Index: Modules/_fileio.c
===================================================================
--- Modules/_fileio.c	(revision 68340)
+++ Modules/_fileio.c	(working copy)
@@ -41,34 +41,41 @@
 
 #define PyFileIO_Check(op) (PyObject_TypeCheck((op), &PyFileIO_Type))
 
-/* Returns 0 on success, errno (which is < 0) on failure. */
+/* close/detach from the stream
+This does nothing when not attached to a stream. When the stream should not
+be closed by us, just detach from it. Returns zero on failure, in which case
+an exception was already set. */
 static int
 internal_close(PyFileIOObject *self)
 {
-	int save_errno = 0;
-	if (self->fd >= 0) {
-		int fd = self->fd;
-		self->fd = -1;
-		Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
-		if (close(fd) < 0)
-			save_errno = errno;
-		Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
-	}
-	return save_errno;
+	int saved_errno = 0;
+	int fd = self->fd;
+	self->fd = -1;
+
+	/* if there is nothing to close or we are not supposed to close
+	the stream, we are done here. */
+	if ((fd < 0) || (self->closefd == 0))
+		return 1;
+
+	/* Closing will flush buffers and that might block, so allow other
+	threads to run in the meantime. */
+	Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
+	if(close(fd)==-1)
+		saved_errno = errno;
+	Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+
+	if (saved_errno == 0 )
+		return 1;
+
+	PyErr_SetString(PyExc_IOError, strerror(saved_errno));
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static PyObject *
 fileio_close(PyFileIOObject *self)
 {
-	if (!self->closefd) {
-		self->fd = -1;
-		Py_RETURN_NONE;
-	}
-	errno = internal_close(self);
-	if (errno < 0) {
-		PyErr_SetFromErrno(PyExc_IOError);
+	if(!internal_close(self))
 		return NULL;
-	}
 
 	Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
@@ -107,6 +114,7 @@
 	if (fstat(self->fd, &buf) == 0 && S_ISDIR(buf.st_mode)) {
 		char *msg = strerror(EISDIR);
 		PyObject *exc;
+		/* Ignore errors here? */
 		internal_close(self);
 
 		exc = PyObject_CallFunction(PyExc_IOError, "(iss)",
@@ -138,11 +146,9 @@
 	int closefd = 1;
 
 	assert(PyFileIO_Check(oself));
-	if (self->fd >= 0) {
-		/* Have to close the existing file first. */
-		if (internal_close(self) < 0)
-			return -1;
-	}
+	/* Have to close the existing file first. */
+	if (!internal_close(self))
+		return -1;
 
 	if (PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwds, "i|si:fileio",
 					kwlist, &fd, &mode, &closefd)) {
@@ -292,12 +298,9 @@
 	if (self->weakreflist != NULL)
 		PyObject_ClearWeakRefs((PyObject *) self);
 
-	if (self->fd >= 0 && self->closefd) {
-		errno = internal_close(self);
-		if (errno < 0) {
-			PySys_WriteStderr("close failed: [Errno %d] %s\n",
-                                          errno, strerror(errno));
-		}
+	if(!internal_close(self)) {
+		PyErr_Clear();
+		PySys_WriteStderr("close failed\n");
 	}
 
 	Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject *)self);