diff --git a/lib/file.c b/lib/file.c
index 26d31914c..6121e1e57 100644
--- a/lib/file.c
+++ b/lib/file.c
@@ -170,10 +170,11 @@ CURLcode file(struct connectdata *conn)
        Windows systems if the target is stdout. Use -O or -o parameters
        to prevent CR/LF translation (this then goes to a binary mode
        file descriptor). */
-    if(nread != data->fwrite (buf, 1, nread, data->out)) {
-      failf (data, "Failed writing output");
-      return CURLE_WRITE_ERROR;
-    }
+
+    res = client_write(data, CLIENTWRITE_BODY, buf, nread);
+    if(res)
+      return res;
+
     now = tvnow();
     if(pgrsUpdate(data))
       res = CURLE_ABORTED_BY_CALLBACK;