diff --git a/googletest/src/gtest.cc b/googletest/src/gtest.cc
index b38f551e0..92ea581f0 100644
--- a/googletest/src/gtest.cc
+++ b/googletest/src/gtest.cc
@@ -5172,9 +5172,12 @@ class ScopedPrematureExitFile {
       // create the file with a single "0" character in it.  I/O
       // errors are ignored as there's nothing better we can do and we
       // don't want to fail the test because of this.
-      FILE* pfile = posix::FOpen(premature_exit_filepath_.c_str(), "w");
-      fwrite("0", 1, 1, pfile);
-      fclose(pfile);
+      if (FILE* pfile = posix::FOpen(premature_exit_filepath_.c_str(), "w")) {
+        fwrite("0", 1, 1, pfile);
+        fclose(pfile);
+      } else {
+        premature_exit_filepath_.clear();
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -5192,7 +5195,7 @@ class ScopedPrematureExitFile {
   }
 
  private:
-  const std::string premature_exit_filepath_;
+  std::string premature_exit_filepath_;
 
   ScopedPrematureExitFile(const ScopedPrematureExitFile&) = delete;
   ScopedPrematureExitFile& operator=(const ScopedPrematureExitFile&) = delete;