diff --git a/src/cairo-pdf-interchange.c b/src/cairo-pdf-interchange.c
index 5cc10eb0b..ad4072e63 100644
--- a/src/cairo-pdf-interchange.c
+++ b/src/cairo-pdf-interchange.c
@@ -1515,7 +1515,7 @@ _cairo_pdf_interchange_free_outlines (cairo_pdf_surface_t *surface)
     _cairo_array_fini (&ic->outline);
 }
 
-cairo_int_status_t
+void
 _cairo_pdf_interchange_fini (cairo_pdf_surface_t *surface)
 {
     cairo_pdf_interchange_t *ic = &surface->interchange;
@@ -1539,8 +1539,6 @@ _cairo_pdf_interchange_fini (cairo_pdf_surface_t *surface)
     free (ic->docinfo.creator);
     free (ic->docinfo.create_date);
     free (ic->docinfo.mod_date);
-
-    return CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 cairo_int_status_t
diff --git a/src/cairo-pdf-surface-private.h b/src/cairo-pdf-surface-private.h
index 3793332ce..49776b90f 100644
--- a/src/cairo-pdf-surface-private.h
+++ b/src/cairo-pdf-surface-private.h
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ _cairo_utf8_to_pdf_string (const char *utf8, char **str_out);
 cairo_private cairo_int_status_t
 _cairo_pdf_interchange_init (cairo_pdf_surface_t *surface);
 
-cairo_private cairo_int_status_t
+cairo_private void
 _cairo_pdf_interchange_fini (cairo_pdf_surface_t *surface);
 
 cairo_private cairo_int_status_t
diff --git a/src/cairo-pdf-surface.c b/src/cairo-pdf-surface.c
index b033fdf07..f2463a8c3 100644
--- a/src/cairo-pdf-surface.c
+++ b/src/cairo-pdf-surface.c
@@ -2329,7 +2329,9 @@ _cairo_pdf_surface_finish (void *abstract_surface)
 
     _cairo_surface_clipper_reset (&surface->clipper);
 
-    return _cairo_pdf_interchange_fini (surface);
+    _cairo_pdf_interchange_fini (surface);
+
+    return status;
 }
 
 static cairo_int_status_t
diff --git a/test/create-for-stream.c b/test/create-for-stream.c
index af1632f14..06f2db2b0 100644
--- a/test/create-for-stream.c
+++ b/test/create-for-stream.c
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 
+#ifndef _WIN32
+#include <unistd.h>
+#endif
+
 #if CAIRO_HAS_PS_SURFACE
 #include <cairo-ps.h>
 #endif
@@ -165,11 +169,31 @@ test_surface (const cairo_test_context_t *ctx,
 
     if (status != CAIRO_STATUS_WRITE_ERROR) {
 	cairo_test_log (ctx,
-			"%s: Error: expected \"write error\", but received \"%s\".\n",
+			"%s: Error: expected \"write error\" from bad_write(), but received \"%s\".\n",
 			backend, cairo_status_to_string (status));
 	return CAIRO_TEST_FAILURE;
     }
 
+    /* test propagation of file errors - for now this is unix-only */
+#ifndef _WIN32
+    if (access("/dev/full", W_OK) == 0) {
+	surface = file_constructor ("/dev/full", WIDTH_IN_POINTS, HEIGHT_IN_POINTS);
+	cairo_surface_finish (surface);
+	status = cairo_surface_status (surface);
+	cairo_surface_destroy (surface);
+
+	if (status != CAIRO_STATUS_WRITE_ERROR) {
+	    cairo_test_log (ctx,
+			    "%s: Error: expected \"write error\" from /dev/full, but received \"%s\".\n",
+			    backend, cairo_status_to_string (status));
+	    return CAIRO_TEST_FAILURE;
+	}
+    } else {
+	cairo_test_log (ctx,
+			"/dev/full does not exist; skipping write test.\n");
+    }
+#endif
+
     /* construct the real surface */
     wc.ctx = ctx;
     wc.status = CAIRO_TEST_SUCCESS;