diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 92fdfd57..48c65c6e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 - Deprecate `#[name = "..."]` attributes in favor of `#[pyo3(name = "...")]`. [#1567](https://github.com/PyO3/pyo3/pull/1567)
 - Improve compilation times for projects using PyO3 [#1604](https://github.com/PyO3/pyo3/pull/1604)
 
-
 ### Removed
 - Remove deprecated exception names `BaseException` etc. [#1426](https://github.com/PyO3/pyo3/pull/1426)
 - Remove deprecated redundant methods `Python::is_instance`, `Python::is_subclass`, `Python::release`, `Python::xdecref`, and `Py::from_owned_ptr_or_panic`. [#1426](https://github.com/PyO3/pyo3/pull/1426)
diff --git a/src/callback.rs b/src/callback.rs
index b5252cab..e162394a 100644
--- a/src/callback.rs
+++ b/src/callback.rs
@@ -175,15 +175,6 @@ where
     value.convert(py)
 }
 
-#[doc(hidden)]
-#[inline]
-pub fn callback_error<T>() -> T
-where
-    T: PyCallbackOutput,
-{
-    T::ERR_VALUE
-}
-
 /// Use this macro for all internal callback functions which Python will call.
 ///
 /// It sets up the GILPool and converts the output into a Python object. It also restores
@@ -258,7 +249,7 @@ where
 {
     let py_result = match panic_result {
         Ok(py_result) => py_result,
-        Err(panic_err) => Err(PanicException::from_panic(panic_err)),
+        Err(payload) => Err(PanicException::from_panic_payload(payload)),
     };
 
     py_result.unwrap_or_else(|py_err| {
diff --git a/src/panic.rs b/src/panic.rs
index 366e886a..d140ac83 100644
--- a/src/panic.rs
+++ b/src/panic.rs
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ pyo3_exception!(
 
 impl PanicException {
     // Try to format the error in the same way panic does
-    pub(crate) fn from_panic(e: Box<dyn Any + Send + 'static>) -> PyErr {
-        if let Some(string) = e.downcast_ref::<String>() {
+    pub(crate) fn from_panic_payload(payload: Box<dyn Any + Send + 'static>) -> PyErr {
+        if let Some(string) = payload.downcast_ref::<String>() {
             Self::new_err((string.clone(),))
-        } else if let Some(s) = e.downcast_ref::<&str>() {
+        } else if let Some(s) = payload.downcast_ref::<&str>() {
             Self::new_err((s.to_string(),))
         } else {
             Self::new_err(("panic from Rust code",))