diff --git a/Lib/test/test_fileio.py b/Lib/test/test_fileio.py
index 173ec25..5504ea3 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_fileio.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_fileio.py
@@ -127,6 +127,14 @@
         else:
             self.fail("Should have raised IOError")
 
+    @unittest.skipIf(os.name == 'nt', "test only works on a POSIX-like system")
+    def testOpenDirFD(self):
+        fd = os.open('.', os.O_RDONLY)
+        with self.assertRaises(IOError) as cm:
+            _FileIO(fd, 'r')
+        os.close(fd)
+        self.assertEqual(cm.exception.errno, errno.EISDIR)
+
     #A set of functions testing that we get expected behaviour if someone has
     #manually closed the internal file descriptor.  First, a decorator:
     def ClosedFD(func):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 563a7f0..699b4fb 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #15247: FileIO now raises an error when given a file descriptor
+  pointing to a directory.
+
 - Issue #5346: Preserve permissions of mbox, MMDF and Babyl mailbox
   files on flush().
 
diff --git a/Modules/_io/fileio.c b/Modules/_io/fileio.c
index a7fad36..605ad51 100644
--- a/Modules/_io/fileio.c
+++ b/Modules/_io/fileio.c
@@ -166,22 +166,15 @@
    directories, so we need a check.  */
 
 static int
-dircheck(fileio* self, const char *name)
+dircheck(fileio* self, PyObject *nameobj)
 {
 #if defined(HAVE_FSTAT) && defined(S_IFDIR) && defined(EISDIR)
     struct stat buf;
     if (self->fd < 0)
         return 0;
     if (fstat(self->fd, &buf) == 0 && S_ISDIR(buf.st_mode)) {
-        char *msg = strerror(EISDIR);
-        PyObject *exc;
-        if (internal_close(self))
-            return -1;
-
-        exc = PyObject_CallFunction(PyExc_IOError, "(iss)",
-                                    EISDIR, msg, name);
-        PyErr_SetObject(PyExc_IOError, exc);
-        Py_XDECREF(exc);
+        errno = EISDIR;
+        PyErr_SetFromErrnoWithFilenameObject(PyExc_IOError, nameobj);
         return -1;
     }
 #endif
@@ -373,9 +366,9 @@
                 PyErr_SetFromErrnoWithFilename(PyExc_IOError, name);
             goto error;
         }
-        if (dircheck(self, name) < 0)
-            goto error;
     }
+    if (dircheck(self, nameobj) < 0)
+        goto error;
 
 #if defined(MS_WINDOWS) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
     /* don't translate newlines (\r\n <=> \n) */