diff --git a/scripts/base/init-bare.bro b/scripts/base/init-bare.bro
index b95a5c3823..8d86e8b547 100644
--- a/scripts/base/init-bare.bro
+++ b/scripts/base/init-bare.bro
@@ -1392,7 +1392,7 @@ const forward_remote_state_changes = F &redef;
 const PEER_ID_NONE = 0;
 
 ## Whether to use the connection tracker.
-const use_connection_compressor = T &redef;
+const use_connection_compressor = F &redef;
 
 ## Whether compressor should handle refused connections itself.
 const cc_handle_resets = F &redef;
diff --git a/src/Debug.cc b/src/Debug.cc
index 7b6dcfdb68..3aa805d5bf 100644
--- a/src/Debug.cc
+++ b/src/Debug.cc
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ DebuggerState::~DebuggerState()
 bool StmtLocMapping::StartsAfter(const StmtLocMapping* m2)
 	{
 	if ( ! m2  )
-		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: %s", "m2 != 0");
+		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: m2 != 0");
 
 	return loc.first_line > m2->loc.first_line ||
 		(loc.first_line == m2->loc.first_line &&
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ int dbg_execute_command(const char* cmd)
 #endif
 
 	if ( int(cmd_code) >= num_debug_cmds() )
-		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: %s", "int(cmd_code) < num_debug_cmds()");
+		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: int(cmd_code) < num_debug_cmds()");
 
 	// Dispatch to the op-specific handler (with args).
 	int retcode = dbg_dispatch_cmd(cmd_code, arguments);
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ int dbg_execute_command(const char* cmd)
 
 	const DebugCmdInfo* info = get_debug_cmd_info(cmd_code);
 	if ( ! info  )
-		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: %s", "info");
+		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: info");
 
 	if ( ! info )
 		return -2;	// ### yuck, why -2?
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ int dbg_handle_debug_input()
 
 	const Stmt* stmt = curr_frame->GetNextStmt();
 	if ( ! stmt )
-		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: %s", "stmt != 0");
+		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: stmt != 0");
 
 	const Location loc = *stmt->GetLocationInfo();
 
@@ -943,11 +943,11 @@ Val* dbg_eval_expr(const char* expr)
 		(g_frame_stack.size() - 1) - g_debugger_state.curr_frame_idx;
 
 	if ( ! (frame_idx >= 0 && (unsigned) frame_idx < g_frame_stack.size())  )
-		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: %s", "frame_idx >= 0 && (unsigned) frame_idx < g_frame_stack.size()");
+		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: frame_idx >= 0 && (unsigned) frame_idx < g_frame_stack.size()");
 
 	Frame* frame = g_frame_stack[frame_idx];
 	if ( ! (frame)  )
-		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: %s", "frame");
+		reporter->InternalError("Assertion failed: frame");
 
 	const BroFunc* func = frame->GetFunction();
 	if ( func )
diff --git a/src/File.cc b/src/File.cc
index 674d096fb2..ada75fe401 100644
--- a/src/File.cc
+++ b/src/File.cc
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ FILE* BroFile::BringIntoCache()
 	UpdateFileSize();
 
 	if ( fseek(f, position, SEEK_SET) < 0 )
-		reporter->Error("reopen seek failed", this);
+		reporter->Error("reopen seek failed");
 
 	InsertAtBeginning();
 
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ FILE* BroFile::Seek(long new_position)
 		return 0;
 
 	if ( fseek(f, new_position, SEEK_SET) < 0 )
-		reporter->Error("seek failed", this);
+		reporter->Error("seek failed");
 
 	return f;
 	}
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ void BroFile::SetBuf(bool arg_buffered)
 		return;
 
 	if ( setvbuf(f, NULL, arg_buffered ? _IOFBF : _IOLBF, 0) != 0 )
-		reporter->Error("setvbuf failed", this);
+		reporter->Error("setvbuf failed");
 
 	buffered = arg_buffered;
 	}
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ void BroFile::Suspend()
 
 	if ( (position = ftell(f)) < 0 )
 		{
-		reporter->Error("ftell failed", this);
+		reporter->Error("ftell failed");
 		position = 0;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/RuleMatcher.cc b/src/RuleMatcher.cc
index 311d9814f3..ac8f8a867c 100644
--- a/src/RuleMatcher.cc
+++ b/src/RuleMatcher.cc
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ bool RuleMatcher::ReadFiles(const name_list& files)
 		rules_in = search_for_file(files[i], "sig", 0, false, 0);
 		if ( ! rules_in )
 			{
-			reporter->Error("Can't open signature file", files[i]);
+			reporter->Error("Can't open signature file %s", files[i]);
 			return false;
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/Scope.cc b/src/Scope.cc
index 081a9e3333..4916cdbfce 100644
--- a/src/Scope.cc
+++ b/src/Scope.cc
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ ID* lookup_ID(const char* name, const char* curr_module, bool no_global,
 		if ( id )
 			{
 			if ( need_export && ! id->IsExport() && ! in_debug )
-				reporter->Error("identifier is not exported:",
+				reporter->Error("identifier is not exported: %s",
 				      fullname.c_str());
 
 			Ref(id);
diff --git a/src/Type.cc b/src/Type.cc
index 2bee9c50b2..cd40583aae 100644
--- a/src/Type.cc
+++ b/src/Type.cc
@@ -930,7 +930,7 @@ void RecordType::Init(TypeList* arg_base)
 
 			if ( fields->Lookup(tdij->id) )
 				{
-				reporter->Error("duplicate field", tdij->id);
+				reporter->Error("duplicate field %s", tdij->id);
 				continue;
 				}
 
diff --git a/src/Val.cc b/src/Val.cc
index 6a844c5df2..2a8df1c3d7 100644
--- a/src/Val.cc
+++ b/src/Val.cc
@@ -1091,7 +1091,7 @@ static uint32 parse_dotted(const char* text, int& dots)
 		{
 		if ( addr[i] < 0 || addr[i] > 255 )
 			{
-			reporter->Error("bad dotted address", text);
+			reporter->Error("bad dotted address %s", text);
 			break;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/net_util.cc b/src/net_util.cc
index f1cb760f64..233548e34e 100644
--- a/src/net_util.cc
+++ b/src/net_util.cc
@@ -228,14 +228,14 @@ uint32 dotted_to_addr(const char* addr_text)
 	if ( sscanf(addr_text,
 		    "%d.%d.%d.%d", addr+0, addr+1, addr+2, addr+3) != 4 )
 		{
-		reporter->Error("bad dotted address:", addr_text );
+		reporter->Error("bad dotted address: %s", addr_text );
 		return 0;
 		}
 
 	if ( addr[0] < 0 || addr[1] < 0 || addr[2] < 0 || addr[3] < 0 ||
 	     addr[0] > 255 || addr[1] > 255 || addr[2] > 255 || addr[3] > 255 )
 		{
-		reporter->Error("bad dotted address:", addr_text);
+		reporter->Error("bad dotted address: %s", addr_text);
 		return 0;
 		}
 
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ uint32* dotted_to_addr6(const char* addr_text)
 	uint32* addr = new uint32[4];
 	if ( inet_pton(AF_INET6, addr_text, addr) <= 0 )
 		{
-		reporter->Error("bad IPv6 address:", addr_text );
+		reporter->Error("bad IPv6 address: %s", addr_text );
 		addr[0] = addr[1] = addr[2] = addr[3] = 0;
 		}
 
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ uint32 mask_addr(uint32 a, uint32 top_bits_to_keep)
 	{
 	if ( top_bits_to_keep > 32 )
 		{
-		reporter->Error("bad address mask value", top_bits_to_keep);
+		reporter->Error("bad address mask value %s", top_bits_to_keep);
 		return a;
 		}
 
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ const uint32* mask_addr(const uint32* a, uint32 top_bits_to_keep)
 
 	if ( top_bits_to_keep == 0 || top_bits_to_keep > max_bits )
 		{
-		reporter->Error("bad address mask value", top_bits_to_keep);
+		reporter->Error("bad address mask value %s", top_bits_to_keep);
 		return addr;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/util.cc b/src/util.cc
index 054eb5b06c..4ef83bb4ad 100644
--- a/src/util.cc
+++ b/src/util.cc
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ int expand_escape(const char*& s)
 		int result;
 		if ( sscanf(start, "%3o", &result) != 1 )
 			{
-			reporter->Warning("bad octal escape: ", start);
+			reporter->Warning("bad octal escape: %s ", start);
 			result = 0;
 			}
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ int expand_escape(const char*& s)
 		int result;
 		if ( sscanf(start, "%2x", &result) != 1 )
 			{
-			reporter->Warning("bad hexadecimal escape: ", start);
+			reporter->Warning("bad hexadecimal escape: %s", start);
 			result = 0;
 			}