diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index bcff2a83..54c29616 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,15 @@ Version 198:
 * flat_buffer improvements
 * multi_buffer improvements
 
+API Changes:
+
+* Files return errc::bad_file_descriptor
+
+Actions Required:
+
+* Callers checking for errc::invalid_argument from calls to
+  file APIs should check for errc::bad_file_descriptor instead.
+
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 Version 197:
diff --git a/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_posix.ipp b/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_posix.ipp
index 8136bb83..9fc94474 100644
--- a/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_posix.ipp
+++ b/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_posix.ipp
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ size(error_code& ec) const
 {
     if(fd_ == -1)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     struct stat st;
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ pos(error_code& ec) const
 {
     if(fd_ == -1)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     auto const result = ::lseek(fd_, 0, SEEK_CUR);
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ seek(std::uint64_t offset, error_code& ec)
 {
     if(fd_ == -1)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return;
     }
     auto const result = ::lseek(fd_, offset, SEEK_SET);
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ read(void* buffer, std::size_t n, error_code& ec) const
 {
     if(fd_ == -1)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     std::size_t nread = 0;
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ write(void const* buffer, std::size_t n, error_code& ec)
 {
     if(fd_ == -1)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     std::size_t nwritten = 0;
diff --git a/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_stdio.ipp b/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_stdio.ipp
index 531a8b47..853b1403 100644
--- a/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_stdio.ipp
+++ b/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_stdio.ipp
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ size(error_code& ec) const
 {
     if(! f_)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     long pos = std::ftell(f_);
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ pos(error_code& ec) const
 {
     if(! f_)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     long pos = std::ftell(f_);
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ seek(std::uint64_t offset, error_code& ec)
 {
     if(! f_)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return;
     }
     if(offset > (std::numeric_limits<long>::max)())
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ read(void* buffer, std::size_t n, error_code& ec) const
 {
     if(! f_)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     auto nread = std::fread(buffer, 1, n, f_);
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ write(void const* buffer, std::size_t n, error_code& ec)
 {
     if(! f_)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     auto nwritten = std::fwrite(buffer, 1, n, f_);
diff --git a/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_win32.ipp b/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_win32.ipp
index 1183e385..a8eb7fdc 100644
--- a/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_win32.ipp
+++ b/include/boost/beast/core/impl/file_win32.ipp
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ size(error_code& ec) const
 {
     if(h_ == boost::winapi::INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE_)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     boost::winapi::LARGE_INTEGER_ fileSize;
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ pos(error_code& ec)
 {
     if(h_ == boost::winapi::INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE_)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     boost::winapi::LARGE_INTEGER_ in;
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ seek(std::uint64_t offset, error_code& ec)
 {
     if(h_ == boost::winapi::INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE_)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return;
     }
     boost::winapi::LARGE_INTEGER_ in;
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ read(void* buffer, std::size_t n, error_code& ec)
 {
     if(h_ == boost::winapi::INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE_)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     std::size_t nread = 0;
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ write(void const* buffer, std::size_t n, error_code& ec)
 {
     if(h_ == boost::winapi::INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE_)
     {
-        ec = make_error_code(errc::invalid_argument);
+        ec = make_error_code(errc::bad_file_descriptor);
         return 0;
     }
     std::size_t nwritten = 0;
diff --git a/test/beast/core/file_test.hpp b/test/beast/core/file_test.hpp
index a519afc0..976907f5 100644
--- a/test/beast/core/file_test.hpp
+++ b/test/beast/core/file_test.hpp
@@ -57,25 +57,25 @@ doTestFile(beast::unit_test::suite& test)
     test.BEAST_EXPECT(! f.is_open());
 
     f.size(ec);
-    test.BEAST_EXPECT(ec == errc::invalid_argument);
+    test.BEAST_EXPECT(ec == errc::bad_file_descriptor);
     ec.assign(0, ec.category());
 
     f.pos(ec);
-    test.BEAST_EXPECT(ec == errc::invalid_argument);
+    test.BEAST_EXPECT(ec == errc::bad_file_descriptor);
     ec.assign(0, ec.category());
 
     f.seek(0, ec);
-    test.BEAST_EXPECT(ec == errc::invalid_argument);
+    test.BEAST_EXPECT(ec == errc::bad_file_descriptor);
     ec.assign(0, ec.category());
 
     char tmp[1];
 
     f.read(tmp, 0, ec);
-    test.BEAST_EXPECT(ec == errc::invalid_argument);
+    test.BEAST_EXPECT(ec == errc::bad_file_descriptor);
     ec.assign(0, ec.category());
 
     f.write(tmp, 0, ec);
-    test.BEAST_EXPECT(ec == errc::invalid_argument);
+    test.BEAST_EXPECT(ec == errc::bad_file_descriptor);
     ec.assign(0, ec.category());
 
     f.open(temp.string<std::string>().c_str(), file_mode::write, ec);