diff --git a/lib/binding.js b/lib/binding.js
index bc4c6cb3..e9fbb231 100644
--- a/lib/binding.js
+++ b/lib/binding.js
@@ -625,6 +625,9 @@ Binding.prototype.read = function(
       throw new FSError('EBADF');
     }
     const file = descriptor.getItem();
+    if (file instanceof Directory) {
+      throw new FSError('EISDIR');
+    }
     if (!(file instanceof File)) {
       // deleted or not a regular file
       throw new FSError('EBADF');
diff --git a/test/lib/fs.readFile.spec.js b/test/lib/fs.readFile.spec.js
index 233f2063..a7935f4b 100644
--- a/test/lib/fs.readFile.spec.js
+++ b/test/lib/fs.readFile.spec.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ describe('fs.readFile(filename, [options], callback)', function() {
   it('fails for directory', function(done) {
     fs.readFile('path/to', function(err, data) {
       assert.instanceOf(err, Error);
-      assert.equal(err.code, 'EBADF');
+      assert.equal(err.code, 'EISDIR');
       done();
     });
   });
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ describe('fs.readFile(filename, [options], callback)', function() {
       },
       function(err) {
         assert.instanceOf(err, Error);
-        assert.equal(err.code, 'EBADF');
+        assert.equal(err.code, 'EISDIR');
         done();
       }
     );
@@ -104,9 +104,13 @@ describe('fs.readFileSync(filename, [options])', function() {
   });
 
   it('fails for directory', function() {
-    assert.throws(function() {
+    try {
       fs.readFileSync('path/to');
-    });
+      assert.fail('should not succeed.');
+    } catch (err) {
+      assert.instanceOf(err, Error);
+      assert.equal(err.code, 'EISDIR');
+    }
   });
 
   it('fails for bad path', function() {