diff --git a/src/dj.c b/src/dj.c
index 88c3979..8fe1af3 100644
--- a/src/dj.c
+++ b/src/dj.c
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ struct Io{
 	size_t prec;  	/* partial records processed */
 	size_t rec;   	/* records processed */
 	long seek;  	/* remaining bytes to seek/skip (-sS) */
+	int error;  	/* errno */
 	int fd;		  	/* file descriptor */
 	int fl;		  	/* file opening flags */
-	char error: 1;	/* (bool) error status */
 };
 
 /* To be assigned to main:fmt and used with printio(). */
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ Io_read(struct Io *io){
 	assert(io->bufuse < io->bs);
 
 	if((t = read(io->fd, &(io->buf)[io->bufuse], io->bs - io->bufuse)) < 0){
-		io->error = 1;
+		io->error = errno;
 		t = 0;
 	}
 
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ Io_write(struct Io *io){
 	assert(io->bufuse <= io->bs);
 
 	if((t = write(io->fd, io->buf, io->bufuse)) < 0){
-		io->error = 1;
+		io->error = errno;
 		t = 0;
 	}else if(t > 0)
 		memmove(io->buf, &(io->buf)[t], (io->bufuse -= t));
@@ -109,13 +109,9 @@ Io_write(struct Io *io){
 	return io;
 }
 
-/* Prints an error message suitable for the event of an operating system error,
- * with the error itself to be described in the string s. */
 static int
-oserr(char *s){
-
-	fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s: %s\n", program_name, s, strerror(errno));
-
+oserr(char *e, int n){
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s: %s\n", program_name, e, strerror(n));
 	return EX_OSERR;
 }
 
@@ -203,7 +199,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 						break;
 					}
 				}
-				return oserr(optarg);
+				return oserr(optarg, errno);
 			case 'n': noerror = 1;     break;
 			case 'H': fmt = fmt_human; break;
 			case 'a':
@@ -250,15 +246,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 		do{
 			memset(io[1].buf, '\0',
 				(t = io[1].bufuse = MIN(io[1].bs, io[1].seek)));
-			if(Io_write(&io[1])->bufuse == t && !noerror && !io[1].error)
+			if(Io_write(&io[1])->bufuse == t && !noerror && io[1].error == 0)
 				Io_write(&io[1]); /* second chance */
+			if(io[1].error != 0)
+				return oserr(io[1].fn, io[1].error);
 		}while((io[1].seek -= (t - io[1].bufuse)) > 0 && io[1].bufuse != t);
 		io[1].bufuse = 0;
 	}
 
 	if(io[1].seek > 0){
 		fprintio(stderr, fmt, io);
-		return oserr(io[1].fn);
+		return oserr(io[1].fn, errno);
 	}
 
 	do{
@@ -273,7 +271,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 				io[0].bufuse = io[0].bs - io[0].seek;
 
 			t = io[0].bufuse;
-			if(Io_read(&io[0])->bufuse == t && !noerror && io[0].error)
+			if(Io_read(&io[0])->bufuse == t && !noerror && io[0].error == 0)
 				Io_read(&io[0]); /* second chance */
 			assert(io[0].bufuse >= t);
 			if(io[0].bufuse == t) /* that's all she wrote */
@@ -327,7 +325,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 			}
 
 			t = io[1].bufuse;
-			if(Io_write(&io[1])->bufuse == t && !noerror && !io[1].error)
+			if(Io_write(&io[1])->bufuse == t && !noerror && io[1].error == 0)
 				Io_write(&io[1]); /* second chance */
 			assert(io[1].bufuse <= t);
 			if(io[1].bufuse == t){ /* no more love */
@@ -348,7 +346,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 
 	for(i = 0; i < (sizeof io) / (sizeof *io); ++i)
 		if(io[i].error)
-			return oserr(io[i].fn);
+			return oserr(io[i].fn, io[i].error);
 
 	return EX_OK;
 }