diff --git a/ghc/lib/std/PrelHandle.lhs b/ghc/lib/std/PrelHandle.lhs
index 6fba7e0681a0d6a2329d52f3a08ee86f56d2346a..ebb444feb15aa6ea5555da2e0d260a15efa32a23 100644
--- a/ghc/lib/std/PrelHandle.lhs
+++ b/ghc/lib/std/PrelHandle.lhs
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ hClose handle =
 	  ioError theError
       ClosedHandle -> do
           writeHandle handle handle_
-	  ioe_closedHandle "hClose" handle 
+	  return ()
       _ -> do
           rc      <- CCALL(closeFile) (haFO__ handle_) (1::Int){-flush if you can-}  -- ConcHask: SAFE, won't block
           {- We explicitly close a file object so that we can be told