diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d70df20..9d969d3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ LIBUTFSRC =\
 	libutf/runetype.c\
 	libutf/utf.c\
 	libutf/chartorunearr.c\
-	libutf/readrune.c\
+	libutf/fgetrune.c\
 	libutf/writerune.c\
 	libutf/isalnumrune.c\
 	libutf/isalpharune.c\
diff --git a/expand.c b/expand.c
index 2d1cc84..8adaa24 100644
--- a/expand.c
+++ b/expand.c
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ expand(const char *file, FILE *fp)
 	size_t bol = 1, col = 0, i;
 	Rune r;
 
-	while (readrune(file, fp, &r)) {
+	while (efgetrune(&r, fp, file)) {
 		switch (r) {
 		case '\t':
 			if (tablistlen == 1)
diff --git a/libutf/fgetrune.c b/libutf/fgetrune.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d8ca712
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libutf/fgetrune.c
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/* See LICENSE file for copyright and license details. */
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "../utf.h"
+
+int
+fgetrune(Rune *p, FILE *fp)
+{
+	char buf[UTFmax];
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < UTFmax && (buf[i] = fgetc(fp)) != EOF && ++i ;)
+		if (charntorune(p, buf, i) > 0)
+			break;
+	if (ferror(fp))
+		return -1;
+
+	return i;
+}
+
+int
+efgetrune(Rune *p, FILE *fp, const char *file)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	if ((ret = fgetrune(p, fp)) < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "fgetrune %s: %s\n", file, strerror(errno));
+		exit(1);
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
diff --git a/libutf/readrune.c b/libutf/readrune.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 3fda9ef..0000000
--- a/libutf/readrune.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,47 +0,0 @@
-/* See LICENSE file for copyright and license details. */
-#include <errno.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <string.h>
-
-#include "../utf.h"
-
-int
-readrune(const char *file, FILE *fp, Rune *r)
-{
-	char buf[UTFmax];
-	int c, i;
-
-	if ((c = fgetc(fp)) == EOF) {
-		if (ferror(fp)) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "%s: read error: %s\n",
-				file, strerror(errno));
-			exit(1);
-		}
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	if (c < Runeself) {
-		*r = (Rune)c;
-		return 1;
-	}
-
-	buf[0] = c;
-	for (i = 1; i < UTFmax; ) {
-		if ((c = fgetc(fp)) == EOF) {
-			if (ferror(fp)) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "%s: read error: %s\n",
-					file, strerror(errno));
-				exit(1);
-			}
-			*r = Runeerror;
-			return i;
-		}
-		buf[i++] = c;
-		if (fullrune(buf, i)) {
-			chartorune(r, buf);
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-	return i;
-}
diff --git a/paste.c b/paste.c
index fd8ca77..32832d7 100644
--- a/paste.c
+++ b/paste.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ sequential(struct fdescr *dsc, int fdescrlen, Rune *delim, size_t delimlen)
 		d = 0;
 		last = 0;
 
-		while (readrune(dsc[i].name, dsc[i].fp, &c)) {
+		while (efgetrune(&c, dsc[i].fp, dsc[i].name)) {
 			if (last == '\n') {
 				if (delim[d] != '\0')
 					writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &delim[d]);
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ nextline:
 		d = delim[i % delimlen];
 		c = 0;
 
-		for (; readrune(dsc[i].name, dsc[i].fp, &c) ;) {
+		for (; efgetrune(&c, dsc[i].fp, dsc[i].name) ;) {
 			for (m = last + 1; m < i; m++)
 				writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &(delim[m % delimlen]));
 			last = i;
diff --git a/tail.c b/tail.c
index 9063656..8b8dc38 100644
--- a/tail.c
+++ b/tail.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ dropinit(FILE *fp, const char *str)
 			if (len > 0 && buf[len - 1] == '\n')
 				i++;
 	} else {
-		while (i < num && (len = readrune(str, fp, &r)))
+		while (i < num && (len = efgetrune(&r, fp, str)))
 			i++;
 	}
 	free(buf);
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ taketail(FILE *fp, const char *str)
 	} else {
 		r = ecalloc(num, sizeof *r);
 
-		for (i = j = 0; readrune(str, fp, &r[i]); )
+		for (i = j = 0; efgetrune(&r[i], fp, str); )
 			i = j = (i + 1) % num;
 	}
 	if (ferror(fp))
diff --git a/tr.c b/tr.c
index 47ce6c7..2d6d37b 100644
--- a/tr.c
+++ b/tr.c
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (set2check && cflag && !dflag)
 		eprintf("set2 can't be imaged to from a complement.\n");
 read:
-	if (!readrune("<stdin>", stdin, &r))
+	if (!efgetrune(&r, stdin, "<stdin>"))
 		return 0;
 	off1 = off2 = 0;
 	for (i = 0; i < set1ranges; i++) {
diff --git a/unexpand.c b/unexpand.c
index 26573f4..0b16f74 100644
--- a/unexpand.c
+++ b/unexpand.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ unexpand(const char *file, FILE *fp)
 	size_t last = 0, col = 0, i;
 	int bol = 1;
 
-	while (readrune(file, fp, &r)) {
+	while (efgetrune(&r, fp, file)) {
 		switch (r) {
 		case ' ':
 			if (!bol && !aflag)
diff --git a/utf.h b/utf.h
index 663b4ed..bd58f0a 100644
--- a/utf.h
+++ b/utf.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ int isxdigitrune(Rune);
 Rune tolowerrune(Rune);
 Rune toupperrune(Rune);
 
-int readrune(const char *, FILE *, Rune *);
+int fgetrune(Rune *, FILE *);
+int efgetrune(Rune *, FILE *, const char *);
 void writerune(const char *, FILE *, Rune *);
 int chartorunearr(const char*, Rune **);
diff --git a/wc.c b/wc.c
index e782950..2a881a5 100644
--- a/wc.c
+++ b/wc.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ wc(FILE *fp, const char *str)
 	Rune c;
 	size_t nc = 0, nl = 0, nw = 0;
 
-	while ((rlen = readrune(str, fp, &c))) {
+	while ((rlen = efgetrune(&c, fp, str))) {
 		nc += (cmode == 'c') ? rlen :
 		      (c != Runeerror) ? 1 : 0;
 		if (c == '\n')