diff --git a/tensorflow/c/env.cc b/tensorflow/c/env.cc
index 43879a18359..6d8528bc42f 100644
--- a/tensorflow/c/env.cc
+++ b/tensorflow/c/env.cc
@@ -147,14 +147,8 @@ TF_StringStream* TF_GetLocalTempDirectories() {
   return list;
 }
 
-void TF_GetTempFileName(const char* extension, std::string* name,
-                        TF_Status* status) {
-  *name = ::tensorflow::io::GetTempFilename(extension);
-  if (name->length() == 0) {
-    TF_SetStatus(status, TF_INTERNAL, "Can not get temp file name");
-  } else {
-    TF_SetStatus(status, TF_OK, "");
-  }
+void TF_GetTempFileName(const char* extension, char** name) {
+  *name = strdup(::tensorflow::io::GetTempFilename(extension).c_str());
 }
 
 TF_CAPI_EXPORT extern uint64_t TF_NowNanos(void) {
diff --git a/tensorflow/c/env.h b/tensorflow/c/env.h
index 273a3b5e142..29ec417a75e 100644
--- a/tensorflow/c/env.h
+++ b/tensorflow/c/env.h
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
-#include <string>
-
 #include "tensorflow/c/c_api.h"
 #include "tensorflow/c/tf_file_statistics.h"
 
@@ -157,8 +155,7 @@ TF_CAPI_EXPORT extern TF_StringStream* TF_GetLocalTempDirectories(void);
 // Creates a temporary file name with an extension.
 // The caller is responsible for freeing the returned pointer.
 TF_CAPI_EXPORT extern void TF_GetTempFileName(const char* extension,
-                                              std::string* name,
-                                              TF_Status* status);
+                                              char** name);
 
 // Returns the number of nanoseconds since the Unix epoch.
 TF_CAPI_EXPORT extern uint64_t TF_NowNanos(void);
diff --git a/tensorflow/core/platform/path.cc b/tensorflow/core/platform/path.cc
index f9442ccba0f..1e88328aace 100644
--- a/tensorflow/core/platform/path.cc
+++ b/tensorflow/core/platform/path.cc
@@ -327,8 +327,6 @@ string GetTempFilename(const string& extension) {
   }
   LOG(FATAL) << "No temp directory found.";
 #endif
-  // Return an empty string to indicate that we can not create temp file name.
-  return "";
 }
 
 bool GetTestUndeclaredOutputsDir(string* dir) {