diff --git a/src/cmd/gotest/gotest.go b/src/cmd/gotest/gotest.go
index f69c7286fc2..a041230f1ef 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gotest/gotest.go
+++ b/src/cmd/gotest/gotest.go
@@ -145,11 +145,14 @@ func setEnvironment() {
 }
 
 // getTestFileNames gets the set of files we're looking at.
-// If gotest has no arguments, it scans the current directory for _test.go files.
+// If gotest has no arguments, it scans the current directory for *_test.go files.
 func getTestFileNames() {
 	names := fileNames
 	if len(names) == 0 {
-		names = filepath.Glob("[^.]*_test.go")
+		names, err = filepath.Glob("[^.]*_test.go")
+		if err != nil {
+			Fatalf("Glob pattern error: %s", err)
+		}
 		if len(names) == 0 {
 			Fatalf(`no test files found: no match for "*_test.go"`)
 		}
diff --git a/src/pkg/path/filepath/match.go b/src/pkg/path/filepath/match.go
index d1ea82b06d1..3b36d18ef72 100644
--- a/src/pkg/path/filepath/match.go
+++ b/src/pkg/path/filepath/match.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ var ErrBadPattern = os.NewError("syntax error in pattern")
 //		lo '-' hi   matches character c for lo <= c <= hi
 //
 // Match requires pattern to match all of name, not just a substring.
-// The only possible error return is when pattern is malformed.
+// The only possible error return occurs when the pattern is malformed.
 //
 func Match(pattern, name string) (matched bool, err os.Error) {
 Pattern:
@@ -211,13 +211,14 @@ func getEsc(chunk string) (r int, nchunk string, err os.Error) {
 // if there is no matching file. The syntax of patterns is the same
 // as in Match. The pattern may describe hierarchical names such as
 // /usr/*/bin/ed (assuming the Separator is '/').
+// The only possible error return occurs when the pattern is malformed.
 //
-func Glob(pattern string) (matches []string) {
+func Glob(pattern string) (matches []string, err os.Error) {
 	if !hasMeta(pattern) {
-		if _, err := os.Stat(pattern); err == nil {
-			return []string{pattern}
+		if _, err = os.Stat(pattern); err != nil {
+			return
 		}
-		return nil
+		return []string{pattern}, nil
 	}
 
 	dir, file := Split(pattern)
@@ -230,21 +231,30 @@ func Glob(pattern string) (matches []string) {
 		dir = dir[0 : len(dir)-1] // chop off trailing separator
 	}
 
-	if hasMeta(dir) {
-		for _, d := range Glob(dir) {
-			matches = glob(d, file, matches)
-		}
-	} else {
+	if !hasMeta(dir) {
 		return glob(dir, file, nil)
 	}
-	return matches
+
+	var m []string
+	m, err = Glob(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	for _, d := range m {
+		matches, err = glob(d, file, matches)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	return
 }
 
 // glob searches for files matching pattern in the directory dir
 // and appends them to matches. If the directory cannot be
 // opened, it returns the existing matches. New matches are
 // added in lexicographical order.
-func glob(dir, pattern string, matches []string) (m []string) {
+// The only possible error return occurs when the pattern is malformed.
+func glob(dir, pattern string, matches []string) (m []string, e os.Error) {
 	m = matches
 	fi, err := os.Stat(dir)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -268,7 +278,7 @@ func glob(dir, pattern string, matches []string) (m []string) {
 	for _, n := range names {
 		matched, err := Match(pattern, n)
 		if err != nil {
-			break
+			return m, err
 		}
 		if matched {
 			m = append(m, Join(dir, n))
diff --git a/src/pkg/path/filepath/match_test.go b/src/pkg/path/filepath/match_test.go
index 554cc60f44c..43e1c1cc2f2 100644
--- a/src/pkg/path/filepath/match_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/path/filepath/match_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ package filepath_test
 
 import (
 	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
+	. "path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 	"runtime"
 )
@@ -56,16 +56,16 @@ var matchTests = []MatchTest{
 	{"[\\-x]", "x", true, nil},
 	{"[\\-x]", "-", true, nil},
 	{"[\\-x]", "a", false, nil},
-	{"[]a]", "]", false, filepath.ErrBadPattern},
-	{"[-]", "-", false, filepath.ErrBadPattern},
-	{"[x-]", "x", false, filepath.ErrBadPattern},
-	{"[x-]", "-", false, filepath.ErrBadPattern},
-	{"[x-]", "z", false, filepath.ErrBadPattern},
-	{"[-x]", "x", false, filepath.ErrBadPattern},
-	{"[-x]", "-", false, filepath.ErrBadPattern},
-	{"[-x]", "a", false, filepath.ErrBadPattern},
-	{"\\", "a", false, filepath.ErrBadPattern},
-	{"[a-b-c]", "a", false, filepath.ErrBadPattern},
+	{"[]a]", "]", false, ErrBadPattern},
+	{"[-]", "-", false, ErrBadPattern},
+	{"[x-]", "x", false, ErrBadPattern},
+	{"[x-]", "-", false, ErrBadPattern},
+	{"[x-]", "z", false, ErrBadPattern},
+	{"[-x]", "x", false, ErrBadPattern},
+	{"[-x]", "-", false, ErrBadPattern},
+	{"[-x]", "a", false, ErrBadPattern},
+	{"\\", "a", false, ErrBadPattern},
+	{"[a-b-c]", "a", false, ErrBadPattern},
 	{"*x", "xxx", true, nil},
 }
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func TestMatch(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 	for _, tt := range matchTests {
-		ok, err := filepath.Match(tt.pattern, tt.s)
+		ok, err := Match(tt.pattern, tt.s)
 		if ok != tt.match || err != tt.err {
 			t.Errorf("Match(%#q, %#q) = %v, %v want %v, nil", tt.pattern, tt.s, ok, err, tt.match)
 		}
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func TestMatch(t *testing.T) {
 
 // contains returns true if vector contains the string s.
 func contains(vector []string, s string) bool {
-	s = filepath.ToSlash(s)
+	s = ToSlash(s)
 	for _, elem := range vector {
 		if elem == s {
 			return true
@@ -108,9 +108,20 @@ func TestGlob(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 	for _, tt := range globTests {
-		matches := filepath.Glob(tt.pattern)
+		matches, err := Glob(tt.pattern)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Glob error for %q: %s", tt.pattern, err)
+			continue
+		}
 		if !contains(matches, tt.result) {
 			t.Errorf("Glob(%#q) = %#v want %v", tt.pattern, matches, tt.result)
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestGlobError(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := Glob("[7]")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error("expected error for bad pattern; got none")
+	}
+}