diff --git a/lib/pure/collections/critbits.nim b/lib/pure/collections/critbits.nim
index 91c11398881a3..d25e31d663d94 100644
--- a/lib/pure/collections/critbits.nim
+++ b/lib/pure/collections/critbits.nim
@@ -281,10 +281,7 @@ proc `[]=`*[T](c: var CritBitTree[T], key: string, val: T) =
 template get[T](c: CritBitTree[T], key: string): T =
   let n = rawGet(c, key)
   if n == nil:
-    when compiles($key):
-      raise newException(KeyError, "key not found: " & $key)
-    else:
-      raise newException(KeyError, "key not found")
+    raise newException(KeyError, "key not found: " & key)
 
   n.val
 
diff --git a/lib/pure/strtabs.nim b/lib/pure/strtabs.nim
index 864db148f4768..d9f6bbc54ffff 100644
--- a/lib/pure/strtabs.nim
+++ b/lib/pure/strtabs.nim
@@ -141,10 +141,8 @@ template get(t: StringTableRef, key: string) =
   var index = rawGet(t, key)
   if index >= 0: result = t.data[index].val
   else:
-    when compiles($key):
-      raise newException(KeyError, "key not found: " & $key)
-    else:
-      raise newException(KeyError, "key not found")
+    raise newException(KeyError, "key not found: " & key)
+
 
 proc len*(t: StringTableRef): int {.rtlFunc, extern: "nst$1".} =
   ## Returns the number of keys in `t`.