diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index eec754a8936c..01eff1cd73ea 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@
 
 - Added `math.isNaN`.
 
+- `echo` and `debugEcho` will now raise `IOError` if writing to stdout fails.  Previous behavior
+  silently ignored errors.  See #16366.  Use `-d:nimLegacyEchoNoRaise` for previous behavior.
+
 ## Language changes
 
 - `nimscript` now handles `except Exception as e`.
diff --git a/lib/system/io.nim b/lib/system/io.nim
index b3e1725b4ed3..22059c0a8bff 100644
--- a/lib/system/io.nim
+++ b/lib/system/io.nim
@@ -223,6 +223,9 @@ when defined(windows):
     # But we cannot call printf directly as the string might contain \0.
     # So we have to loop over all the sections separated by potential \0s.
     var i = c_fprintf(f, "%s", s)
+    if i < 0:
+      if doRaise: raiseEIO("cannot write string to file")
+      return
     while i < s.len:
       if s[i] == '\0':
         let w = c_fputc('\0', f)
@@ -780,6 +783,13 @@ when declared(stdout):
                      not defined(nintendoswitch) and not defined(freertos) and
                      hostOS != "any"
 
+  const echoDoRaise = not defined(nimLegacyEchoNoRaise) # see PR #16366
+
+  template checkErrMaybe(succeeded: bool): untyped =
+    if not succeeded:
+      when echoDoRaise:
+        checkErr(stdout)
+
   proc echoBinSafe(args: openArray[string]) {.compilerproc.} =
     when defined(androidNDK):
       var s = ""
@@ -792,20 +802,18 @@ when declared(stdout):
         proc flockfile(f: File) {.importc, nodecl.}
         proc funlockfile(f: File) {.importc, nodecl.}
         flockfile(stdout)
+        defer: funlockfile(stdout)
       when defined(windows) and compileOption("threads"):
         acquireSys echoLock
+        defer: releaseSys echoLock
       for s in args:
         when defined(windows):
-          writeWindows(stdout, s)
+          writeWindows(stdout, s, doRaise = echoDoRaise)
         else:
-          discard c_fwrite(s.cstring, cast[csize_t](s.len), 1, stdout)
+          checkErrMaybe(c_fwrite(s.cstring, cast[csize_t](s.len), 1, stdout) == s.len)
       const linefeed = "\n"
-      discard c_fwrite(linefeed.cstring, linefeed.len, 1, stdout)
-      discard c_fflush(stdout)
-      when stdOutLock:
-        funlockfile(stdout)
-      when defined(windows) and compileOption("threads"):
-        releaseSys echoLock
+      checkErrMaybe(c_fwrite(linefeed.cstring, linefeed.len, 1, stdout) == linefeed.len)
+      checkErrMaybe(c_fflush(stdout) == 0)
 
 
 when defined(windows) and not defined(nimscript) and not defined(js):
diff --git a/tests/exception/t16366.nim b/tests/exception/t16366.nim
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4bcad79ed0ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/exception/t16366.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+discard """
+  action: run
+  exitcode: 0
+  targets: "c cpp"
+  disabled: openbsd
+"""
+
+echo "foo1"
+close stdout
+doAssertRaises(IOError):
+  echo "foo"