diff --git a/C/errors.c b/C/errors.c
index ffb58bbc6..14fe9eb93 100644
--- a/C/errors.c
+++ b/C/errors.c
@@ -1337,6 +1337,20 @@ Yap_Error(yap_error_number type, Term where, char *format,...)
       serious = TRUE;
     }
     break;
+  case RESOURCE_ERROR_MAX_STREAMS:
+    {
+      int i;
+      Term ti[1];
+
+      i = strlen(tmpbuf);
+      ti[0] = MkAtomTerm(AtomStreams);
+      nt[0] = Yap_MkApplTerm(FunctorResourceError, 1, ti);
+      tp = tmpbuf+i;
+      psize -= i;
+      fun = FunctorError;
+      serious = TRUE;
+    }
+    break;
   case RESOURCE_ERROR_STACK:
     {
       int i;
diff --git a/C/iopreds.c b/C/iopreds.c
index 097734475..9cedfc656 100644
--- a/C/iopreds.c
+++ b/C/iopreds.c
@@ -2291,7 +2291,7 @@ p_open (void)
     return (PlIOError (SYSTEM_ERROR,file_name,"file name is too long in open/3"));
   sno = GetFreeStreamD();
   if (sno < 0)
-    return (PlIOError (SYSTEM_ERROR,TermNil, "new stream not available for open/3"));
+    return (PlIOError (RESOURCE_ERROR_MAX_STREAMS,TermNil, "all streams in use"));
   st = &Stream[sno];
   /* can never happen */
   tenc = Deref(ARG5);
diff --git a/H/Yap.h b/H/Yap.h
index 38a163cbd..49042ec5e 100644
--- a/H/Yap.h
+++ b/H/Yap.h
@@ -479,6 +479,7 @@ typedef enum
   REPRESENTATION_ERROR_CHARACTER_CODE,
   REPRESENTATION_ERROR_MAX_ARITY,
   RESOURCE_ERROR_HUGE_INT,
+  RESOURCE_ERROR_MAX_STREAMS,
   RESOURCE_ERROR_MAX_THREADS,
   RESOURCE_ERROR_MEMORY,
   RESOURCE_ERROR_STACK,
diff --git a/H/iatoms.h b/H/iatoms.h
index 5516cb901..306ba247b 100644
--- a/H/iatoms.h
+++ b/H/iatoms.h
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@
   AtomStaticClause = Yap_FullLookupAtom("$static_clause");
   AtomStaticProcedure = Yap_LookupAtom("static_procedure");
   AtomStream = Yap_FullLookupAtom("$stream");
+  AtomStreams = Yap_FullLookupAtom("streams");
   AtomStreamOrAlias = Yap_LookupAtom("stream_or_alias");
   AtomStreamPos = Yap_FullLookupAtom("$stream_position");
   AtomStreamPosition = Yap_LookupAtom("stream_position");
diff --git a/H/ratoms.h b/H/ratoms.h
index f69eb4819..cb08cf55f 100644
--- a/H/ratoms.h
+++ b/H/ratoms.h
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@
   AtomStaticClause = AtomAdjust(AtomStaticClause);
   AtomStaticProcedure = AtomAdjust(AtomStaticProcedure);
   AtomStream = AtomAdjust(AtomStream);
+  AtomStreams = AtomAdjust(AtomStreams);
   AtomStreamOrAlias = AtomAdjust(AtomStreamOrAlias);
   AtomStreamPos = AtomAdjust(AtomStreamPos);
   AtomStreamPosition = AtomAdjust(AtomStreamPosition);
diff --git a/H/tatoms.h b/H/tatoms.h
index f1e902e85..9a17f9b5c 100644
--- a/H/tatoms.h
+++ b/H/tatoms.h
@@ -492,6 +492,8 @@
 #define AtomStaticProcedure Yap_heap_regs->AtomStaticProcedure_
   Atom AtomStream_;
 #define AtomStream Yap_heap_regs->AtomStream_
+  Atom AtomStreams_;
+#define AtomStreams Yap_heap_regs->AtomStreams_
   Atom AtomStreamOrAlias_;
 #define AtomStreamOrAlias Yap_heap_regs->AtomStreamOrAlias_
   Atom AtomStreamPos_;
diff --git a/misc/ATOMS b/misc/ATOMS
index 95daa53f7..31beff40b 100644
--- a/misc/ATOMS
+++ b/misc/ATOMS
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ A	StackFree		N	"stackfree"
 A	StaticClause		F	"$static_clause"
 A	StaticProcedure		N	"static_procedure"
 A	Stream			F	"$stream"
+A	Streams			F	"streams"
 A	StreamOrAlias		N	"stream_or_alias"
 A	StreamPos		F	"$stream_position"
 A	StreamPosition		N	"stream_position"
diff --git a/pl/messages.yap b/pl/messages.yap
index cf3fc0890..456ea1d60 100644
--- a/pl/messages.yap
+++ b/pl/messages.yap
@@ -244,14 +244,16 @@ system_message(error(representation_error(character_code), Where)) -->
 	[ 'REPRESENTATION ERROR- ~w: expected character code' - [Where] ].
 system_message(error(representation_error(max_arity), Where)) -->
 	[ 'REPRESENTATION ERROR- ~w: number too big' - [Where] ].
+system_message(error(resource_error(code_space), Where)) -->
+	[ 'RESOURCE ERROR- not enough code space' - [Where] ].
 system_message(error(resource_error(huge_int), Where)) -->
 	[ 'RESOURCE ERROR- too large an integer in absolute value' - [Where] ].
 system_message(error(resource_error(memory), Where)) -->
 	[ 'RESOURCE ERROR- not enough virtual memory' - [Where] ].
 system_message(error(resource_error(stack), Where)) -->
 	[ 'RESOURCE ERROR- not enough stack' - [Where] ].
-system_message(error(resource_error(code_space), Where)) -->
-	[ 'RESOURCE ERROR- not enough code space' - [Where] ].
+system_message(error(resource_error(streams), Where)) -->
+	[ 'RESOURCE ERROR- could not find a free stream' - [Where] ].
 system_message(error(resource_error(threads), Where)) -->
 	[ 'RESOURCE ERROR- too many open threads' - [Where] ].
 system_message(error(resource_error(trail), Where)) -->