diff --git a/src/modules/job-list/idsync.c b/src/modules/job-list/idsync.c
index ff320bddd1ab..7bab54b1c38d 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-list/idsync.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-list/idsync.c
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ static void idsync_data_respond (struct idsync_ctx *isctx,
                                  struct idsync_data *isd,
                                  struct job *job)
 {
-    job_list_error_t err;
+    flux_error_t err;
     json_t *o;
 
     if (!(o = job_to_json (job, isd->attrs, &err)))
diff --git a/src/modules/job-list/job_util.c b/src/modules/job-list/job_util.c
index 9d505352097f..163ab84d9462 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-list/job_util.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-list/job_util.c
@@ -19,27 +19,16 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 
 #include "src/common/libutil/errno_safe.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/errprintf.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
 
 #include "job-list.h"
 #include "job_util.h"
 
-void seterror (job_list_error_t *errp, const char *fmt, ...)
-{
-    if (errp) {
-        va_list ap;
-        int saved_errno = errno;
-        va_start (ap, fmt);
-        (void) vsnprintf (errp->text, sizeof (errp->text), fmt, ap);
-        va_end (ap);
-        errno = saved_errno;
-    }
-}
-
 static int store_attr (struct job *job,
                        const char *attr,
                        json_t *o,
-                       job_list_error_t *errp)
+                       flux_error_t *errp)
 {
     json_t *val = NULL;
 
@@ -219,7 +208,7 @@ static int store_attr (struct job *job,
         val = json_incref (grudgeset_tojson (job->dependencies));
     }
     else {
-        seterror (errp, "%s is not a valid attribute", attr);
+        errprintf (errp, "%s is not a valid attribute", attr);
         errno = EINVAL;
         return -1;
     }
@@ -237,7 +226,7 @@ static int store_attr (struct job *job,
     return 0;
 }
 
-int store_all_attr (struct job *job, json_t *o, job_list_error_t *errp)
+int store_all_attr (struct job *job, json_t *o, flux_error_t *errp)
 {
     const char **ptr = job_attrs ();
 
@@ -260,7 +249,7 @@ int store_all_attr (struct job *job, json_t *o, job_list_error_t *errp)
  * EPROTO - malformed attrs array
  * ENOMEM - out of memory
  */
-json_t *job_to_json (struct job *job, json_t *attrs, job_list_error_t *errp)
+json_t *job_to_json (struct job *job, json_t *attrs, flux_error_t *errp)
 {
     json_t *val = NULL;
     size_t index;
@@ -280,7 +269,7 @@ json_t *job_to_json (struct job *job, json_t *attrs, job_list_error_t *errp)
     json_array_foreach (attrs, index, value) {
         const char *attr = json_string_value (value);
         if (!attr) {
-            seterror (errp, "attr has no string value");
+            errprintf (errp, "attr has no string value");
             errno = EINVAL;
             goto error;
         }
diff --git a/src/modules/job-list/job_util.h b/src/modules/job-list/job_util.h
index 4160f676dc5e..8e09fc47e722 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-list/job_util.h
+++ b/src/modules/job-list/job_util.h
@@ -15,14 +15,7 @@
 
 #include "job_data.h"
 
-typedef struct {
-    char text[160];
-} job_list_error_t;
-
-void __attribute__((format (printf, 2, 3)))
-seterror (job_list_error_t *errp, const char *fmt, ...);
-
-json_t *job_to_json (struct job *job, json_t *attrs, job_list_error_t *errp);
+json_t *job_to_json (struct job *job, json_t *attrs, flux_error_t *errp);
 
 #endif /* ! _FLUX_JOB_LIST_JOB_UTIL_H */
 
diff --git a/src/modules/job-list/list.c b/src/modules/job-list/list.c
index d4808026193a..60f4bb819062 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-list/list.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-list/list.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 
 #include "src/common/libutil/errno_safe.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/errprintf.h"
 #include "src/common/libczmqcontainers/czmq_containers.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
 
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@
 #include "state_match.h"
 
 json_t *get_job_by_id (struct job_state_ctx *jsctx,
-                       job_list_error_t *errp,
+                       flux_error_t *errp,
                        const flux_msg_t *msg,
                        flux_jobid_t id,
                        json_t *attrs,
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ json_t *get_job_by_id (struct job_state_ctx *jsctx,
  * ENOMEM - out of memory
  */
 int get_jobs_from_list (json_t *jobs,
-                        job_list_error_t *errp,
+                        flux_error_t *errp,
                         zlistx_t *list,
                         int max_entries,
                         json_t *attrs,
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ int get_jobs_from_list (json_t *jobs,
  * ENOMEM - out of memory
  */
 json_t *get_jobs (struct job_state_ctx *jsctx,
-                  job_list_error_t *errp,
+                  flux_error_t *errp,
                   int max_entries,
                   double since,
                   json_t *attrs,
@@ -250,7 +251,7 @@ void list_cb (flux_t *h, flux_msg_handler_t *mh,
               const flux_msg_t *msg, void *arg)
 {
     struct list_ctx *ctx = arg;
-    job_list_error_t err;
+    flux_error_t err;
     json_t *jobs;
     json_t *attrs;
     int max_entries;
@@ -266,7 +267,7 @@ void list_cb (flux_t *h, flux_msg_handler_t *mh,
                              "attrs", &attrs,
                              "since", &since,
                              "constraint", &constraint) < 0) {
-        seterror (&err, "invalid payload: %s", flux_msg_last_error (msg));
+        errprintf (&err, "invalid payload: %s", flux_msg_last_error (msg));
         errno = EPROTO;
         goto error;
     }
@@ -291,31 +292,31 @@ void list_cb (flux_t *h, flux_msg_handler_t *mh,
         }
     }
     if (max_entries < 0) {
-        seterror (&err, "invalid payload: max_entries < 0 not allowed");
+        errprintf (&err, "invalid payload: max_entries < 0 not allowed");
         errno = EPROTO;
         goto error;
     }
     if (since < 0.) {
-        seterror (&err, "invalid payload: since < 0.0 not allowed");
+        errprintf (&err, "invalid payload: since < 0.0 not allowed");
         errno = EPROTO;
         goto error;
     }
     if (!json_is_array (attrs)) {
-        seterror (&err, "invalid payload: attrs must be an array");
+        errprintf (&err, "invalid payload: attrs must be an array");
         errno = EPROTO;
         goto error;
     }
     if (!(c = list_constraint_create (constraint, &error))) {
-        seterror (&err,
-                  "invalid payload: constraint object invalid: %s",
-                  error.text);
+        errprintf (&err,
+                   "invalid payload: constraint object invalid: %s",
+                   error.text);
         errno = EPROTO;
         goto error;
     }
     if (!(statec = state_constraint_create (constraint, &error))) {
-        seterror (&err,
-                  "invalid payload: constraint object invalid: %s",
-                  error.text);
+        errprintf (&err,
+                   "invalid payload: constraint object invalid: %s",
+                   error.text);
         errno = EPROTO;
         goto error;
     }
@@ -422,7 +423,7 @@ int check_id_valid (struct job_state_ctx *jsctx,
  * ENOMEM - out of memory
  */
 json_t *get_job_by_id (struct job_state_ctx *jsctx,
-                       job_list_error_t *errp,
+                       flux_error_t *errp,
                        const flux_msg_t *msg,
                        flux_jobid_t id,
                        json_t *attrs,
@@ -473,7 +474,7 @@ void list_id_cb (flux_t *h, flux_msg_handler_t *mh,
                  const flux_msg_t *msg, void *arg)
 {
     struct list_ctx *ctx = arg;
-    job_list_error_t err = {{0}};
+    flux_error_t err = {{0}};
     json_t *job;
     flux_jobid_t id;
     json_t *attrs;
@@ -485,19 +486,19 @@ void list_id_cb (flux_t *h, flux_msg_handler_t *mh,
                              "id", &id,
                              "attrs", &attrs,
                              "state", &state) < 0) {
-        seterror (&err, "invalid payload: %s", flux_msg_last_error (msg));
+        errprintf (&err, "invalid payload: %s", flux_msg_last_error (msg));
         errno = EPROTO;
         goto error;
     }
 
     if (!json_is_array (attrs)) {
-        seterror (&err, "invalid payload: attrs must be an array");
+        errprintf (&err, "invalid payload: attrs must be an array");
         errno = EPROTO;
         goto error;
     }
 
     if (state && (state & ~valid_states)) {
-        seterror (&err, "invalid payload: invalid state specified");
+        errprintf (&err, "invalid payload: invalid state specified");
         errno = EPROTO;
         goto error;
     }