diff --git a/file.c b/file.c
index 5145e6914a..575684a22f 100644
--- a/file.c
+++ b/file.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /* file.c
  * File I/O routines
  *
- * $Id: file.c,v 1.78 1999/08/22 00:47:43 guy Exp $
+ * $Id: file.c,v 1.79 1999/08/22 02:52:42 guy Exp $
  *
  * Ethereal - Network traffic analyzer
  * By Gerald Combs <gerald@zing.org>
@@ -262,13 +262,8 @@ read_cap_file(capture_file *cf) {
       break;
 
     default:
-      if (err < 0) {
-        sprintf(errmsg_errno, "An error occurred while reading the"
-                              " capture file: Error %d.", err);
-      } else {
-        sprintf(errmsg_errno, "An error occurred while reading the"
-                              " capture file: %s.", strerror(err));
-      }
+      sprintf(errmsg_errno, "An error occurred while reading the"
+                              " capture file: %s.", wtap_strerror(err));
       errmsg = errmsg_errno;
       break;
     }
@@ -1056,7 +1051,8 @@ file_open_error_message(int err, int for_writing)
     break;
 
   default:
-    sprintf(errmsg_errno, "The file \"%%s\" could not be opened: %s.", strerror(err));
+    sprintf(errmsg_errno, "The file \"%%s\" could not be opened: %s.",
+				wtap_strerror(err));
     errmsg = errmsg_errno;
     break;
   }
@@ -1068,7 +1064,8 @@ file_read_error_message(int err)
 {
   static char errmsg_errno[1024+1];
 
-  sprintf(errmsg_errno, "An error occurred while reading from the file \"%%s\": %s.", strerror(err));
+  sprintf(errmsg_errno, "An error occurred while reading from the file \"%%s\": %s.",
+				wtap_strerror(err));
   return errmsg_errno;
 }
 
@@ -1091,7 +1088,8 @@ file_write_error_message(int err)
 #endif
 
   default:
-    sprintf(errmsg_errno, "An error occurred while writing to the file \"%%s\": %s.", strerror(err));
+    sprintf(errmsg_errno, "An error occurred while writing to the file \"%%s\": %s.",
+				wtap_strerror(err));
     errmsg = errmsg_errno;
     break;
   }
diff --git a/wiretap/wtap.c b/wiretap/wtap.c
index 52e96dc318..58c95b4eb4 100644
--- a/wiretap/wtap.c
+++ b/wiretap/wtap.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* wtap.c
  *
- * $Id: wtap.c,v 1.15 1999/08/19 05:31:33 guy Exp $
+ * $Id: wtap.c,v 1.16 1999/08/22 02:52:48 guy Exp $
  *
  * Wiretap Library
  * Copyright (c) 1998 by Gilbert Ramirez <gram@verdict.uthscsa.edu>
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
  * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
  *
  */
+#include <string.h>
+
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
 #include "config.h"
 #endif
@@ -86,6 +88,39 @@ const char *wtap_file_type_string(wtap *wth)
 	}
 }
 
+static const char *wtap_errlist[] = {
+	"The file isn't a plain file",
+	"The file isn't a capture file in a known format",
+	"File contains record data we don't support",
+	NULL,
+	"Files can't be saved in that format",
+	"That format doesn't support per-packet encapsulations",
+	NULL,
+	NULL,
+	"Less data was read than was expected",
+	"File contains a record that's not valid",
+	"Less data was written than was requested"
+};
+#define	WTAP_ERRLIST_SIZE	(sizeof wtap_errlist / sizeof wtap_errlist[0])
+
+const char *wtap_strerror(int err)
+{
+	static char errbuf[6+11+1];	/* "Error %d" */
+	int wtap_errlist_index;
+
+	if (err < 0) {
+		wtap_errlist_index = -1 - err;
+		if (wtap_errlist_index >= WTAP_ERRLIST_SIZE) {
+			sprintf(errbuf, "Error %d", err);
+			return errbuf;
+		}
+		if (wtap_errlist[wtap_errlist_index] == NULL)
+			return "Unknown reason";
+		return wtap_errlist[wtap_errlist_index];
+	} else
+		return strerror(err);
+}
+
 void wtap_close(wtap *wth)
 {
 	/* free up memory. If any capture structure ever allocates
diff --git a/wiretap/wtap.h b/wiretap/wtap.h
index fcfd0c11b1..3ccfe55644 100644
--- a/wiretap/wtap.h
+++ b/wiretap/wtap.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* wtap.h
  *
- * $Id: wtap.h,v 1.31 1999/08/22 02:29:38 guy Exp $
+ * $Id: wtap.h,v 1.32 1999/08/22 02:52:48 guy Exp $
  *
  * Wiretap Library
  * Copyright (c) 1998 by Gilbert Ramirez <gram@verdict.uthscsa.edu>
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ FILE* wtap_file(wtap *wth);
 int wtap_snapshot_length(wtap *wth); /* per file */
 int wtap_file_type(wtap *wth);
 const char *wtap_file_type_string(wtap *wth);
+const char *wtap_strerror(int err);
 void wtap_close(wtap *wth);
 
 wtap_dumper* wtap_dump_open(const char *filename, int filetype, int encap,