diff --git a/tools/bootimage.c b/tools/bootimage.c
index 2294f281..624460ed 100644
--- a/tools/bootimage.c
+++ b/tools/bootimage.c
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ static int writex(int fd, void *data, size_t len) {
     int r;
     char *x = data;
     while (len > 0) {
+        errno = NO_ERROR;
         r = write(fd, x, len);
         if (r < 0) {
             if (errno == EINTR) {
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ static void *load_file(const char *fn, size_t *len) {
         *len = sz;
     }
     while (sz > 0) {
+        errno = NO_ERROR;
         r = read(fd, x, sz);
         if (r < 0) {
             if (errno == EINTR) {
diff --git a/tools/liblkboot.c b/tools/liblkboot.c
index ffce64c6..67949be6 100644
--- a/tools/liblkboot.c
+++ b/tools/liblkboot.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ static int readx(int s, void *_data, int len) {
     char *data = _data;
     int r;
     while (len > 0) {
+        errno = NO_ERROR;
         r = read(s, data, len);
         if (r == 0) {
             fprintf(stderr, "error: eof during socket read\n");