diff --git a/file.c b/file.c
index 6f3a4378fd..b2ad989df6 100644
--- a/file.c
+++ b/file.c
@@ -5683,9 +5683,10 @@ ruby_is_fd_loadable(int fd)
 
     if (S_ISREG(st.st_mode))
 	return 1;
-    if (S_ISFIFO(st.st_mode))
+    if (!S_ISDIR(st.st_mode))
 	return 1;
 
+    errno = EISDIR;
     return 0;
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/ruby.c b/ruby.c
index bde78f17f3..2f3e9409ca 100644
--- a/ruby.c
+++ b/ruby.c
@@ -1803,8 +1803,9 @@ open_load_file(VALUE fname_v, int *xflag)
 	}
 #endif
 	if (!ruby_is_fd_loadable(fd)) {
+	    int e = errno;
 	    (void)close(fd);
-	    rb_load_fail(fname_v, strerror(errno));
+	    rb_load_fail(fname_v, strerror(e));
 	}
 
 	f = rb_io_fdopen(fd, mode, fname);