diff --git a/usr.bin/sed/main.c b/usr.bin/sed/main.c
index dafb0bd845ef..36a32996a130 100644
--- a/usr.bin/sed/main.c
+++ b/usr.bin/sed/main.c
@@ -409,10 +409,10 @@ mf_fgets(SPACE *sp, enum e_spflag spflag)
 			if (len >= (ssize_t)sizeof(tmpfname))
 				errx(1, "%s: name too long", fname);
 			unlink(tmpfname);
-			if ((outfile = fopen(tmpfname, "w")) == NULL)
-				err(1, "%s", fname);
 			if (outfile != NULL && outfile != stdout)
 				fclose(outfile);
+			if ((outfile = fopen(tmpfname, "w")) == NULL)
+				err(1, "%s", fname);
 			fchown(fileno(outfile), sb.st_uid, sb.st_gid);
 			fchmod(fileno(outfile), sb.st_mode & ALLPERMS);
 			outfname = tmpfname;