diff --git a/src/filesystem/implementation.js b/src/filesystem/implementation.js
index 14c7d13..6d9c183 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/implementation.js
+++ b/src/filesystem/implementation.js
@@ -813,6 +813,8 @@ function read_data(context, ofd, buffer, offset, length, position, callback) {
   function read_file_data(error, result) {
     if(error) {
       callback(error);
+    } else if(result.mode === 'DIRECTORY') {
+      callback(new Errors.EISDIR('the named file is a directory', ofd.path));
     } else {
       fileNode = result;
       context.getBuffer(fileNode.data, handle_file_data);
diff --git a/tests/spec/fs.read.spec.js b/tests/spec/fs.read.spec.js
index 7d2bf2b..6606da0 100644
--- a/tests/spec/fs.read.spec.js
+++ b/tests/spec/fs.read.spec.js
@@ -61,4 +61,28 @@ describe('fs.read', function() {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  it('should fail to read a directory', function(done) {
+    var fs = util.fs();
+    var buf = new Filer.Buffer(20);
+    var buf2 = new Filer.Buffer(20);
+    buf.fill(0);
+    buf2.fill(0);
+
+    fs.mkdir('/mydir', function(error) {
+      if(error) throw err;
+
+      fs.open('/mydir', 'r', function(error, fd) {
+        if(error) throw error;
+
+        fs.read(fd, buf, 0, buf.length, 0, function(error, result) {
+          expect(error).to.exist;
+          expect(error.code).to.equal('EISDIR');
+          expect(result).to.equal(0);
+          expect(buf).to.deep.equal(buf2);
+          done();
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
 });