diff --git a/src/os/error.go b/src/os/error.go
index 2612f58bd1..7235bfb6d6 100644
--- a/src/os/error.go
+++ b/src/os/error.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ var (
 	ErrPermission = errors.New("permission denied")
 	ErrExist      = errors.New("file already exists")
 	ErrNotExist   = errors.New("file does not exist")
+	ErrClosed     = errors.New("file already closed")
 )
 
 // PathError records an error and the operation and file path that caused it.
diff --git a/src/os/error_test.go b/src/os/error_test.go
index a47c1732cb..3499ceec95 100644
--- a/src/os/error_test.go
+++ b/src/os/error_test.go
@@ -91,10 +91,12 @@ var isExistTests = []isExistTest{
 	{&os.PathError{Err: os.ErrPermission}, false, false},
 	{&os.PathError{Err: os.ErrExist}, true, false},
 	{&os.PathError{Err: os.ErrNotExist}, false, true},
+	{&os.PathError{Err: os.ErrClosed}, false, false},
 	{&os.LinkError{Err: os.ErrInvalid}, false, false},
 	{&os.LinkError{Err: os.ErrPermission}, false, false},
 	{&os.LinkError{Err: os.ErrExist}, true, false},
 	{&os.LinkError{Err: os.ErrNotExist}, false, true},
+	{&os.LinkError{Err: os.ErrClosed}, false, false},
 	{&os.SyscallError{Err: os.ErrNotExist}, false, true},
 	{&os.SyscallError{Err: os.ErrExist}, true, false},
 	{nil, false, false},
diff --git a/src/os/file.go b/src/os/file.go
index e546441497..934004f084 100644
--- a/src/os/file.go
+++ b/src/os/file.go
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ func (e *LinkError) Error() string {
 // It returns the number of bytes read and an error, if any.
 // EOF is signaled by a zero count with err set to io.EOF.
 func (f *File) Read(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
-	if f == nil {
-		return 0, ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("read"); err != nil {
+		return 0, err
 	}
 	n, e := f.read(b)
 	if n == 0 && len(b) > 0 && e == nil {
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ func (f *File) Read(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 // ReadAt always returns a non-nil error when n < len(b).
 // At end of file, that error is io.EOF.
 func (f *File) ReadAt(b []byte, off int64) (n int, err error) {
-	if f == nil {
-		return 0, ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("read"); err != nil {
+		return 0, err
 	}
 	for len(b) > 0 {
 		m, e := f.pread(b, off)
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ func (f *File) ReadAt(b []byte, off int64) (n int, err error) {
 // It returns the number of bytes written and an error, if any.
 // Write returns a non-nil error when n != len(b).
 func (f *File) Write(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
-	if f == nil {
-		return 0, ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("write"); err != nil {
+		return 0, err
 	}
 	n, e := f.write(b)
 	if n < 0 {
@@ -159,8 +159,8 @@ func (f *File) Write(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 // It returns the number of bytes written and an error, if any.
 // WriteAt returns a non-nil error when n != len(b).
 func (f *File) WriteAt(b []byte, off int64) (n int, err error) {
-	if f == nil {
-		return 0, ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("write"); err != nil {
+		return 0, err
 	}
 	for len(b) > 0 {
 		m, e := f.pwrite(b, off)
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ func (f *File) WriteAt(b []byte, off int64) (n int, err error) {
 // It returns the new offset and an error, if any.
 // The behavior of Seek on a file opened with O_APPEND is not specified.
 func (f *File) Seek(offset int64, whence int) (ret int64, err error) {
-	if f == nil {
-		return 0, ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("seek"); err != nil {
+		return 0, err
 	}
 	r, e := f.seek(offset, whence)
 	if e == nil && f.dirinfo != nil && r != 0 {
@@ -197,9 +197,6 @@ func (f *File) Seek(offset int64, whence int) (ret int64, err error) {
 // WriteString is like Write, but writes the contents of string s rather than
 // a slice of bytes.
 func (f *File) WriteString(s string) (n int, err error) {
-	if f == nil {
-		return 0, ErrInvalid
-	}
 	return f.Write([]byte(s))
 }
 
@@ -233,8 +230,8 @@ func Chdir(dir string) error {
 // which must be a directory.
 // If there is an error, it will be of type *PathError.
 func (f *File) Chdir() error {
-	if f == nil {
-		return ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("chdir"); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	if e := syscall.Fchdir(f.fd); e != nil {
 		return &PathError{"chdir", f.name, e}
@@ -278,3 +275,15 @@ func fixCount(n int, err error) (int, error) {
 	}
 	return n, err
 }
+
+// checkValid checks whether f is valid for use.
+// If not, it returns an appropriate error, perhaps incorporating the operation name op.
+func (f *File) checkValid(op string) error {
+	if f == nil {
+		return ErrInvalid
+	}
+	if f.fd == badFd {
+		return &PathError{op, f.name, ErrClosed}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/src/os/file_plan9.go b/src/os/file_plan9.go
index 880d56a16f..704e95b1e6 100644
--- a/src/os/file_plan9.go
+++ b/src/os/file_plan9.go
@@ -130,21 +130,21 @@ func OpenFile(name string, flag int, perm FileMode) (*File, error) {
 // Close closes the File, rendering it unusable for I/O.
 // It returns an error, if any.
 func (f *File) Close() error {
-	if f == nil {
-		return ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("close"); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	return f.file.close()
 }
 
 func (file *file) close() error {
-	if file == nil || file.fd < 0 {
+	if file == nil || file.fd == badFd {
 		return ErrInvalid
 	}
 	var err error
 	if e := syscall.Close(file.fd); e != nil {
 		err = &PathError{"close", file.name, e}
 	}
-	file.fd = -1 // so it can't be closed again
+	file.fd = badFd // so it can't be closed again
 
 	// no need for a finalizer anymore
 	runtime.SetFinalizer(file, nil)
diff --git a/src/os/file_posix.go b/src/os/file_posix.go
index 6d8076fdf5..15bb77efb5 100644
--- a/src/os/file_posix.go
+++ b/src/os/file_posix.go
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ func Chmod(name string, mode FileMode) error {
 // Chmod changes the mode of the file to mode.
 // If there is an error, it will be of type *PathError.
 func (f *File) Chmod(mode FileMode) error {
-	if f == nil {
-		return ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("chmod"); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	if e := syscall.Fchmod(f.fd, syscallMode(mode)); e != nil {
 		return &PathError{"chmod", f.name, e}
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ func Lchown(name string, uid, gid int) error {
 // Chown changes the numeric uid and gid of the named file.
 // If there is an error, it will be of type *PathError.
 func (f *File) Chown(uid, gid int) error {
-	if f == nil {
-		return ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("chown"); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	if e := syscall.Fchown(f.fd, uid, gid); e != nil {
 		return &PathError{"chown", f.name, e}
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ func (f *File) Chown(uid, gid int) error {
 // It does not change the I/O offset.
 // If there is an error, it will be of type *PathError.
 func (f *File) Truncate(size int64) error {
-	if f == nil {
-		return ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("truncate"); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	if e := syscall.Ftruncate(f.fd, size); e != nil {
 		return &PathError{"truncate", f.name, e}
@@ -115,11 +115,11 @@ func (f *File) Truncate(size int64) error {
 // Typically, this means flushing the file system's in-memory copy
 // of recently written data to disk.
 func (f *File) Sync() error {
-	if f == nil {
-		return ErrInvalid
+	if err := f.checkValid("sync"); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	if e := syscall.Fsync(f.fd); e != nil {
-		return NewSyscallError("fsync", e)
+		return &PathError{"sync", f.name, e}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/src/os/file_unix.go b/src/os/file_unix.go
index 0d0167f9e3..00915acb75 100644
--- a/src/os/file_unix.go
+++ b/src/os/file_unix.go
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ func (f *File) Close() error {
 }
 
 func (file *file) close() error {
-	if file == nil || file.fd < 0 {
+	if file == nil || file.fd == badFd {
 		return syscall.EINVAL
 	}
 	var err error
diff --git a/src/os/file_windows.go b/src/os/file_windows.go
index ed06b55535..9bd5e5e9ff 100644
--- a/src/os/file_windows.go
+++ b/src/os/file_windows.go
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ func (file *file) close() error {
 	if e != nil {
 		err = &PathError{"close", file.name, e}
 	}
-	file.fd = syscall.InvalidHandle // so it can't be closed again
+	file.fd = badFd // so it can't be closed again
 
 	// no need for a finalizer anymore
 	runtime.SetFinalizer(file, nil)
@@ -575,3 +575,5 @@ func Symlink(oldname, newname string) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+const badFd = syscall.InvalidHandle
diff --git a/src/os/os_test.go b/src/os/os_test.go
index 5a88bc6185..84e72e5a52 100644
--- a/src/os/os_test.go
+++ b/src/os/os_test.go
@@ -229,6 +229,28 @@ func TestRead0(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Reading a closed file should should return ErrClosed error
+func TestReadClosed(t *testing.T) {
+	path := sfdir + "/" + sfname
+	file, err := Open(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("open failed:", err)
+	}
+	file.Close() // close immediately
+
+	b := make([]byte, 100)
+	_, err = file.Read(b)
+
+	e, ok := err.(*PathError)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("Read: %T(%v), want PathError", e, e)
+	}
+
+	if e.Err != ErrClosed {
+		t.Errorf("Read: %v, want PathError(ErrClosed)", e)
+	}
+}
+
 func testReaddirnames(dir string, contents []string, t *testing.T) {
 	file, err := Open(dir)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/src/os/types_plan9.go b/src/os/types_plan9.go
index 5fccc4f09a..125da661b7 100644
--- a/src/os/types_plan9.go
+++ b/src/os/types_plan9.go
@@ -28,3 +28,5 @@ func sameFile(fs1, fs2 *fileStat) bool {
 	b := fs2.sys.(*syscall.Dir)
 	return a.Qid.Path == b.Qid.Path && a.Type == b.Type && a.Dev == b.Dev
 }
+
+const badFd = -1
diff --git a/src/os/types_unix.go b/src/os/types_unix.go
index c0259ae0e8..1f614812fd 100644
--- a/src/os/types_unix.go
+++ b/src/os/types_unix.go
@@ -29,3 +29,5 @@ func (fs *fileStat) Sys() interface{}   { return &fs.sys }
 func sameFile(fs1, fs2 *fileStat) bool {
 	return fs1.sys.Dev == fs2.sys.Dev && fs1.sys.Ino == fs2.sys.Ino
 }
+
+const badFd = -1