diff --git a/extmod/vfs_posix_file.c b/extmod/vfs_posix_file.c
index 264764b4ee..f3eac98ce3 100644
--- a/extmod/vfs_posix_file.c
+++ b/extmod/vfs_posix_file.c
@@ -163,7 +163,11 @@ STATIC mp_uint_t vfs_posix_file_write(mp_obj_t o_in, const void *buf, mp_uint_t
 
 STATIC mp_uint_t vfs_posix_file_ioctl(mp_obj_t o_in, mp_uint_t request, uintptr_t arg, int *errcode) {
     mp_obj_vfs_posix_file_t *o = MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(o_in);
-    check_fd_is_open(o);
+
+    if (request != MP_STREAM_CLOSE) {
+        check_fd_is_open(o);
+    }
+
     switch (request) {
         case MP_STREAM_FLUSH: {
             int ret;
diff --git a/tests/extmod/vfs_posix.py b/tests/extmod/vfs_posix.py
index 3bea99365d..aea447e182 100644
--- a/tests/extmod/vfs_posix.py
+++ b/tests/extmod/vfs_posix.py
@@ -8,6 +8,15 @@ except (ImportError, AttributeError):
     print("SKIP")
     raise SystemExit
 
+# We need a file for testing that doesn't already exist.
+# Skip the test if it does exist.
+temp_file = "micropy_test_file.txt"
+try:
+    uos.stat(temp_file)
+    print("SKIP")
+    raise SystemExit
+except OSError:
+    pass
 
 # getcwd and chdir
 curdir = uos.getcwd()
@@ -21,3 +30,19 @@ print(type(uos.stat("/")))
 
 # listdir and ilistdir
 print(type(uos.listdir("/")))
+
+# file create
+f = open(temp_file, "w")
+f.write("hello")
+f.close()
+
+# close on a closed file should succeed
+f.close()
+
+# file read
+f = open(temp_file, "r")
+print(f.read())
+f.close()
+
+# remove
+uos.remove(temp_file)
diff --git a/tests/extmod/vfs_posix.py.exp b/tests/extmod/vfs_posix.py.exp
index 1b1f59b43e..c0a4ed000b 100644
--- a/tests/extmod/vfs_posix.py.exp
+++ b/tests/extmod/vfs_posix.py.exp
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 True
 <class 'tuple'>
 <class 'list'>
+hello
diff --git a/tests/io/file1.py b/tests/io/file1.py
index 2a46c9c63e..de30045d31 100644
--- a/tests/io/file1.py
+++ b/tests/io/file1.py
@@ -44,3 +44,6 @@ try:
 except OSError:
     print("OSError")
 f.close()
+
+# close() on a closed file
+f.close()