diff --git a/src/tool_getparam.c b/src/tool_getparam.c
index fb27fffd1f..2e8d6d7b75 100644
--- a/src/tool_getparam.c
+++ b/src/tool_getparam.c
@@ -609,10 +609,10 @@ static ParameterError data_urlencode(struct GlobalConfig *global,
     }
     else {
       file = fopen(p, "rb");
-      if(!file)
-        warnf(global,
-              "Couldn't read data from file \"%s\", this makes "
-              "an empty POST.", nextarg);
+      if(!file) {
+        errorf(global, "Failed to open %s", p);
+        return PARAM_READ_ERROR;
+      }
     }
 
     err = file2memory(&postdata, &size, file);
@@ -1761,9 +1761,11 @@ ParameterError getparameter(const char *flag, /* f or -long-flag */
         }
         else {
           file = fopen(nextarg, "rb");
-          if(!file)
-            warnf(global, "Couldn't read data from file \"%s\", this makes "
-                  "an empty POST.", nextarg);
+          if(!file) {
+            errorf(global, "Failed to open %s", nextarg);
+            err = PARAM_READ_ERROR;
+            break;
+          }
         }
 
         if((subletter == 'b') || /* --data-binary */
@@ -2195,8 +2197,11 @@ ParameterError getparameter(const char *flag, /* f or -long-flag */
         size_t len;
         bool use_stdin = !strcmp(&nextarg[1], "-");
         FILE *file = use_stdin?stdin:fopen(&nextarg[1], FOPEN_READTEXT);
-        if(!file)
-          warnf(global, "Failed to open %s", &nextarg[1]);
+        if(!file) {
+          errorf(global, "Failed to open %s", &nextarg[1]);
+          err = PARAM_READ_ERROR;
+          break;
+        }
         else {
           err = file2memory(&string, &len, file);
           if(!err && string) {
@@ -2544,7 +2549,12 @@ ParameterError getparameter(const char *flag, /* f or -long-flag */
         }
         else {
           fname = nextarg;
-          file = fopen(nextarg, FOPEN_READTEXT);
+          file = fopen(fname, FOPEN_READTEXT);
+          if(!file) {
+            errorf(global, "Failed to open %s", fname);
+            err = PARAM_READ_ERROR;
+            break;
+          }
         }
         Curl_safefree(config->writeout);
         err = file2string(&config->writeout, file);
diff --git a/src/var.c b/src/var.c
index a332fab19f..f8f42f6665 100644
--- a/src/var.c
+++ b/src/var.c
@@ -431,12 +431,14 @@ ParameterError setvariable(struct GlobalConfig *global,
       file = stdin;
     else {
       file = fopen(line, "rb");
+      if(!file) {
+        errorf(global, "Failed to open %s", line);
+        return PARAM_READ_ERROR;
+      }
     }
-    if(file) {
-      err = file2memory(&content, &clen, file);
-      /* in case of out of memory, this should fail the entire operation */
-      contalloc = TRUE;
-    }
+    err = file2memory(&content, &clen, file);
+    /* in case of out of memory, this should fail the entire operation */
+    contalloc = TRUE;
     if(!use_stdin)
       fclose(file);
     if(err)
diff --git a/tests/data/Makefile.inc b/tests/data/Makefile.inc
index a0015b3b20..cb01122a3a 100644
--- a/tests/data/Makefile.inc
+++ b/tests/data/Makefile.inc
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ test226 test227 test228 test229 test230 test231 test232 test233 test234 \
 test235 test236 test237 test238 test239 test240 test241 test242 test243 \
 test244 test245 test246 test247 test248 test249 test250 test251 test252 \
 test253 test254 test255 test256 test257 test258 test259 test260 test261 \
-test262 test263 test264 test265 test266 test267 test268 test269 test270 \
+test262 test263 test264 test265 test266 test267 test269 test270 \
 test271 test272 test273 test274 test275 test276 test277 test278 test279 \
 test280 test281 test282 test283 test284 test285 test286 test287 test288 \
 test289 test290 test291 test292 test293 test294 test295 test296 test297 \
diff --git a/tests/data/test268 b/tests/data/test268
deleted file mode 100644
index 851af4133d..0000000000
--- a/tests/data/test268
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,55 +0,0 @@
-<testcase>
-<info>
-<keywords>
-HTTP
-HTTP POST
-</keywords>
-</info>
-#
-# Server-side
-<reply>
-<data>
-HTTP/1.0 200 OK
-Server: test-server/fake
-Content-Type: text/html
-Content-Length: 0
-
-this is data even though Content-Length is set to zero
-</data>
-<datacheck>
-HTTP/1.0 200 OK
-Server: test-server/fake
-Content-Type: text/html
-Content-Length: 0
-
-</datacheck>
-</reply>
-
-#
-# Client-side
-<client>
-<server>
-http
-</server>
- <name>
-HTTP POST a non-existing file
- </name>
- <command>
- -d @nonesuchfile http://%HOSTIP:%HTTPPORT/%TESTNUMBER
-</command>
-</client>
-
-#
-# Verify data after the test has been "shot"
-<verify>
-<protocol>
-POST /%TESTNUMBER HTTP/1.1
-Host: %HOSTIP:%HTTPPORT
-User-Agent: curl/%VERSION
-Accept: */*
-Content-Length: 0
-Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
-
-</protocol>
-</verify>
-</testcase>