diff --git a/src/fwrite.c b/src/fwrite.c
index 41f398f1a..314a13de9 100644
--- a/src/fwrite.c
+++ b/src/fwrite.c
@@ -686,8 +686,8 @@ void fwriteMain(fwriteMainArgs args)
       case WF_List:
         width = getMaxListItemLen(args.columns[j], args.nrow);
         break;
-      default: // # nocov
-        INTERNAL_STOP("type %d has no max length method implemented", args.whichFun[j]);  // # nocov
+      default: // #nocov
+        STOP(_("type %d has no max length method implemented"), args.whichFun[j]);  // # nocov
       }
     }
     if (args.whichFun[j] == WF_Float64 && args.scipen > 0)
diff --git a/src/fwrite.h b/src/fwrite.h
index b133ec094..b50666fab 100644
--- a/src/fwrite.h
+++ b/src/fwrite.h
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@
   #include "po.h"
   #define STOP     error
   #define DTPRINT  Rprintf
-  static char internal_error_buff[256] __attribute__((unused)); // todo: fix imports such that compiler warns correctly #6468
-  #define INTERNAL_STOP(...) do {snprintf(internal_error_buff, 255, __VA_ARGS__); error("%s %s: %s. %s", _("Internal error in"), __func__, internal_error_buff, _("Please report to the data.table issues tracker"));} while (0)
 #endif
 
 typedef void writer_fun_t(const void *, int64_t, char **);