diff --git a/src/nvim/api/vim.c b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
index 2d4e12ac53..3b449c06b3 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/vim.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
@@ -2289,7 +2289,6 @@ DictAs(eval_statusline_ret) nvim_eval_statusline(String str, Dict(eval_statuslin
 
   win_T *wp = opts->use_tabline ? curwin : find_window_by_handle(window, err);
   if (wp == NULL) {
-    api_set_error(err, kErrorTypeException, "unknown winid %d", window);
     return result;
   }
 
diff --git a/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua b/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
index ca5a7baeaf..16a2acb0e5 100644
--- a/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/api/vim_spec.lua
@@ -4524,6 +4524,12 @@ describe('API', function()
       }, api.nvim_eval_statusline('%%StatusLineString%#WarningMsg#WithHighlights', {}))
     end)
 
+    it('reports an invalid window once', function()
+      -- find_window_by_handle() already sets the error, so a second
+      -- api_set_error() here would allocate a message over that one and leak it.
+      eq('Invalid window id: 23', pcall_err(api.nvim_eval_statusline, 'a', { winid = 23 }))
+    end)
+
     it("doesn't exceed maxwidth", function()
       eq({
         str = 'Should be trun>',