diff --git a/src/d_dehacked.cpp b/src/d_dehacked.cpp
index 87f1d589e..f68fd1d63 100644
--- a/src/d_dehacked.cpp
+++ b/src/d_dehacked.cpp
@@ -2488,17 +2488,16 @@ bool D_LoadDehLump(int lumpnum)
 
 bool D_LoadDehFile(const char *patchfile)
 {
-	FILE *deh;
+	FileReader fr;
 
-	deh = fopen(patchfile, "rb");
-	if (deh != NULL)
+	if (!fr.Open(patchfile))
 	{
-		PatchSize = Q_filelength(deh);
+		PatchSize = fr.GetLength();
 
 		PatchName = copystring(patchfile);
 		PatchFile = new char[PatchSize + 1];
-		fread(PatchFile, 1, PatchSize, deh);
-		fclose(deh);
+		fr.Read(PatchFile, PatchSize);
+		fr.Close();
 		PatchFile[PatchSize] = '\0';		// terminate with a '\0' character
 		return DoDehPatch();
 	}
diff --git a/src/files.cpp b/src/files.cpp
index b42aefece..8ad4d6329 100644
--- a/src/files.cpp
+++ b/src/files.cpp
@@ -87,13 +87,18 @@ FileReader::FileReader (FILE *file, long length)
 	FilePos = StartPos = ftell (file);
 }
 
-FileReader::~FileReader ()
+FileReader::~FileReader()
+{
+	Close();
+}
+
+void FileReader::Close()
 {
 	if (CloseOnDestruct && File != NULL)
 	{
 		fclose (File);
-		File = NULL;
 	}
+	File = NULL;
 }
 
 bool FileReader::Open (const char *filename)
diff --git a/src/files.h b/src/files.h
index d0c769ba1..808f24d94 100644
--- a/src/files.h
+++ b/src/files.h
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ public:
 	FileReader (FILE *file);
 	FileReader (FILE *file, long length);
 	bool Open (const char *filename);
+	void Close();
 	virtual ~FileReader ();
 
 	virtual long Tell () const;
diff --git a/src/m_misc.cpp b/src/m_misc.cpp
index 21a0bfc74..d07415248 100644
--- a/src/m_misc.cpp
+++ b/src/m_misc.cpp
@@ -122,22 +122,18 @@ void M_FindResponseFile (void)
 			if (added_stuff < limit)
 			{
 				// READ THE RESPONSE FILE INTO MEMORY
-				handle = fopen (Args->GetArg(i) + 1,"rb");
-				if (!handle)
+				FileReader fr;
+				if (!fr.Open(Args->GetArg(i) + 1))
 				{ // [RH] Make this a warning, not an error.
 					Printf ("No such response file (%s)!\n", Args->GetArg(i) + 1);
 				}
 				else
 				{
 					Printf ("Found response file %s!\n", Args->GetArg(i) + 1);
-					fseek (handle, 0, SEEK_END);
-					size = ftell (handle);
-					fseek (handle, 0, SEEK_SET);
+					size = fr.GetLength();
 					file = new char[size+1];
-					fread (file, size, 1, handle);
+					fr.Read (file, size);
 					file[size] = 0;
-					fclose (handle);
-
 					argsize = ParseCommandLine (file, &argc, NULL);
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/src/md5.cpp b/src/md5.cpp
index aa4b506da..d345e00d6 100644
--- a/src/md5.cpp
+++ b/src/md5.cpp
@@ -269,8 +269,8 @@ CCMD (md5sum)
 	}
 	for (int i = 1; i < argv.argc(); ++i)
 	{
-		FILE *file = fopen(argv[i], "rb");
-		if (file == NULL)
+		FileReader fr;
+		if (!fr.Open(argv[i]))
 		{
 			Printf("%s: %s\n", argv[i], strerror(errno));
 		}
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ CCMD (md5sum)
 			uint8_t readbuf[8192];
 			size_t len;
 
-			while ((len = fread(readbuf, 1, sizeof(readbuf), file)) > 0)
+			while ((len = fr.Read(readbuf, sizeof(readbuf))) > 0)
 			{
 				md5.Update(readbuf, (unsigned int)len);
 			}
@@ -290,7 +290,6 @@ CCMD (md5sum)
 				Printf("%02x", readbuf[j]);
 			}
 			Printf(" *%s\n", argv[i]);
-			fclose (file);
 		}
 	}
 }