diff --git a/src/examples/ntester.cc b/src/examples/ntester.cc
index 4fc7404..97ad9c1 100644
--- a/src/examples/ntester.cc
+++ b/src/examples/ntester.cc
@@ -153,10 +153,6 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
 	    /* we only read one socket each run */
 	    network_ready_to_read = true;
 	  }
-
-	  if ( sel.error( *it ) ) {
-	    break;
-	  }
 	}
 
 	if ( network_ready_to_read ) {
diff --git a/src/examples/parse.cc b/src/examples/parse.cc
index f9f72bf..56aa171 100644
--- a/src/examples/parse.cc
+++ b/src/examples/parse.cc
@@ -158,8 +158,6 @@ static void emulate_terminal( int fd )
       if ( vt_parser( fd, &parser ) < 0 ) {
 	return;
       }
-    } else if ( sel.error( STDIN_FILENO ) || sel.error( fd ) ) {
-      return;
     } else {
       fprintf( stderr, "select mysteriously woken up\n" );
     }
diff --git a/src/examples/termemu.cc b/src/examples/termemu.cc
index 5704408..a29c73a 100644
--- a/src/examples/termemu.cc
+++ b/src/examples/termemu.cc
@@ -311,8 +311,6 @@ static void emulate_terminal( int fd )
 	perror( "ioctl TIOCSWINSZ" );
 	return;
       }
-    } else if ( sel.error( STDIN_FILENO ) || sel.error( fd ) ) {
-      break;
     }
 
     Terminal::Framebuffer new_frame( complete.get_fb() );
diff --git a/src/frontend/mosh-server.cc b/src/frontend/mosh-server.cc
index 45e4215..28480ce 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mosh-server.cc
+++ b/src/frontend/mosh-server.cc
@@ -765,16 +765,6 @@ static void serve( int host_fd, Terminal::Complete &terminal, ServerConnection &
 	}
       }
       
-      if ( sel.error( network_fd ) ) {
-	/* network problem */
-	break;
-      }
-
-      if ( (!network.shutdown_in_progress()) && sel.error( host_fd ) ) {
-	/* host problem */
-	network.start_shutdown();
-      }
-
       /* quit if our shutdown has been acknowledged */
       if ( network.shutdown_in_progress() && network.shutdown_acknowledged() ) {
 	break;
diff --git a/src/frontend/stmclient.cc b/src/frontend/stmclient.cc
index e034907..78c5625 100644
--- a/src/frontend/stmclient.cc
+++ b/src/frontend/stmclient.cc
@@ -448,11 +448,6 @@ bool STMClient::main( void )
 	  /* we only read one socket each run */
 	  network_ready_to_read = true;
 	}
-
-	if ( sel.error( *it ) ) {
-	  /* network problem */
-	  break;
-	}
       }
 
       if ( network_ready_to_read ) {
@@ -493,16 +488,6 @@ bool STMClient::main( void )
         }
       }
 
-      if ( sel.error( STDIN_FILENO ) ) {
-	/* user problem */
-	if ( !network->has_remote_addr() ) {
-	  break;
-	} else if ( !network->shutdown_in_progress() ) {
-	  overlays.get_notification_engine().set_notification_string( wstring( L"Exiting..." ), true );
-	  network->start_shutdown();
-	}
-      }
-
       /* quit if our shutdown has been acknowledged */
       if ( network->shutdown_in_progress() && network->shutdown_acknowledged() ) {
 	clean_shutdown = true;
diff --git a/src/util/select.h b/src/util/select.h
index ca8a2de..4b4834b 100644
--- a/src/util/select.h
+++ b/src/util/select.h
@@ -62,12 +62,10 @@ private:
        here to appease -Weffc++. */
     , all_fds( dummy_fd_set )
     , read_fds( dummy_fd_set )
-    , error_fds( dummy_fd_set )
     , empty_sigset( dummy_sigset )
   {
     FD_ZERO( &all_fds );
     FD_ZERO( &read_fds );
-    FD_ZERO( &error_fds );
 
     clear_got_signal();
     fatal_assert( 0 == sigemptyset( &empty_sigset ) );
@@ -120,7 +118,6 @@ public:
   int select( int timeout )
   {
     memcpy( &read_fds,  &all_fds, sizeof( read_fds  ) );
-    memcpy( &error_fds, &all_fds, sizeof( error_fds ) );
     clear_got_signal();
 
 #ifdef HAVE_PSELECT
@@ -133,7 +130,7 @@ public:
       tsp = &ts;
     }
 
-    int ret = ::pselect( max_fd + 1, &read_fds, NULL, &error_fds, tsp, &empty_sigset );
+    int ret = ::pselect( max_fd + 1, &read_fds, NULL, NULL, tsp, &empty_sigset );
 #else
     struct timeval tv;
     struct timeval *tvp = NULL;
@@ -147,7 +144,7 @@ public:
 
     int ret = sigprocmask( SIG_SETMASK, &empty_sigset, &old_sigset );
     if ( ret != -1 ) {
-      ret = ::select( max_fd + 1, &read_fds, NULL, &error_fds, tvp );
+      ret = ::select( max_fd + 1, &read_fds, NULL, NULL, tvp );
       sigprocmask( SIG_SETMASK, &old_sigset, NULL );
     }
 #endif
@@ -155,7 +152,6 @@ public:
     if ( ( ret == -1 ) && ( errno == EINTR ) ) {
       /* The user should process events as usual. */
       FD_ZERO( &read_fds );
-      FD_ZERO( &error_fds );
       ret = 0;
     }
 
@@ -173,15 +169,6 @@ public:
     return FD_ISSET( fd, &read_fds );
   }
 
-  bool error( int fd )
-#if FD_ISSET_IS_CONST
-    const
-#endif
-  {
-    assert( FD_ISSET( fd, &all_fds ) );
-    return FD_ISSET( fd, &error_fds );
-  }
-
   /* This method consumes a signal notification. */
   bool signal( int signum )
   {
@@ -214,7 +201,7 @@ private:
      concurrent signal handlers. */
   int got_signal[ MAX_SIGNAL_NUMBER + 1 ];
 
-  fd_set all_fds, read_fds, error_fds;
+  fd_set all_fds, read_fds;
 
   sigset_t empty_sigset;