diff --git a/disk-error-handler.hh b/disk-error-handler.hh
index 09b74be7e8..1693d0f0af 100644
--- a/disk-error-handler.hh
+++ b/disk-error-handler.hh
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ extern thread_local disk_error_signal_type sstable_read_error;
 extern thread_local disk_error_signal_type sstable_write_error;
 extern thread_local disk_error_signal_type general_disk_error;
 
+bool should_stop_on_system_error(const std::system_error& e);
+
 template<typename Func, typename... Args>
 std::enable_if_t<!is_future<std::result_of_t<Func(Args&&...)>>::value,
 		         std::result_of_t<Func(Args&&...)>>
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ do_io_check(disk_error_signal_type& signal, Func&& func, Args&&... args) {
         // calling function
         return func(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
     } catch (std::system_error& e) {
-        if (is_system_error_errno(EIO)) {
+        if (should_stop_on_system_error(e)) {
             signal();
             throw storage_io_error(e);
         }
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ auto do_io_check(disk_error_signal_type& signal, Func&& func, Args&&... args) {
             try {
                 std::rethrow_exception(ep);
             } catch (std::system_error& sys_err) {
-                if (is_system_error_errno(EIO)) {
+                if (should_stop_on_system_error(sys_err)) {
                     signal();
                     throw storage_io_error(sys_err);
                 }
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@ auto do_io_check(disk_error_signal_type& signal, Func&& func, Args&&... args) {
             return futurize<std::result_of_t<Func(Args&&...)>>::make_exception_future(ep);
         });
     } catch (std::system_error& e) {
-        if (is_system_error_errno(EIO)) {
+        if (should_stop_on_system_error(e)) {
             signal();
             throw storage_io_error(e);
         }
diff --git a/utils/exceptions.cc b/utils/exceptions.cc
index a4c15529d4..99af919ceb 100644
--- a/utils/exceptions.cc
+++ b/utils/exceptions.cc
@@ -49,3 +49,9 @@ bool is_system_error_errno(int err_no)
                code.category() == std::system_category();
     });
 }
+
+bool should_stop_on_system_error(const std::system_error& e) {
+    // We may whitelist transient errors in the future, but for now,
+    // be conservative.
+    return true;
+}