diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9d969d3..50db65a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ LIBUTFSRC =\
 	libutf/utf.c\
 	libutf/chartorunearr.c\
 	libutf/fgetrune.c\
-	libutf/writerune.c\
+	libutf/fputrune.c\
 	libutf/isalnumrune.c\
 	libutf/isalpharune.c\
 	libutf/isblankrune.c\
diff --git a/expand.c b/expand.c
index 8adaa24..c643df7 100644
--- a/expand.c
+++ b/expand.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ expand(const char *file, FILE *fp)
 			col++;
 			if (r != ' ')
 				bol = 0;
-			writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &r);
+			efputrune(&r, stdout, "<stdout>");
 			break;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/libutf/fputrune.c b/libutf/fputrune.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a393b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libutf/fputrune.c
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/* See LICENSE file for copyright and license details. */
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "../utf.h"
+
+int
+fputrune(const Rune *r, FILE *fp)
+{
+	char buf[UTFmax];
+
+	return fwrite(buf, runetochar(buf, r), 1, fp);
+}
+
+int
+efputrune(const Rune *r, FILE *fp, const char *file)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	if ((ret = fputrune(r, fp)) < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "fputrune %s: %s\n", file, strerror(errno));
+		exit(1);
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
diff --git a/libutf/writerune.c b/libutf/writerune.c
deleted file mode 100644
index eb9cfac..0000000
--- a/libutf/writerune.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-/* See LICENSE file for copyright and license details. */
-#include <errno.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-
-#include "../utf.h"
-
-void
-writerune(const char *file, FILE *fp, Rune *r)
-{
-	char buf[UTFmax];
-	int n;
-
-	if ((n = runetochar(buf, r)) > 0) {
-		fwrite(buf, n, 1, fp);
-		if (ferror(fp)) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "%s: write error: %s\n",
-				file, strerror(errno));
-			exit(1);
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/paste.c b/paste.c
index 32832d7..cd7eb3e 100644
--- a/paste.c
+++ b/paste.c
@@ -26,17 +26,17 @@ sequential(struct fdescr *dsc, int fdescrlen, Rune *delim, size_t delimlen)
 		while (efgetrune(&c, dsc[i].fp, dsc[i].name)) {
 			if (last == '\n') {
 				if (delim[d] != '\0')
-					writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &delim[d]);
+					efputrune(&delim[d], stdout, "<stdout>");
 				d = (d + 1) % delimlen;
 			}
 
 			if (c != '\n')
-				writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &c);
+				efputrune(&c, stdout, "<stdout>");
 			last = c;
 		}
 
 		if (last == '\n')
-			writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &last);
+			efputrune(&last, stdout, "<stdout>");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -56,22 +56,22 @@ nextline:
 
 		for (; efgetrune(&c, dsc[i].fp, dsc[i].name) ;) {
 			for (m = last + 1; m < i; m++)
-				writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &(delim[m % delimlen]));
+				efputrune(&(delim[m % delimlen]), stdout, "<stdout>");
 			last = i;
 			if (c == '\n') {
 				if (i != fdescrlen - 1)
 					c = d;
-				writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &c);
+				efputrune(&c, stdout, "<stdout>");
 				break;
 			}
-			writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &c);
+			efputrune(&c, stdout, "<stdout>");
 		}
 
 		if (c == 0 && last != -1) {
 			if (i == fdescrlen - 1)
 				putchar('\n');
 			else
-				writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &d);
+				efputrune(&d, stdout, "<stdout>");
 				last++;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/tail.c b/tail.c
index 8b8dc38..9f7eca3 100644
--- a/tail.c
+++ b/tail.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ taketail(FILE *fp, const char *str)
 			fputs(ring[j], stdout);
 			free(ring[j]);
 		} else if (r) {
-			writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &r[j]);
+			efputrune(&r[j], stdout, "<stdout>");
 		}
 	} while ((j = (j + 1) % num) != i);
 
diff --git a/tr.c b/tr.c
index 2d6d37b..fa3d412 100644
--- a/tr.c
+++ b/tr.c
@@ -271,6 +271,6 @@ read:
 		goto read;
 write:
 	lastrune = r;
-	writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &r);
+	efputrune(&r, stdout, "<stdout>");
 	goto read;
 }
diff --git a/unexpand.c b/unexpand.c
index 0b16f74..17852b6 100644
--- a/unexpand.c
+++ b/unexpand.c
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ unexpandspan(size_t last, size_t col)
 
 		r = '\t';
 		for (; last + tablist[i] <= col; last += tablist[i])
-			writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &r);
+			efputrune(&r, stdout, "<stdout>");
 		r = ' ';
 		for (; last < col; last++)
-			writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &r);
+			efputrune(&r, stdout, "<stdout>");
 	} else {
 		for (i = 0; i < tablistlen; i++)
 			if (col < tablist[i])
@@ -57,12 +57,12 @@ unexpandspan(size_t last, size_t col)
 				break;
 		r = '\t';
 		for (; j < i; j++) {
-			writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &r);
+			efputrune(&r, stdout, "<stdout>");
 			last = tablist[j];
 		}
 		r = ' ';
 		for (; last < col; last++)
-			writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &r);
+			efputrune(&r, stdout, "<stdout>");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ unexpand(const char *file, FILE *fp)
 			break;
 		}
 		if ((r != ' ' && r != '\t') || (!aflag && !bol))
-			writerune("<stdout>", stdout, &r);
+			efputrune(&r, stdout, "<stdout>");
 	}
 	if (last < col && (bol || aflag))
 		unexpandspan(last, col);
diff --git a/utf.h b/utf.h
index bd58f0a..203849a 100644
--- a/utf.h
+++ b/utf.h
@@ -61,5 +61,7 @@ Rune toupperrune(Rune);
 
 int fgetrune(Rune *, FILE *);
 int efgetrune(Rune *, FILE *, const char *);
-void writerune(const char *, FILE *, Rune *);
+int fputrune(const Rune *, FILE *);
+int efputrune(const Rune *, FILE *, const char *);
+
 int chartorunearr(const char*, Rune **);