diff --git a/include/fileutils.h b/include/fileutils.h
index 27b566190..691429ba0 100644
--- a/include/fileutils.h
+++ b/include/fileutils.h
@@ -1,6 +1,20 @@
 #ifndef UTIL_LINUX_FILEUTILS
 #define UTIL_LINUX_FILEUTILS
 
-extern FILE * xmkstemp(char **tmpname);
+extern int xmkstemp(char **tmpname);
 
+static inline FILE *xfmkstemp(char **tmpname)
+{
+	int fd;
+	FILE *ret;
+	fd = xmkstemp(tmpname);
+	if (fd == -1) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	if (!(ret = fdopen(fd, "w+"))) {
+		close(fd);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/fileutils.c b/lib/fileutils.c
index 819298935..4849061bb 100644
--- a/lib/fileutils.c
+++ b/lib/fileutils.c
@@ -8,38 +8,35 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "c.h"
+#include "fileutils.h"
 #include "pathnames.h"
 #include "xalloc.h"
 
 /* Create open temporary file in safe way.  Please notice that the
  * file permissions are -rw------- by default. */
-FILE *xmkstemp(char **tmpname)
+int xmkstemp(char **tmpname)
 {
 	char *localtmp;
 	char *tmpenv;
 	mode_t old_mode;
 	int fd;
-	FILE *ret;
 
 	tmpenv = getenv("TMPDIR");
 	if (tmpenv)
 		xasprintf(&localtmp, "%s/%s.XXXXXX", tmpenv,
-			 program_invocation_short_name);
+			  program_invocation_short_name);
 	else
 		xasprintf(&localtmp, "%s/%s.XXXXXX", _PATH_TMP,
-			 program_invocation_short_name);
+			  program_invocation_short_name);
 	old_mode = umask(077);
 	fd = mkstemp(localtmp);
 	umask(old_mode);
-	if (fd == -1)
-		return NULL;
-	if (!(ret = fdopen(fd, "w+")))
-		goto err;
+	if (fd == -1) {
+		free(localtmp);
+		localtmp = NULL;
+	}
 	*tmpname = localtmp;
-	return ret;
- err:
-	close(fd);
-	return NULL;
+	return fd;
 }
 
 #ifdef TEST_PROGRAM
@@ -47,7 +44,7 @@ int main(void)
 {
 	FILE *f;
 	char *tmpname;
-	f = xmkstemp(&tmpname);
+	f = xfmkstemp(&tmpname);
 	unlink(tmpname);
 	free(tmpname);
 	fclose(f);
diff --git a/login-utils/setpwnam.c b/login-utils/setpwnam.c
index 6f3f4920a..7459fe298 100644
--- a/login-utils/setpwnam.c
+++ b/login-utils/setpwnam.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ int setpwnam(struct passwd *pwd)
 
 	pw_init();
 
-	if ((fp = xmkstemp(&tmpname)) == NULL)
+	if ((fp = xfmkstemp(&tmpname)) == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
 	/* ptmp should be owned by root.root or root.wheel */
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ int setpwnam(struct passwd *pwd)
 		fputs(linebuf, fp);
 	}
 
-	/* xmkstemp is too restrictive by default for passwd file */
+	/* xfmkstemp is too restrictive by default for passwd file */
 	if (fchmod(fileno(fp), 0644) < 0)
 		goto fail;
 	rc = fclose(fp);
diff --git a/login-utils/vipw.c b/login-utils/vipw.c
index 765d11120..29e485cc4 100644
--- a/login-utils/vipw.c
+++ b/login-utils/vipw.c
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ static FILE * pw_tmpfile(int lockfd)
 	FILE *fd;
 	char *tmpname = NULL;
 
-	if ((fd = xmkstemp(&tmpname)) == NULL) {
+	if ((fd = xfmkstemp(&tmpname)) == NULL) {
 		ulckpwdf();
 		err(EXIT_FAILURE, _("can't open temporary file"));
 	}
diff --git a/term-utils/wall.c b/term-utils/wall.c
index b9f53212a..fb3db2119 100644
--- a/term-utils/wall.c
+++ b/term-utils/wall.c
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ makemsg(char *fname, size_t *mbufsize, int print_banner)
 	line_max = sysconf(_SC_LINE_MAX);
 	lbuf = xmalloc(line_max);
 
-	if ((fp = xmkstemp(&tmpname)) == NULL)
+	if ((fp = xfmkstemp(&tmpname)) == NULL)
 		err(EXIT_FAILURE, _("can't open temporary file"));
 	unlink(tmpname);
 	free(tmpname);