diff --git a/libsrc/atari/open.s b/libsrc/atari/open.s
index ed3e40b2f..e7e55c54c 100644
--- a/libsrc/atari/open.s
+++ b/libsrc/atari/open.s
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
         .import findfreeiocb
         .import incsp4
         .import ldaxysp,addysp
-        .import ___oserror
+        .import ___oserror, returnFFFF
 .ifdef  UCASE_FILENAME
         .import ucase_fn
 .endif
@@ -39,9 +39,7 @@ parmok: jsr     findfreeiocb
         lda     #<EMFILE        ; "too many open files"
 seterr: jsr     ___directerrno
         jsr     incsp4          ; clean up stack
-        lda     #$FF
-        tax
-        rts                     ; return -1
+        jmp     returnFFFF
 
         ; process the mode argument
 
diff --git a/libsrc/cbm/cbm_read.s b/libsrc/cbm/cbm_read.s
index 8a9939eca..98e3c25c9 100644
--- a/libsrc/cbm/cbm_read.s
+++ b/libsrc/cbm/cbm_read.s
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
         .export         _cbm_read
         .importzp       ptr1, ptr2, ptr3, tmp1
-        .import         popax, popa
+        .import         popax, popa, returnFFFF
         .import         ___oserror
 
 
@@ -107,7 +107,4 @@ _cbm_read:
 ; CHKIN failed
 
 @E1:    sta     ___oserror
-        lda     #$FF
-        tax
-        rts                     ; return -1
-
+        jmp     returnFFFF
diff --git a/libsrc/cbm/cbm_write.s b/libsrc/cbm/cbm_write.s
index 18c6f4684..a4ecfbe3f 100644
--- a/libsrc/cbm/cbm_write.s
+++ b/libsrc/cbm/cbm_write.s
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
         .export         _cbm_write
         .importzp       ptr1, ptr2, ptr3
-        .import         popax, popa
+        .import         popax, popa, returnFFFF
         .import         ___oserror
 
 
@@ -88,7 +88,4 @@ _cbm_write:
 ; Error entry, error code is in A
 
 @E2:    sta     ___oserror
-        lda     #$FF
-        tax
-        rts                     ; return -1
-
+        jmp     returnFFFF
diff --git a/libsrc/common/fclose.s b/libsrc/common/fclose.s
index 2368bf9f6..f6c57841e 100644
--- a/libsrc/common/fclose.s
+++ b/libsrc/common/fclose.s
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
         .export         _fclose
 
-        .import         _close
+        .import         _close, ___directerrno
         .importzp       ptr1
 
         .include        "errno.inc"
@@ -31,10 +31,7 @@
 ; File is not open
 
         lda     #EINVAL
-        jsr     ___seterrno
-        lda     #$FF            ; Return -1
-        tax
-        rts
+        jmp     ___directerrno
 
 ; File is open. Reset the flags and close the file.
 
@@ -47,4 +44,3 @@
         jmp     _close          ; Will set errno and return an error flag
 
 .endproc
-
diff --git a/libsrc/common/fmisc.s b/libsrc/common/fmisc.s
index 90b48e8a6..d189db8a8 100644
--- a/libsrc/common/fmisc.s
+++ b/libsrc/common/fmisc.s
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 ;
 
         .export         _clearerr, _feof, _ferror, _fileno, _fflush
-        .import         return0
+        .import         return0, ___directerrno
         .importzp       ptr1
 
         .include        "_file.inc"
@@ -78,10 +78,7 @@ err:    rts
 ; If the file is not valid, fileno must set errno and return -1
 
 error:  lda     #<EBADF
-        jsr     ___seterrno
-        lda     #$FF
-        tax
-        rts
+        jmp     ___directerrno
 .endproc
 
 ;
@@ -89,5 +86,3 @@ error:  lda     #<EBADF
 ;
 
 _fflush = return0
-
-
diff --git a/libsrc/common/putenv.s b/libsrc/common/putenv.s
index 5febcc71e..13f0e7dc4 100644
--- a/libsrc/common/putenv.s
+++ b/libsrc/common/putenv.s
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
         .import _malloc, _free
         .import searchenv, copyenvptr
         .import __environ, __envcount, __envsize
-        .import return0
+        .import return0, ___directerrno
         .import ptr1:zp, ptr2:zp, ptr3:zp, tmp1:zp
 
         .include "errno.inc"
@@ -169,10 +169,7 @@ addentry:
 ; Error entries
 
 nomem:  lda     #ENOMEM
-error:  jsr     ___seterrno
-        lda     #$FF                    ; Return -1
-        tax
-        rts
+error:  jmp     ___directerrno
 
 .endproc
 
@@ -184,5 +181,3 @@ error:  jsr     ___seterrno
 
 name:           .addr   0               ; Pointer to name
 newsize:        .byte   0               ; New environment size
-
-
diff --git a/libsrc/common/ungetc.s b/libsrc/common/ungetc.s
index 7e8c1f94f..c661600af 100644
--- a/libsrc/common/ungetc.s
+++ b/libsrc/common/ungetc.s
@@ -62,10 +62,6 @@
 ; File is not open or the character is invalid
 
 error:  lda     #EINVAL
-        jsr     ___seterrno
-        lda     #$FF                    ; Return -1
-        tax
-        rts
+        jmp     ___directerrno
 
 .endproc
-
diff --git a/libsrc/runtime/returnFFFF.s b/libsrc/runtime/returnFFFF.s
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..41180651b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libsrc/runtime/returnFFFF.s
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+;
+; Ullrich von Bassewitz, 25.10.2000
+;
+; CC65 runtime: Return -1 in a/x
+;
+
+        .export         returnFFFF
+
+.proc   returnFFFF
+
+        lda     #$FF
+        tax
+        rts
+
+.endproc