diff --git a/editors/sed.c b/editors/sed.c
index a8c35388b..4c7f75521 100644
--- a/editors/sed.c
+++ b/editors/sed.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ typedef struct sed_cmd_s {
 	int end_line;           /* 'sed 1,3p' 0 == one line only. -1 = last line ($). -2-N = +N */
 	int end_line_orig;
 
-	FILE *sw_file;          /* File (sw) command writes to, -1 for none. */
+	FILE *sw_file;          /* File (sw) command writes to, NULL for none. */
 	char *string;           /* Data string for (saicytb) commands. */
 
 	unsigned which_match;   /* (s) Which match to replace (0 for all) */
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ static void sed_free_and_close_stuff(void)
 		sed_cmd_t *sed_cmd_next = sed_cmd->next;
 
 		if (sed_cmd->sw_file)
-			xprint_and_close_file(sed_cmd->sw_file);
+			fclose(sed_cmd->sw_file);
 
 		if (sed_cmd->beg_match) {
 			regfree(sed_cmd->beg_match);
@@ -426,8 +426,11 @@ static int parse_subst_cmd(sed_cmd_t *sed_cmd, const char *substr)
 		/* Write to file */
 		case 'w':
 		{
-			char *temp;
-			idx += parse_file_cmd(/*sed_cmd,*/ substr+idx, &temp);
+			char *fname;
+			idx += parse_file_cmd(/*sed_cmd,*/ substr+idx+1, &fname);
+			sed_cmd->sw_file = xfopen_for_write(fname);
+			sed_cmd->sw_last_char = '\n';
+			free(fname);
 			break;
 		}
 		/* Ignore case (gnu exension) */
diff --git a/testsuite/sed.tests b/testsuite/sed.tests
index 34479e55f..5d2356b64 100755
--- a/testsuite/sed.tests
+++ b/testsuite/sed.tests
@@ -365,6 +365,12 @@ testing "sed /regex/,+0<cmd> -i works" \
 	"1\n2\n3\n4\n5\n6\n7\n8\n" \
 	"1\n2\n4\n5\n6\n7\n8\n" \
 
+testing "sed 's///w FILE'" \
+	"sed 's/qwe/ZZZ/wz'; cat z; rm z" \
+	"123\nZZZ\nasd\n""ZZZ\n" \
+	"" \
+	"123\nqwe\nasd\n"
+
 # testing "description" "commands" "result" "infile" "stdin"
 
 exit $FAILCOUNT