diff --git a/ext/mysql2/client.c b/ext/mysql2/client.c
index 292657199..a8854baf6 100644
--- a/ext/mysql2/client.c
+++ b/ext/mysql2/client.c
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ static void rb_mysql_client_mark(void * wrapper) {
 
 static VALUE rb_raise_mysql2_error(mysql_client_wrapper *wrapper) {
   VALUE rb_error_msg = rb_str_new2(mysql_error(wrapper->client));
-  VALUE rb_sql_state = rb_tainted_str_new2(mysql_sqlstate(wrapper->client));
+  VALUE rb_sql_state = rb_str_new2(mysql_sqlstate(wrapper->client));
   VALUE e;
 
   rb_enc_associate(rb_error_msg, rb_utf8_encoding());
diff --git a/ext/mysql2/statement.c b/ext/mysql2/statement.c
index e51fb9fd0..cd6adf83f 100644
--- a/ext/mysql2/statement.c
+++ b/ext/mysql2/statement.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ void rb_raise_mysql2_stmt_error(mysql_stmt_wrapper *stmt_wrapper) {
   VALUE e;
   GET_CLIENT(stmt_wrapper->client);
   VALUE rb_error_msg = rb_str_new2(mysql_stmt_error(stmt_wrapper->stmt));
-  VALUE rb_sql_state = rb_tainted_str_new2(mysql_stmt_sqlstate(stmt_wrapper->stmt));
+  VALUE rb_sql_state = rb_str_new2(mysql_stmt_sqlstate(stmt_wrapper->stmt));
 
   rb_encoding *conn_enc;
   conn_enc = rb_to_encoding(wrapper->encoding);