diff --git a/usr.bin/grep/grep.c b/usr.bin/grep/grep.c
index 288df901727..4eb4727296a 100644
--- a/usr.bin/grep/grep.c
+++ b/usr.bin/grep/grep.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ static inline const char	*init_color(const char *);
 bool	 first = true;	/* flag whether we are processing the first match */
 bool	 prev;		/* flag whether or not the previous line matched */
 int	 tail;		/* lines left to print */
-bool	 notfound;	/* file not found */
+bool	 file_err;	/* file reading error */
 
 /*
  * Prints usage information and returns 2.
@@ -728,5 +728,5 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	/* Find out the correct return value according to the
 	   results and the command line option. */
-	exit(c ? (notfound ? (qflag ? 0 : 2) : 0) : (notfound ? 2 : 1));
+	exit(c ? (file_err ? (qflag ? 0 : 2) : 0) : (file_err ? 2 : 1));
 }
diff --git a/usr.bin/grep/grep.h b/usr.bin/grep/grep.h
index 47d4ab937a2..2a8f4255429 100644
--- a/usr.bin/grep/grep.h
+++ b/usr.bin/grep/grep.h
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ extern char	*label;
 extern const char *color;
 extern int	 binbehave, devbehave, dirbehave, filebehave, grepbehave, linkbehave;
 
-extern bool	 first, matchall, notfound, prev;
+extern bool	 file_err, first, matchall, prev;
 extern int	 tail;
 extern unsigned int dpatterns, fpatterns, patterns;
 extern struct pat *pattern;
diff --git a/usr.bin/grep/util.c b/usr.bin/grep/util.c
index 75ed1078a0d..4fb12406f30 100644
--- a/usr.bin/grep/util.c
+++ b/usr.bin/grep/util.c
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ grep_tree(char **argv)
 		case FTS_DNR:
 			/* FALLTHROUGH */
 		case FTS_ERR:
-			notfound = true;
+			file_err = true;
 			if(!sflag)
 				warnx("%s: %s", p->fts_path, strerror(p->fts_errno));
 			break;
@@ -195,10 +195,9 @@ procfile(const char *fn)
 		f = grep_open(fn);
 	}
 	if (f == NULL) {
+		file_err = true;
 		if (!sflag)
 			warn("%s", fn);
-		if (errno == ENOENT)
-			notfound = true;
 		return (0);
 	}