diff --git a/src/file.cpp b/src/file.cpp
index 952227af4..e5fe9e004 100644
--- a/src/file.cpp
+++ b/src/file.cpp
@@ -1209,6 +1209,19 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 	size_type file::readv(size_type file_offset, iovec_t const* bufs, int num_bufs, error_code& ec)
 	{
+#ifdef TORRENT_WINDOWS
+		if (m_file_handle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
+		{
+			ec = error_code(ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE, get_system_category());
+			return -1;
+		}
+#else
+		if (m_file_handle == -1)
+		{
+			ec = error_code(EBADF, get_system_category());
+			return -1;
+		}
+#endif
 		TORRENT_ASSERT((m_open_mode & rw_mask) == read_only || (m_open_mode & rw_mask) == read_write);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(bufs);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(num_bufs > 0);
@@ -1420,6 +1433,19 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 	size_type file::writev(size_type file_offset, iovec_t const* bufs, int num_bufs, error_code& ec)
 	{
+#ifdef TORRENT_WINDOWS
+		if (m_file_handle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
+		{
+			ec = error_code(ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE, get_system_category());
+			return -1;
+		}
+#else
+		if (m_file_handle == -1)
+		{
+			ec = error_code(EBADF, get_system_category());
+			return -1;
+		}
+#endif
 		TORRENT_ASSERT((m_open_mode & rw_mask) == write_only || (m_open_mode & rw_mask) == read_write);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(bufs);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(num_bufs > 0);
diff --git a/test/main.cpp b/test/main.cpp
index d0b0734bf..be329c5aa 100644
--- a/test/main.cpp
+++ b/test/main.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <boost/config.hpp>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h> // for exit()
 
 int test_main();
 
diff --git a/test/setup_transfer.cpp b/test/setup_transfer.cpp
index e7abaf27e..4d8f50969 100644
--- a/test/setup_transfer.cpp
+++ b/test/setup_transfer.cpp
@@ -232,12 +232,16 @@ void create_random_files(std::string const& path, const int file_sizes[], int nu
 		snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s/test%d", path.c_str(), i);
 		int to_write = file_sizes[i];
 		file f(filename, file::write_only, ec);
+		if (ec) fprintf(stderr, "failed to create file \"%s\": (%d) %s\n"
+			, filename, ec.value(), ec.message().c_str());
 		size_type offset = 0;
 		while (to_write > 0)
 		{
 			int s = (std::min)(to_write, 300000);
 			file::iovec_t b = { random_data, s};
 			f.writev(offset, &b, 1, ec);
+			if (ec) fprintf(stderr, "failed to write file \"%s\": (%d) %s\n"
+				, filename, ec.value(), ec.message().c_str());
 			offset += s;
 			to_write -= s;
 		}
diff --git a/test/test_checking.cpp b/test/test_checking.cpp
index f9044b44e..161f81b86 100644
--- a/test/test_checking.cpp
+++ b/test/test_checking.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ void test_checking(bool read_only_files, bool corrupt_files = false)
 			char path[1024];
 			snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "tmp1_checking/test_torrent_dir/test%d", i);
 #ifdef TORRENT_WINDOWS
-			SetFileAttributes(path, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY);
+			SetFileAttributesA(path, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY);
 #else
 			chmod(path, S_IRUSR);
 #endif