diff --git a/Doc/c-api/marshal.rst b/Doc/c-api/marshal.rst
--- a/Doc/c-api/marshal.rst
+++ b/Doc/c-api/marshal.rst
@@ -35,39 +35,45 @@ unmarshalling.  Version 2 uses a binary 
 .. c:function:: PyObject* PyMarshal_WriteObjectToString(PyObject *value, int version)
 
    Return a string object containing the marshalled representation of *value*.
    *version* indicates the file format.
 
 
 The following functions allow marshalled values to be read back in.
 
-XXX What about error detection?  It appears that reading past the end of the
-file will always result in a negative numeric value (where that's relevant),
-but it's not clear that negative values won't be handled properly when there's
-no error.  What's the right way to tell? Should only non-negative values be
-written using these routines?
-
 
 .. c:function:: long PyMarshal_ReadLongFromFile(FILE *file)
 
    Return a C :c:type:`long` from the data stream in a :c:type:`FILE\*` opened
    for reading.  Only a 32-bit value can be read in using this function,
    regardless of the native size of :c:type:`long`.
 
-   On error, raise an exception and return ``-1``.
+   On error, raises an exception and returns ``-1``.  It is advised to check
+   return values of both of the ``PyMarshal_ReadLongFromFile`` and
+   :c:func:`PyErr_Occurred` functions::
+
+      if (f == -1 && PyErr_Occurred()) {
+         /* do something */
+      }
 
 
 .. c:function:: int PyMarshal_ReadShortFromFile(FILE *file)
 
    Return a C :c:type:`short` from the data stream in a :c:type:`FILE\*` opened
    for reading.  Only a 16-bit value can be read in using this function,
    regardless of the native size of :c:type:`short`.
 
-   On error, raise an exception and return ``-1``.
+   On error, raises an exception and returns ``-1``.  It is advised to check
+   return values of both of the ``PyMarshal_ReadShortFromFile`` and
+   :c:func:`PyErr_Occurred` functions::
+
+      if (f == -1 && PyErr_Occurred()) {
+         /* do something */
+      }
 
 
 .. c:function:: PyObject* PyMarshal_ReadObjectFromFile(FILE *file)
 
    Return a Python object from the data stream in a :c:type:`FILE\*` opened for
    reading.
 
    On error, sets the appropriate exception (:exc:`EOFError` or