diff -Nrup a/job.c b/job.c
--- a/job.c	2013-10-05 19:12:24.000000000 -0400
+++ b/job.c	2014-02-03 18:15:48.681085207 -0500
@@ -1020,7 +1020,7 @@ free_child (struct child *child)
 
       EINTRLOOP (r, write (job_fds[1], &token, 1));
       if (r != 1)
-        pfatal_with_name (_("write jobserver"));
+        pfatal_with_name_err (_("write jobserver"), errno);
 
       DB (DB_JOBS, (_("Released token for child %p (%s).\n"),
                     child, child->file->name));
@@ -1956,6 +1956,7 @@ new_job (struct file *file)
 #else
         /* Set interruptible system calls, and read() for a job token.  */
         set_child_handler_action_flags (1, waiting_jobs != NULL);
+        errno = 0;
         got_token = read (job_rfd, &token, 1);
         saved_errno = errno;
         set_child_handler_action_flags (0, waiting_jobs != NULL);
@@ -1972,10 +1973,14 @@ new_job (struct file *file)
 #ifndef WINDOWS32
         /* If the error _wasn't_ expected (EINTR or EBADF), punt.  Otherwise,
            go back and reap_children(), and try again.  */
-        errno = saved_errno;
-        if (errno != EINTR && errno != EBADF)
-          pfatal_with_name (_("read jobs pipe"));
-        if (errno == EBADF)
+        if (saved_errno != EINTR && saved_errno != EBADF)
+         {
+           if (got_token == 0)
+             fatal (NILF, _("read jobs pipe EOF"));
+           else
+             pfatal_with_name_err (_("read jobs pipe"), saved_errno);
+         }
+        if (saved_errno == EBADF)
           DB (DB_JOBS, ("Read returned EBADF.\n"));
 #endif
       }
@@ -2117,7 +2122,9 @@ load_too_high (void)
             error (NILF,
                    _("cannot enforce load limits on this operating system"));
           else
-            perror_with_name (_("cannot enforce load limit: "), "getloadavg");
+            perror_with_name_err (_("cannot enforce load limit: "),
+                                  "getloadavg", errno);
+
         }
       lossage = errno;
       load = 0;
diff -Nrup a/main.c b/main.c
--- a/main.c	2014-02-03 17:49:03.255939340 -0500
+++ b/main.c	2014-02-03 18:06:25.768024183 -0500
@@ -1580,7 +1580,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv, char **envp
                || (job_rfd = dup (job_fds[0])) < 0)
         {
           if (errno != EBADF)
-            pfatal_with_name (_("dup jobserver"));
+            pfatal_with_name_err (_("dup jobserver"), errno);
 
           error (NILF,
                  _("warning: jobserver unavailable: using -j1.  Add '+' to parent make rule."));
@@ -1787,13 +1787,13 @@ main (int argc, char **argv, char **envp
             strcat (template, DEFAULT_TMPFILE);
             outfile = output_tmpfile (&stdin_nm, template);
             if (outfile == 0)
-              pfatal_with_name (_("fopen (temporary file)"));
+              pfatal_with_name_err (_("fopen (temporary file)"), errno);
             while (!feof (stdin) && ! ferror (stdin))
               {
                 char buf[2048];
                 unsigned int n = fread (buf, 1, sizeof (buf), stdin);
                 if (n > 0 && fwrite (buf, 1, n, outfile) != n)
-                  pfatal_with_name (_("fwrite (temporary file)"));
+                  pfatal_with_name_err (_("fwrite (temporary file)"), errno);
               }
             fclose (outfile);
 
@@ -2030,7 +2030,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv, char **envp
       char c = '+';
 
       if (pipe (job_fds) < 0 || (job_rfd = dup (job_fds[0])) < 0)
-        pfatal_with_name (_("creating jobs pipe"));
+        pfatal_with_name_err (_("creating jobs pipe"), errno);
+
 #endif
 
       /* Every make assumes that it always has one job it can run.  For the
@@ -2050,7 +2051,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv, char **envp
 
           EINTRLOOP (r, write (job_fds[1], &c, 1));
           if (r != 1)
-            pfatal_with_name (_("init jobserver pipe"));
+            pfatal_with_name_err (_("init jobserver pipe"), errno);
+
         }
 #endif
 
@@ -2474,7 +2476,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv, char **envp
   /* If there is a temp file from reading a makefile from stdin, get rid of
      it now.  */
   if (stdin_nm && unlink (stdin_nm) < 0 && errno != ENOENT)
-    perror_with_name (_("unlink (temporary file): "), stdin_nm);
+    perror_with_name_err (_("unlink (temporary file): "), stdin_nm, errno);
 
   /* If there were no command-line goals, use the default.  */
   if (goals == 0)
diff -Nrup a/makeint.h b/makeint.h
--- a/makeint.h	2014-02-03 17:49:03.265939424 -0500
+++ b/makeint.h	2014-02-03 18:09:31.738695318 -0500
@@ -436,6 +436,8 @@ void fatal (const gmk_floc *flocp, const
 void die (int) __attribute__ ((noreturn));
 void pfatal_with_name (const char *) __attribute__ ((noreturn));
 void perror_with_name (const char *, const char *);
+void pfatal_with_name_err (const char *, int errnum) __attribute__ ((noreturn));
+void perror_with_name_err (const char *, const char *, int errnum);
 #define xstrlen(_s) ((_s)==NULL ? 0 : strlen (_s))
 void *xmalloc (unsigned int);
 void *xcalloc (unsigned int);
diff -Nrup a/output.c b/output.c
--- a/output.c	2013-10-05 19:12:24.000000000 -0400
+++ b/output.c	2014-02-03 18:22:48.617908701 -0500
@@ -746,17 +746,31 @@ fatal (const gmk_floc *flocp, const char
 /* Print an error message from errno.  */
 
 void
+perror_with_name_err (const char *str, const char *name, int errnum)
+{
+  error (NILF, _("%s%s: %s"), str, name, strerror (errnum));
+}
+
+void
 perror_with_name (const char *str, const char *name)
 {
-  error (NILF, _("%s%s: %s"), str, name, strerror (errno));
+  perror_with_name_err (str, name, errno);
 }
 
 /* Print an error message from errno and exit.  */
 
 void
+pfatal_with_name_err (const char *name, int errnum)
+{
+  fatal (NILF, _("%s: %s"), name, strerror (errnum));
+
+  /* NOTREACHED */
+}
+
+void
 pfatal_with_name (const char *name)
 {
-  fatal (NILF, _("%s: %s"), name, strerror (errno));
+  pfatal_with_name_err (name, errno);
 
   /* NOTREACHED */
 }