diff --git a/code/null/null_main.c b/code/null/null_main.c
index f2d9a2d5..4043eb97 100644
--- a/code/null/null_main.c
+++ b/code/null/null_main.c
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ int		Sys_Milliseconds (void) {
 	return 0;
 }
 
+FILE	*Sys_FOpen(const char *ospath, const char *mode) {
+	return fopen( ospath, mode );
+}
+
 void	Sys_Mkdir (char *path) {
 }
 
diff --git a/code/qcommon/files.c b/code/qcommon/files.c
index 79fa7fa4..cb2a165b 100644
--- a/code/qcommon/files.c
+++ b/code/qcommon/files.c
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ qboolean FS_FileInPathExists(const char *testpath)
 {
 	FILE *filep;
 
-	filep = fopen(testpath, "rb");
+	filep = Sys_FOpen(testpath, "rb");
 	
 	if(filep)
 	{
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ fileHandle_t FS_SV_FOpenFileWrite( const char *filename ) {
 	}
 
 	Com_DPrintf( "writing to: %s\n", ospath );
-	fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o = fopen( ospath, "wb" );
+	fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o = Sys_FOpen( ospath, "wb" );
 
 	Q_strncpyz( fsh[f].name, filename, sizeof( fsh[f].name ) );
 
@@ -720,7 +720,7 @@ long FS_SV_FOpenFileRead(const char *filename, fileHandle_t *fp)
 		Com_Printf( "FS_SV_FOpenFileRead (fs_homepath): %s\n", ospath );
 	}
 
-	fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o = fopen( ospath, "rb" );
+	fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o = Sys_FOpen( ospath, "rb" );
 	fsh[f].handleSync = qfalse;
 	if (!fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o)
 	{
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ long FS_SV_FOpenFileRead(const char *filename, fileHandle_t *fp)
 				Com_Printf( "FS_SV_FOpenFileRead (fs_basepath): %s\n", ospath );
 			}
 
-			fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o = fopen( ospath, "rb" );
+			fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o = Sys_FOpen( ospath, "rb" );
 			fsh[f].handleSync = qfalse;
 		}
 
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ fileHandle_t FS_FOpenFileWrite( const char *filename ) {
 	// enabling the following line causes a recursive function call loop
 	// when running with +set logfile 1 +set developer 1
 	//Com_DPrintf( "writing to: %s\n", ospath );
-	fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o = fopen( ospath, "wb" );
+	fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o = Sys_FOpen( ospath, "wb" );
 
 	Q_strncpyz( fsh[f].name, filename, sizeof( fsh[f].name ) );
 
@@ -923,7 +923,7 @@ fileHandle_t FS_FOpenFileAppend( const char *filename ) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o = fopen( ospath, "ab" );
+	fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o = Sys_FOpen( ospath, "ab" );
 	fsh[f].handleSync = qfalse;
 	if (!fsh[f].handleFiles.file.o) {
 		f = 0;
@@ -1162,7 +1162,7 @@ long FS_FOpenFileReadDir(const char *filename, searchpath_t *search, fileHandle_
 			dir = search->dir;
 
 			netpath = FS_BuildOSPath(dir->path, dir->gamedir, filename);
-			filep = fopen (netpath, "rb");
+			filep = Sys_FOpen(netpath, "rb");
 
 			if(filep)
 			{
@@ -1296,7 +1296,7 @@ long FS_FOpenFileReadDir(const char *filename, searchpath_t *search, fileHandle_
 		dir = search->dir;
 
 		netpath = FS_BuildOSPath(dir->path, dir->gamedir, filename);
-		filep = fopen(netpath, "rb");
+		filep = Sys_FOpen(netpath, "rb");
 
 		if (filep == NULL)
 		{
@@ -3312,7 +3312,7 @@ static void FS_Startup( const char *gameName )
 
 #ifdef FS_MISSING
 	if (missingFiles == NULL) {
-		missingFiles = fopen( "\\missing.txt", "ab" );
+		missingFiles = Sys_FOpen( "\\missing.txt", "ab" );
 	}
 #endif
 	Com_Printf( "%d files in pk3 files\n", fs_packFiles );
diff --git a/code/qcommon/qcommon.h b/code/qcommon/qcommon.h
index ad7e900a..195e4986 100644
--- a/code/qcommon/qcommon.h
+++ b/code/qcommon/qcommon.h
@@ -1107,6 +1107,7 @@ qboolean	Sys_StringToAdr( const char *s, netadr_t *a, netadrtype_t family );
 qboolean	Sys_IsLANAddress (netadr_t adr);
 void		Sys_ShowIP(void);
 
+FILE	*Sys_FOpen( const char *ospath, const char *mode );
 qboolean Sys_Mkdir( const char *path );
 FILE	*Sys_Mkfifo( const char *ospath );
 char	*Sys_Cwd( void );
diff --git a/code/sys/sys_unix.c b/code/sys/sys_unix.c
index 508383dd..7dfcd563 100644
--- a/code/sys/sys_unix.c
+++ b/code/sys/sys_unix.c
@@ -192,6 +192,21 @@ const char *Sys_Dirname( char *path )
 	return dirname( path );
 }
 
+/*
+==============
+Sys_FOpen
+==============
+*/
+FILE *Sys_FOpen( const char *ospath, const char *mode ) {
+	struct stat buf;
+
+	// check if path exists and is a directory
+	if ( !stat( ospath, &buf ) && S_ISDIR( buf.st_mode ) )
+		return NULL;
+
+	return fopen( ospath, mode );
+}
+
 /*
 ==================
 Sys_Mkdir
diff --git a/code/sys/sys_win32.c b/code/sys/sys_win32.c
index 47b2dae1..bbb8ead0 100644
--- a/code/sys/sys_win32.c
+++ b/code/sys/sys_win32.c
@@ -283,6 +283,15 @@ const char *Sys_Dirname( char *path )
 	return dir;
 }
 
+/*
+==============
+Sys_FOpen
+==============
+*/
+FILE *Sys_FOpen( const char *ospath, const char *mode ) {
+	return fopen( ospath, mode );
+}
+
 /*
 ==============
 Sys_Mkdir