diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/compat.h b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/compat.h
index 92357af45..11c12ff1f 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/compat.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/compat.h
@@ -650,5 +650,9 @@ char *Bstrupr(char *);
 }
 #endif
 
+#define MAYBE_FCLOSE_AND_NULL(fileptr) do { \
+    if (fileptr) { Bfclose(fileptr); fileptr=NULL; } \
+} while (0)
+
 #endif // __compat_h__
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/demo.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/demo.c
index f64673252..e6d076ceb 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/demo.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/demo.c
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ void G_OpenDemoWrite(void)
             if (g_demo_filePtr == NULL)
                 break;
 
-            Bfclose(g_demo_filePtr);
+            MAYBE_FCLOSE_AND_NULL(g_demo_filePtr);
         }
         while (1);
 
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ void G_OpenDemoWrite(void)
             demorec_synccompress_cvar|(demorec_seeds_cvar<<1));
         if (i)
         {
-            Bfclose(g_demo_filePtr), g_demo_filePtr=NULL;
+            MAYBE_FCLOSE_AND_NULL(g_demo_filePtr);
 error_wopen_demo:
             Bstrcpy(ScriptQuotes[QUOTE_RESERVED4], "FAILED STARTING DEMO RECORDING. SEE OSD FOR DETAILS.");
             P_DoQuote(QUOTE_RESERVED4, g_player[myconnectindex].ps);
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ void G_CloseDemoWrite(void)
             fwrite(&g_demo_cnt, sizeof(g_demo_cnt), 1, g_demo_filePtr);
 
         ud.recstat = ud.m_recstat = 0;
-        fclose(g_demo_filePtr);
+        MAYBE_FCLOSE_AND_NULL(g_demo_filePtr);
 
         sv_freemem();
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
index 9e841d6fb..b836db66c 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
@@ -2077,11 +2077,12 @@ void G_GameExit(const char *msg)
 #endif
     if (*msg != 0) g_player[myconnectindex].ps->palette = BASEPAL;
 
-    if (ud.recstat == 1) G_CloseDemoWrite();
+    if (ud.recstat == 1)
+        G_CloseDemoWrite();
     else if (ud.recstat == 2)
-    {
-        if (g_demo_filePtr) fclose(g_demo_filePtr);
-    } // JBF: fixes crash on demo playback
+        MAYBE_FCLOSE_AND_NULL(g_demo_filePtr);
+    // JBF: fixes crash on demo playback
+    // PK: modified from original
 
     if (!g_quickExit)
     {