diff --git a/collects/web-server/request-parsing.ss b/collects/web-server/request-parsing.ss
index c815ad96b4..4d5cb4d65b 100644
--- a/collects/web-server/request-parsing.ss
+++ b/collects/web-server/request-parsing.ss
@@ -36,14 +36,7 @@
    [read-bindings (connection? symbol? url? (listof header?)
                                . -> . (union (listof binding?) string?))])
   
-  ;; network-error: symbol string . values -> void
-  ;; throws a formatted exn:fail:network
-  (define (network-error src fmt . args)
-    (raise (make-exn:fail:network
-            (string->immutable-string
-             (apply format (format "~a: ~a" src fmt) args))
-            (current-continuation-marks))))
-
+  
   ;; **************************************************
   ;; read-request: input-port -> request boolean?
   ;; read the request line, and the headers, determine if the connection should
diff --git a/collects/web-server/response.ss b/collects/web-server/response.ss
index 3625f237d9..5c567c9690 100644
--- a/collects/web-server/response.ss
+++ b/collects/web-server/response.ss
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
            (lib "pretty.ss")
            (lib "xml.ss" "xml")
            (lib "string.ss" "srfi" "13")
-           "connection-manager.ss")
+           "connection-manager.ss"
+           "util.ss")
   
   ;; **************************************************
   ;; DATA DEF for response
@@ -251,8 +252,9 @@
     (when (eq? method 'get)
       ; Give it one second per byte.
       (adjust-connection-timeout! conn (file-size file-path))
-      (call-with-input-file file-path
-        (lambda (i-port) (copy-port i-port (connection-o-port conn))))))
+      (with-handlers ([void (lambda (e) (network-error 'output-file (exn-message e)))])
+        (call-with-input-file file-path
+          (lambda (i-port) (copy-port i-port (connection-o-port conn)))))))
   
   ;; **************************************************
   ;; output-response/method: connection response/full symbol -> void
diff --git a/collects/web-server/util.ss b/collects/web-server/util.ss
index 1218ba8eac..0f84ec7bff 100644
--- a/collects/web-server/util.ss
+++ b/collects/web-server/util.ss
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
   (provide provide-define-struct
            extract-flag
            translate-escapes
-           hash-table-empty?)
+           hash-table-empty?
+           network-error)
   
   (provide/contract
    [path->list  (path? . -> . (cons/c (union path? (symbols 'up 'same))
@@ -20,6 +21,14 @@
    [get-mime-type (path? . -> . bytes?)]
    [build-path-unless-absolute (path? (union string? path?) . -> . path?)])
   
+  ;; network-error: symbol string . values -> void
+  ;; throws a formatted exn:fail:network
+  (define (network-error src fmt . args)
+    (raise (make-exn:fail:network
+            (string->immutable-string
+             (apply format (format "~a: ~a" src fmt) args))
+            (current-continuation-marks))))
+  
   ;; build-path-unless-absolute : path (union string? path?) -> path?
   (define (build-path-unless-absolute base path)
     (if (absolute-path? path)