diff --git a/scripts/test_buffered_output_errors.py b/scripts/test_buffered_output_errors.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6e4e5626
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test_buffered_output_errors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""POSIX regression test: python3 scripts/test_buffered_output_errors.py ./fastp.
+
+Only temporary synthetic data is used. RLIMIT_FSIZE simulates write failures
+without filling a disk; SIGXFSZ is ignored so fastp must detect the I/O error.
+"""
+import gzip
+import pathlib
+import random
+import resource
+import signal
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+
+
+def restrict_output():
+    signal.signal(signal.SIGXFSZ, signal.SIG_IGN)
+    resource.setrlimit(resource.RLIMIT_FSIZE, (4096, 4096))
+
+
+def main():
+    exe = str(pathlib.Path(sys.argv[1]).resolve())
+    rng = random.Random(917)
+    data = ''.join('@read%d\n%s\n+\n%s\n' %
+                   (i, ''.join(rng.choices('ACGT', k=100)), 'I'*100)
+                   for i in range(2000)).encode()
+    failures = []
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix='fastp-writer-test-') as tmp:
+        root = pathlib.Path(tmp)
+        source = root/'input.fq'
+        source.write_bytes(data)
+        for mode in ('plain', 'gzip', 'stdout', 'split'):
+            for limited in (False, True):
+                case = root/('%s-%s' % (mode, limited))
+                case.mkdir()
+                output = case/('out.fq.gz' if mode == 'gzip' else 'out.fq')
+                cmd = [exe, '-i', str(source), '-w', '1', '-A', '-Q', '-L',
+                       '-G', '--dont_eval_duplication',
+                       '-j', '/dev/null', '-h', '/dev/null']
+                if mode == 'stdout':
+                    cmd.append('--stdout')
+                else:
+                    cmd += ['-o', str(output)]
+                if mode == 'split':
+                    cmd += ['--split', '2']
+                with (case/'stdout.fq').open('wb') as stream:
+                    run = subprocess.run(cmd, stdout=stream, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+                                         timeout=30, restore_signals=False,
+                                         preexec_fn=restrict_output if limited else None)
+                error = run.stderr.decode(errors='replace')
+                if limited:
+                    ok = (run.returncode > 0 and
+                          ('Failed to write complete output to:' in error or
+                           'Failed to finalise output to:' in error))
+                else:
+                    if mode == 'stdout':
+                        actual = (case/'stdout.fq').read_bytes()
+                    elif mode == 'gzip':
+                        actual = gzip.decompress(output.read_bytes())
+                    elif mode == 'split':
+                        actual = b''.join(p.read_bytes() for p in sorted(case.glob('*.out.fq')))
+                    else:
+                        actual = output.read_bytes()
+                    ok = run.returncode == 0 and actual == data
+                print('%s %s limited=%s exit=%d' %
+                      ('PASS' if ok else 'FAIL', mode, limited, run.returncode))
+                if not ok:
+                    failures.append((mode, limited, error))
+    for mode, limited, error in failures:
+        print('%s limited=%s:\n%s' % (mode, limited, error), file=sys.stderr)
+    return bool(failures)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/src/writer.cpp b/src/writer.cpp
index 68c761ca..39a6837a 100644
--- a/src/writer.cpp
+++ b/src/writer.cpp
@@ -108,28 +108,31 @@ bool Writer::write(const char* strdata, size_t size) {
 }
 
 bool Writer::writeInternal(const char* strdata, size_t size) {
-	size_t written;
-	bool status;
+	if(size == 0)
+		return true;
+	const string destination = mSTDOUT ? "stdout" : mFilename;
 	
 	if(mZipped){
 		size_t bound = libdeflate_gzip_compress_bound(mCompressor, size);
 		void* out = malloc(bound);
+		if(out == NULL)
+			error_exit("Failed to allocate compression buffer for: " + destination);
 		size_t outsize = libdeflate_gzip_compress(mCompressor, strdata, size, out, bound);
-		if(outsize == 0)
-			status = false;
-		else {
-			size_t ret = fwrite(out, 1, outsize, mFP );
-			status = ret>0;
-			//mOutStream->write((char*)out, outsize);
-			//status = !mOutStream->fail();
+		if(outsize == 0) {
+			free(out);
+			error_exit("Failed to compress output for: " + destination);
 		}
+		size_t ret = fwrite(out, 1, outsize, mFP);
 		free(out);
+		if(ret != outsize || ferror(mFP))
+			error_exit("Failed to write complete output to: " + destination);
 	}
 	else{
 		size_t ret = fwrite(strdata, 1, size, mFP );
-		status = ret>0;
+		if(ret != size || ferror(mFP))
+			error_exit("Failed to write complete output to: " + destination);
 	}
-	return status;
+	return true;
 }
 
 void Writer::close(){
@@ -143,12 +146,16 @@ void Writer::close(){
 		free(mBuffer);
 		mBuffer = NULL;
 	}
-	if(mFP && !mSTDOUT) {
-		fclose(mFP);
+	if(mFP) {
+		// stdio can defer a write error until finalisation. Do not close stdout.
+		const string destination = mSTDOUT ? "stdout" : mFilename;
+		int status = mSTDOUT ? fflush(mFP) : fclose(mFP);
 		mFP = NULL;
+		if(status != 0)
+			error_exit("Failed to finalise output to: " + destination);
 	}
 }
 
 bool Writer::isZipped(){
 	return mZipped;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}