diff --git a/include/fmt/core.h b/include/fmt/core.h
index ced03272..8cb07584 100644
--- a/include/fmt/core.h
+++ b/include/fmt/core.h
@@ -2440,9 +2440,9 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR void check_int_type_spec(char spec, ErrorHandler&& eh) {
 }
 
 // Checks char specs and returns true if the type spec is char (and not int).
-template <typename Char, typename ErrorHandler>
+template <typename Char, typename ErrorHandler = error_handler>
 FMT_CONSTEXPR bool check_char_specs(const basic_format_specs<Char>& specs,
-                                    ErrorHandler&& eh) {
+                                    ErrorHandler&& eh = {}) {
   if (specs.type && specs.type != 'c') {
     check_int_type_spec(specs.type, eh);
     return false;
@@ -2514,23 +2514,11 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR float_specs parse_float_type_spec(
   return result;
 }
 
-template <typename ErrorHandler>
-class cstring_type_checker : public ErrorHandler {
- public:
-  constexpr explicit cstring_type_checker(ErrorHandler eh) : ErrorHandler(eh) {}
-
-  FMT_CONSTEXPR void on_string() {}
-  FMT_CONSTEXPR void on_pointer() {}
-};
-
-template <typename Char, typename Handler>
-FMT_CONSTEXPR void handle_cstring_type_spec(Char spec, Handler&& handler) {
-  if (spec == 0 || spec == 's')
-    handler.on_string();
-  else if (spec == 'p')
-    handler.on_pointer();
-  else
-    handler.on_error("invalid type specifier");
+template <typename Char, typename ErrorHandler = error_handler>
+FMT_CONSTEXPR bool check_cstring_type_spec(Char spec, ErrorHandler&& eh = {}) {
+  if (spec == 0 || spec == 's') return true;
+  if (spec != 'p') eh.on_error("invalid type specifier");
+  return false;
 }
 
 template <typename Char, typename ErrorHandler>
@@ -2543,8 +2531,8 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR void check_pointer_type_spec(Char spec, ErrorHandler&& eh) {
   if (spec != 0 && spec != 'p') eh.on_error("invalid type specifier");
 }
 
-// A format specifier handler that checks if specifiers are consistent with the
-// argument type.
+// A parse_format_specs handler that checks if specifiers are consistent with
+// the argument type.
 template <typename Handler> class specs_checker : public Handler {
  private:
   detail::type arg_type_;
@@ -2801,8 +2789,7 @@ struct formatter<T, Char,
         FMT_ASSERT(false, "long double support disabled");
       break;
     case detail::type::cstring_type:
-      detail::handle_cstring_type_spec(
-          specs_.type, detail::cstring_type_checker<decltype(eh)>(eh));
+      detail::check_cstring_type_spec(specs_.type, eh);
       break;
     case detail::type::string_type:
       detail::check_string_type_spec(specs_.type, eh);
diff --git a/include/fmt/format.h b/include/fmt/format.h
index aefad1be..7a61bd3c 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format.h
@@ -1306,7 +1306,7 @@ template <typename Char, typename OutputIt>
 FMT_CONSTEXPR OutputIt write(OutputIt out, Char value,
                              const basic_format_specs<Char>& specs,
                              locale_ref loc = {}) {
-  return check_char_specs(specs, error_handler())
+  return check_char_specs(specs)
              ? write_char(out, value, specs)
              : write(out, static_cast<int>(value), specs, loc);
 }
@@ -1531,20 +1531,9 @@ template <typename Char, typename OutputIt>
 FMT_CONSTEXPR OutputIt write(OutputIt out, const Char* s,
                              const basic_format_specs<Char>& specs,
                              locale_ref) {
-  struct handler {
-    OutputIt out;
-    const Char* value;
-    const basic_format_specs<Char>& specs;
-
-    void on_string() {
-      out = write(out, basic_string_view<Char>(value), specs, {});
-    }
-    void on_pointer() { out = write_ptr<Char>(out, to_uintptr(value), &specs); }
-    void on_error(const char* message) { error_handler().on_error(message); }
-  };
-  auto h = handler{out, s, specs};
-  handle_cstring_type_spec(specs.type, h);
-  return h.out;
+  return check_cstring_type_spec(specs.type)
+             ? write(out, basic_string_view<Char>(s), specs, {})
+             : write_ptr<Char>(out, to_uintptr(s), &specs);
 }
 
 template <typename Char, typename OutputIt>