diff --git a/e2fsck/pass1.c b/e2fsck/pass1.c
index b1469088..c9e8bf82 100644
--- a/e2fsck/pass1.c
+++ b/e2fsck/pass1.c
@@ -1171,6 +1171,7 @@ void e2fsck_pass1(e2fsck_t ctx)
 	struct		scan_callback_struct scan_struct;
 	struct ext2_super_block *sb = ctx->fs->super;
 	const char	*old_op;
+	const char	*eop_next_inode = _("getting next inode from scan");
 	int		imagic_fs, extent_fs, inlinedata_fs, casefold_fs;
 	int		low_dtime_check = 1;
 	unsigned int	inode_size = EXT2_INODE_SIZE(fs->super);
@@ -1363,7 +1364,7 @@ void e2fsck_pass1(e2fsck_t ctx)
 			if (e2fsck_mmp_update(fs))
 				fatal_error(ctx, 0);
 		}
-		old_op = ehandler_operation(_("getting next inode from scan"));
+		old_op = ehandler_operation(eop_next_inode);
 		pctx.errcode = ext2fs_get_next_inode_full(scan, &ino,
 							  inode, inode_size);
 		if (ino > ino_threshold)
diff --git a/e2fsck/pass2.c b/e2fsck/pass2.c
index 8b40e93d..06f09549 100644
--- a/e2fsck/pass2.c
+++ b/e2fsck/pass2.c
@@ -934,6 +934,7 @@ static int check_dir_block(ext2_filsys fs,
 	int	encrypted = 0;
 	size_t	max_block_size;
 	int	hash_flags = 0;
+	static char *eop_read_dirblock = NULL;
 
 	cd = (struct check_dir_struct *) priv_data;
 	ibuf = buf = cd->buf;
@@ -1004,7 +1005,9 @@ static int check_dir_block(ext2_filsys fs,
 	       db->blockcnt, ino);
 #endif
 
-	ehandler_operation(_("reading directory block"));
+	if (!eop_read_dirblock)
+		eop_read_dirblock = (char *) _("reading directory block");
+	ehandler_operation(eop_read_dirblock);
 	if (inline_data_size) {
 		memset(buf, 0, fs->blocksize - inline_data_size);
 		cd->pctx.errcode = ext2fs_inline_data_get(fs, ino, 0, buf, 0);