Index: src/files.c
===================================================================
--- src/files.c	(revision 5604)
+++ src/files.c	(working copy)
@@ -383,6 +383,24 @@
 
     return retval;
 }
+
+/* If *pstat is NULL, perform a stat call with the given file name.  On
+ * success, *pstat points to a newly allocated buffer containing the stat's
+ * result.  On stat's failure, the NULL pointer in *pstat is left intact. */
+void stat_if_needed(const char *filename, struct stat **pstat)
+{
+    struct stat *tmp;
+
+    if (*pstat != NULL)
+	return;
+
+    tmp = (struct stat *)nmalloc(sizeof(struct stat));
+
+    if (stat(filename, tmp) == 0)
+	*pstat = tmp;
+    else
+	free(tmp);
+}
 #endif /* !NANO_TINY */
 
 /* If it's not "", filename is a file to open.  We make a new buffer, if
@@ -466,11 +484,7 @@
     if (rc > 0) {
 	read_file(f, rc, filename, undoable, new_buffer);
 #ifndef NANO_TINY
-	if (openfile->current_stat == NULL) {
-	    openfile->current_stat =
-		(struct stat *)nmalloc(sizeof(struct stat));
-	    stat(filename, openfile->current_stat);
-	}
+	stat_if_needed(filename, &openfile->current_stat);
 #endif
     }
 
@@ -1821,10 +1835,8 @@
      * specified it interactively), stat and save the value now,
      * or else we will chase null pointers when we do modtime checks,
      * preserve file times, and so on, during backup. */
-    if (openfile->current_stat == NULL && !tmp && realexists) {
-	openfile->current_stat = (struct stat *)nmalloc(sizeof(struct stat));
-	stat(realname, openfile->current_stat);
-    }
+    if (!tmp && realexists)
+	stat_if_needed(realname, &openfile->current_stat);
 
     /* We backup only if the backup toggle is set, the file isn't
      * temporary, and the file already exists.  Furthermore, if we
@@ -2210,12 +2222,17 @@
 	}
 
 #ifndef NANO_TINY
-	/* Update current_stat to reference the file as it is now. */
-	if (openfile->current_stat == NULL)
-	    openfile->current_stat =
-		(struct stat *)nmalloc(sizeof(struct stat));
-	if (!openfile->mark_set)
-	    stat(realname, openfile->current_stat);
+	if (!openfile->mark_set) {
+	    if (openfile->current_stat == NULL)
+		openfile->current_stat =
+			(struct stat *)nmalloc(sizeof(struct stat));
+
+	    /* Update the stat info to reflect the file as it is now. */
+	    if (stat(realname, openfile->current_stat) != 0) {
+		free(openfile->current_stat);
+		openfile->current_stat = NULL;
+	    }
+	}
 #endif
 
 	statusbar(P_("Wrote %lu line", "Wrote %lu lines",