diff --git a/runtime/descriptor-io.h b/runtime/descriptor-io.h
index 514bcff..4947668 100644
--- a/runtime/descriptor-io.h
+++ b/runtime/descriptor-io.h
@@ -220,7 +220,9 @@
     return false;
   }
   if constexpr (DIR == Direction::Input) {
-    io.BeginReadingRecord();
+    if (!io.BeginReadingRecord()) {
+      return false;
+    }
   }
   if (auto *unf{io.get_if<UnformattedIoStatementState<DIR>>()}) {
     std::size_t elementBytes{descriptor.ElementBytes()};
diff --git a/runtime/io-api.cpp b/runtime/io-api.cpp
index 57a52bf..069e57f 100644
--- a/runtime/io-api.cpp
+++ b/runtime/io-api.cpp
@@ -894,6 +894,9 @@
     Cookie cookie, char *x, std::size_t length, std::size_t elementBytes) {
   IoStatementState &io{*cookie};
   io.BeginReadingRecord();
+  if (io.GetIoErrorHandler().InError()) {
+    return false;
+  }
   if (auto *unf{io.get_if<UnformattedIoStatementState<Direction::Input>>()}) {
     return unf->Receive(x, length, elementBytes);
   }
@@ -1037,7 +1040,7 @@
 
 void IONAME(GetIoMsg)(Cookie cookie, char *msg, std::size_t length) {
   IoErrorHandler &handler{cookie->GetIoErrorHandler()};
-  if (handler.GetIoStat()) { // leave "msg" alone when no error
+  if (handler.InError()) { // leave "msg" alone when no error
     handler.GetIoMsg(msg, length);
   }
 }
diff --git a/runtime/io-error.cpp b/runtime/io-error.cpp
index 5869672..f73272a 100644
--- a/runtime/io-error.cpp
+++ b/runtime/io-error.cpp
@@ -17,20 +17,13 @@
 
 namespace Fortran::runtime::io {
 
-void IoErrorHandler::Begin(const char *sourceFileName, int sourceLine) {
-  flags_ = 0;
-  ioStat_ = 0;
-  ioMsg_.reset();
-  SetLocation(sourceFileName, sourceLine);
-}
-
 void IoErrorHandler::SignalError(int iostatOrErrno, const char *msg, ...) {
   if (iostatOrErrno == IostatEnd && (flags_ & hasEnd)) {
-    if (!ioStat_ || ioStat_ < IostatEnd) {
+    if (ioStat_ == IostatOk || ioStat_ < IostatEnd) {
       ioStat_ = IostatEnd;
     }
   } else if (iostatOrErrno == IostatEor && (flags_ & hasEor)) {
-    if (!ioStat_ || ioStat_ < IostatEor) {
+    if (!ioStat_ == IostatOk || ioStat_ < IostatEor) {
       ioStat_ = IostatEor; // least priority
     }
   } else if (iostatOrErrno != IostatOk) {
diff --git a/runtime/io-error.h b/runtime/io-error.h
index 5dd7f5e..e51df9b 100644
--- a/runtime/io-error.h
+++ b/runtime/io-error.h
@@ -27,14 +27,13 @@
 public:
   using Terminator::Terminator;
   explicit IoErrorHandler(const Terminator &that) : Terminator{that} {}
-  void Begin(const char *sourceFileName, int sourceLine);
   void HasIoStat() { flags_ |= hasIoStat; }
   void HasErrLabel() { flags_ |= hasErr; }
   void HasEndLabel() { flags_ |= hasEnd; }
   void HasEorLabel() { flags_ |= hasEor; }
   void HasIoMsg() { flags_ |= hasIoMsg; }
 
-  bool InError() const { return ioStat_ != 0; }
+  bool InError() const { return ioStat_ != IostatOk; }
 
   void SignalError(int iostatOrErrno, const char *msg, ...);
   void SignalError(int iostatOrErrno);
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@
     hasIoMsg = 16, // IOMSG=
   };
   std::uint8_t flags_{0};
-  int ioStat_{0};
+  int ioStat_{IostatOk};
   OwningPtr<char> ioMsg_;
 };
 
diff --git a/runtime/io-stmt.cpp b/runtime/io-stmt.cpp
index c04013d..2fd6090 100644
--- a/runtime/io-stmt.cpp
+++ b/runtime/io-stmt.cpp
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@
 
 template <Direction DIR> int ExternalIoStatementState<DIR>::EndIoStatement() {
   if constexpr (DIR == Direction::Input) {
-    BeginReadingRecord(); // in case of READ with no data items
+    BeginReadingRecord(); // in case there were no I/O items
     if (!unit().nonAdvancing) {
       FinishReadingRecord();
     }
@@ -310,12 +310,13 @@
 }
 
 template <Direction DIR>
-void ExternalIoStatementState<DIR>::BeginReadingRecord() {
+bool ExternalIoStatementState<DIR>::BeginReadingRecord() {
   if constexpr (DIR == Direction::Input) {
-    unit().BeginReadingRecord(*this);
+    return unit().BeginReadingRecord(*this);
   } else {
     Crash("ExternalIoStatementState<Direction::Output>::BeginReadingRecord() "
           "called");
+    return false;
   }
 }
 
@@ -384,8 +385,8 @@
       [](auto &x) -> MutableModes & { return x.get().mutableModes(); }, u_);
 }
 
-void IoStatementState::BeginReadingRecord() {
-  std::visit([](auto &x) { return x.get().BeginReadingRecord(); }, u_);
+bool IoStatementState::BeginReadingRecord() {
+  return std::visit([](auto &x) { return x.get().BeginReadingRecord(); }, u_);
 }
 
 IoErrorHandler &IoStatementState::GetIoErrorHandler() const {
diff --git a/runtime/io-stmt.h b/runtime/io-stmt.h
index 686cc0f..000b1ac 100644
--- a/runtime/io-stmt.h
+++ b/runtime/io-stmt.h
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
   IoErrorHandler &GetIoErrorHandler() const;
   ExternalFileUnit *GetExternalFileUnit() const; // null if internal unit
   MutableModes &mutableModes();
-  void BeginReadingRecord();
+  bool BeginReadingRecord();
   void FinishReadingRecord();
   bool Inquire(InquiryKeywordHash, char *, std::size_t);
   bool Inquire(InquiryKeywordHash, bool &);
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
   int EndIoStatement();
   std::optional<DataEdit> GetNextDataEdit(IoStatementState &, int = 1);
   ExternalFileUnit *GetExternalFileUnit() const { return nullptr; }
-  void BeginReadingRecord() {}
+  bool BeginReadingRecord() { return true; }
   void FinishReadingRecord() {}
   bool Inquire(InquiryKeywordHash, char *, std::size_t);
   bool Inquire(InquiryKeywordHash, bool &);
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@
   void BackspaceRecord();
   void HandleRelativePosition(std::int64_t);
   void HandleAbsolutePosition(std::int64_t);
-  void BeginReadingRecord();
+  bool BeginReadingRecord();
   void FinishReadingRecord();
 };
 
diff --git a/runtime/unit.cpp b/runtime/unit.cpp
index d5a9f8e..e84385d 100644
--- a/runtime/unit.cpp
+++ b/runtime/unit.cpp
@@ -352,34 +352,38 @@
   positionInRecord = furthestPositionInRecord;
 }
 
-void ExternalFileUnit::BeginReadingRecord(IoErrorHandler &handler) {
+bool ExternalFileUnit::BeginReadingRecord(IoErrorHandler &handler) {
   RUNTIME_CHECK(handler, direction_ == Direction::Input);
-  if (beganReadingRecord_) {
-    return;
-  }
-  beganReadingRecord_ = true;
-  if (access == Access::Sequential) {
-    if (endfileRecordNumber && currentRecordNumber >= *endfileRecordNumber) {
-      handler.SignalEnd();
-    } else if (isFixedRecordLength) {
-      RUNTIME_CHECK(handler, recordLength.has_value());
-      auto need{static_cast<std::size_t>(recordOffsetInFrame_ + *recordLength)};
-      auto got{ReadFrame(frameOffsetInFile_, need, handler)};
-      if (got < need) {
+  if (!beganReadingRecord_) {
+    beganReadingRecord_ = true;
+    if (access == Access::Sequential) {
+      if (endfileRecordNumber && currentRecordNumber >= *endfileRecordNumber) {
         handler.SignalEnd();
+      } else if (isFixedRecordLength) {
+        RUNTIME_CHECK(handler, recordLength.has_value());
+        auto need{
+            static_cast<std::size_t>(recordOffsetInFrame_ + *recordLength)};
+        auto got{ReadFrame(frameOffsetInFile_, need, handler)};
+        if (got < need) {
+          handler.SignalEnd();
+        }
+      } else if (isUnformatted) {
+        BeginSequentialVariableUnformattedInputRecord(handler);
+      } else { // formatted
+        BeginSequentialVariableFormattedInputRecord(handler);
       }
-    } else if (isUnformatted) {
-      BeginSequentialVariableUnformattedInputRecord(handler);
-    } else { // formatted
-      BeginSequentialVariableFormattedInputRecord(handler);
     }
   }
+  RUNTIME_CHECK(handler,
+      access != Access::Sequential || recordLength.has_value() ||
+          handler.InError());
+  return !handler.InError();
 }
 
 void ExternalFileUnit::FinishReadingRecord(IoErrorHandler &handler) {
   RUNTIME_CHECK(handler, direction_ == Direction::Input && beganReadingRecord_);
   beganReadingRecord_ = false;
-  if (handler.GetIoStat() != IostatOk) {
+  if (handler.InError()) {
     // avoid bogus crashes in END/ERR circumstances
   } else if (access == Access::Sequential) {
     RUNTIME_CHECK(handler, recordLength.has_value());
@@ -405,11 +409,11 @@
 }
 
 bool ExternalFileUnit::AdvanceRecord(IoErrorHandler &handler) {
-  bool ok{true};
   if (direction_ == Direction::Input) {
     FinishReadingRecord(handler);
-    BeginReadingRecord(handler);
+    return BeginReadingRecord(handler);
   } else { // Direction::Output
+    bool ok{true};
     if (isFixedRecordLength && recordLength) {
       // Pad remainder of fixed length record
       if (furthestPositionInRecord < *recordLength) {
@@ -445,8 +449,8 @@
     impliedEndfile_ = true;
     ++currentRecordNumber;
     BeginRecord();
+    return ok;
   }
-  return ok;
 }
 
 void ExternalFileUnit::BackspaceRecord(IoErrorHandler &handler) {
diff --git a/runtime/unit.h b/runtime/unit.h
index ff1506c..c9db5fc 100644
--- a/runtime/unit.h
+++ b/runtime/unit.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
   bool Receive(char *, std::size_t, std::size_t elementBytes, IoErrorHandler &);
   std::optional<char32_t> GetCurrentChar(IoErrorHandler &);
   void SetLeftTabLimit();
-  void BeginReadingRecord(IoErrorHandler &);
+  bool BeginReadingRecord(IoErrorHandler &);
   void FinishReadingRecord(IoErrorHandler &);
   bool AdvanceRecord(IoErrorHandler &);
   void BackspaceRecord(IoErrorHandler &);