diff --git a/releng/org.eclipse.rse.build/maps/rse.map b/releng/org.eclipse.rse.build/maps/rse.map
index 550a40822c3..2c502a2f0f5 100644
--- a/releng/org.eclipse.rse.build/maps/rse.map
+++ b/releng/org.eclipse.rse.build/maps/rse.map
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ plugin@org.eclipse.rse.core=v201003151933,:pserver:anonymous:none@dev.eclipse.or
 plugin@org.eclipse.rse.doc.isv=v201005221130,:pserver:anonymous:none@dev.eclipse.org:/cvsroot/dsdp,,org.eclipse.tm.rse/doc/org.eclipse.rse.doc.isv
 plugin@org.eclipse.rse.doc.user=v200905272300,:pserver:anonymous:none@dev.eclipse.org:/cvsroot/dsdp,,org.eclipse.tm.rse/doc/org.eclipse.rse.doc.user
 plugin@org.eclipse.rse.dstore.security=v201003010830,:pserver:anonymous:none@dev.eclipse.org:/cvsroot/dsdp,,org.eclipse.tm.rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.dstore.security
-plugin@org.eclipse.rse.efs=v201005261830,:pserver:anonymous:none@dev.eclipse.org:/cvsroot/dsdp,,org.eclipse.tm.rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.efs
+plugin@org.eclipse.rse.efs=v201005262000,:pserver:anonymous:none@dev.eclipse.org:/cvsroot/dsdp,,org.eclipse.tm.rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.efs
 plugin@org.eclipse.rse.efs.ui=v201003010830,:pserver:anonymous:none@dev.eclipse.org:/cvsroot/dsdp,,org.eclipse.tm.rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.efs.ui
 plugin@org.eclipse.rse.examples.daytime=v200905272300,:pserver:anonymous:none@dev.eclipse.org:/cvsroot/dsdp,,org.eclipse.tm.rse/examples/org.eclipse.rse.examples.daytime
 plugin@org.eclipse.rse.examples.tutorial=v200905272300,:pserver:anonymous:none@dev.eclipse.org:/cvsroot/dsdp,,org.eclipse.tm.rse/examples/org.eclipse.rse.examples.tutorial
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.efs/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/efs/RSEFileStoreImpl.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.efs/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/efs/RSEFileStoreImpl.java
index 1905bc4d42d..5b6f5b35cc1 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.efs/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/efs/RSEFileStoreImpl.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.efs/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/efs/RSEFileStoreImpl.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
  * David McKnight  (IBM)         - [291738] [efs] repeated queries to RSEFileStoreImpl.fetchInfo() in short time-span should be reduced
  * Szymon Brandys  (IBM)         - [303092] [efs] RSE portion to deal with FileSystemResourceManager makes second call to efs provider on exception due to cancel
  * Martin Oberhuber (Wind River) - [314496] [efs] Symlink target not reported
+ * Martin Oberhuber (Wind River) - [314433] [efs] NPE on openOutputStream to broken symlink
  ********************************************************************************/
 
 package org.eclipse.rse.internal.efs;
@@ -762,7 +763,14 @@ public class RSEFileStoreImpl extends FileStore
 			}
 		}
 
-		if (remoteFile.isFile()) {
+		if (remoteFile.isDirectory()) {
+			throw new CoreException(new Status(IStatus.ERROR,
+					Activator.getDefault().getBundle().getSymbolicName(),
+					EFS.ERROR_WRONG_TYPE,
+					Messages.CANNOT_OPEN_STREAM_ON_FOLDER, null));
+		} else {
+			//bug 314433: try opening the Stream even for non-existing items or symlinks
+			//since returning null violates the API contract - better throw an Exception.
 			try {
 				// Convert from EFS option constants to IFileService option constants
 				if ((options & EFS.APPEND) != 0) {
@@ -777,15 +785,11 @@ public class RSEFileStoreImpl extends FileStore
 				rethrowCoreException(e, EFS.ERROR_WRITE);
 			}
 		}
-		else if (remoteFile.isDirectory()) {
-			throw new CoreException(new Status(IStatus.ERROR,
-					Activator.getDefault().getBundle().getSymbolicName(),
-					EFS.ERROR_WRONG_TYPE,
-					Messages.CANNOT_OPEN_STREAM_ON_FOLDER, null));
-		}
-		//Fallback: No file, no folder?
-		//TODO check what to do for symbolic links and other strange stuff
-		return null;
+		//file does not exist, apparently
+		//TODO use Java MessageFormat for embedding filename in message
+		throw new CoreException(new Status(IStatus.ERROR, Activator.getDefault().getBundle().getSymbolicName(),
+		    // EFS.ERROR_NOT_EXISTS,
+			EFS.ERROR_WRITE, Messages.FILE_STORE_DOES_NOT_EXIST + ": " + toString(), null)); //$NON-NLS-1$
 	}
 
 	/*