_code)]
 pub fn assert_wasm_refcounts_help<T>(
     src: &str,
diff --git a/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/wasm_test_platform.c b/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/wasm_test_platform.c
index c67853604e..2a70f8dc65 100644
--- a/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/wasm_test_platform.c
+++ b/compiler/test_gen/src/helpers/wasm_test_platform.c
@@ -124,9 +124,6 @@ void roc_dealloc(void *ptr, unsigned int alignment)
 
 // Allow the test to probe the panic message
 char* panic_msg;
-char* get_panic_msg() {
-    return panic_msg;
-}
 
 void roc_panic(char *msg, unsigned int tag_id)
 {