diff --git a/daemon/stream.c b/daemon/stream.c
index 1d5b50ad7616f45a43f7ad142602da2c74f71d53..5077ac8b0af541c40bf8a36f2503a11fd70c1ce0 100644
--- a/daemon/stream.c
+++ b/daemon/stream.c
@@ -231,17 +231,23 @@ daemonStreamEvent(virStreamPtr st, int events, void *opaque)
         int ret;
         virNetMessagePtr msg;
         virNetMessageError rerr;
+        virErrorPtr origErr = virSaveLastError();
 
         memset(&rerr, 0, sizeof(rerr));
         stream->closed = true;
         virStreamEventRemoveCallback(stream->st);
         virStreamAbort(stream->st);
-        if (events & VIR_STREAM_EVENT_HANGUP)
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_RPC,
-                           "%s", _("stream had unexpected termination"));
-        else
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_RPC,
-                           "%s", _("stream had I/O failure"));
+        if (origErr && origErr->code != VIR_ERR_OK) {
+            virSetError(origErr);
+            virFreeError(origErr);
+        } else {
+            if (events & VIR_STREAM_EVENT_HANGUP)
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_RPC,
+                               "%s", _("stream had unexpected termination"));
+            else
+                virReportError(VIR_ERR_RPC,
+                               "%s", _("stream had I/O failure"));
+        }
 
         msg = virNetMessageNew(false);
         if (!msg) {
diff --git a/src/util/virfdstream.c b/src/util/virfdstream.c
index bd2355d17f1122d52d9f39a3148eb5e41b9bb04f..f54ba15aeea09e7fe179348722da5d4a219db8ec 100644
--- a/src/util/virfdstream.c
+++ b/src/util/virfdstream.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ struct virFDStreamData {
     /* Thread data */
     virThreadPtr thread;
     virCond threadCond;
-    int threadErr;
+    virErrorPtr threadErr;
     bool threadQuit;
     bool threadAbort;
     bool threadDoRead;
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ virFDStreamDataDispose(void *obj)
     virFDStreamDataPtr fdst = obj;
 
     VIR_DEBUG("obj=%p", fdst);
+    virFreeError(fdst->threadErr);
     virFDStreamMsgQueueFree(&fdst->msg);
 }
 
@@ -312,8 +313,10 @@ static void virFDStreamEvent(int watch ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
         return;
     }
 
-    if (fdst->threadErr)
+    if (fdst->threadErr) {
         events |= VIR_STREAM_EVENT_ERROR;
+        virSetError(fdst->threadErr);
+    }
 
     cb = fdst->cb;
     cbopaque = fdst->opaque;
@@ -641,7 +644,7 @@ virFDStreamThread(void *opaque)
     return;
 
  error:
-    fdst->threadErr = errno;
+    fdst->threadErr = virSaveLastError();
     goto cleanup;
 }