diff --git a/extra/io/unix/backend/backend.factor b/extra/io/unix/backend/backend.factor
index 2a85beac02..67856a0570 100755
--- a/extra/io/unix/backend/backend.factor
+++ b/extra/io/unix/backend/backend.factor
@@ -24,8 +24,13 @@ TUPLE: fd fd disposed ;
         [ >>fd ]
         tri ;
 
-M: fd dispose*
-    [ cancel-operation ] [ fd>> close-file ] bi ;
+M: fd dispose
+    dup disposed>> [ drop ] [
+        [ cancel-operation ]
+        [ t >>disposed drop ]
+        [ fd>> close-file ]
+        tri
+    ] if ;
 
 M: fd handle-fd dup check-disposed fd>> ;
 
diff --git a/extra/io/windows/windows.factor b/extra/io/windows/windows.factor
index abfffdf93a..5e10389c44 100755
--- a/extra/io/windows/windows.factor
+++ b/extra/io/windows/windows.factor
@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@ TUPLE: win32-file < win32-handle ptr ;
 : <win32-file> ( handle -- win32-file )
     win32-file new-win32-handle ;
 
-M: win32-file dispose*
-    [ cancel-operation ] [ call-next-method ] bi ;
+M: win32-file dispose
+    dup disposed>> [ drop ] [
+        [ cancel-operation ] [ call-next-method ] bi
+    ] if ;
 
 HOOK: CreateFile-flags io-backend ( DWORD -- DWORD )
 HOOK: FileArgs-overlapped io-backend ( port -- overlapped/f )