diff --git a/src/unix/tty.c b/src/unix/tty.c
index de77f5c4..18a89216 100644
--- a/src/unix/tty.c
+++ b/src/unix/tty.c
@@ -120,8 +120,7 @@ uv_handle_type uv_guess_handle(uv_file file) {
   struct stat s;
 
   if (file < 0) {
-    uv__set_sys_error(NULL, EINVAL); /* XXX Need loop? */
-    return -1;
+    return UV_UNKNOWN_HANDLE;
   }
 
   if (isatty(file)) {
@@ -129,8 +128,7 @@ uv_handle_type uv_guess_handle(uv_file file) {
   }
 
   if (fstat(file, &s)) {
-    uv__set_sys_error(NULL, errno); /* XXX Need loop? */
-    return -1;
+    return UV_UNKNOWN_HANDLE;
   }
 
   if (!S_ISSOCK(s.st_mode) && !S_ISFIFO(s.st_mode)) {
diff --git a/test/test-tty.c b/test/test-tty.c
index d1f6ae6f..1e3e1f28 100644
--- a/test/test-tty.c
+++ b/test/test-tty.c
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ TEST_IMPL(tty) {
   uv_tty_t tty;
   uv_loop_t* loop = uv_default_loop();
 
+  ASSERT(UV_UNKNOWN_HANDLE == uv_guess_handle(-1));
+
   /*
    * Not necessarily a problem if this assert goes off. E.G you are piping
    * this test to a file. 0 == stdin.