diff --git a/lib/blockstore/file.js b/lib/blockstore/file.js
index e91da649..231dc573 100644
--- a/lib/blockstore/file.js
+++ b/lib/blockstore/file.js
@@ -191,9 +191,12 @@ class FileBlockStore extends AbstractBlockStore {
 
     const rec = await this.db.get(layout.f.encode(fileno));
 
+    let touch = false;
+
     if (rec) {
       filerecord = FileRecord.fromRaw(rec);
     } else {
+      touch = true;
       filerecord = new FileRecord({
         blocks: 0,
         used: 0,
@@ -204,6 +207,7 @@ class FileBlockStore extends AbstractBlockStore {
     if (filerecord.used + length > filerecord.length) {
       fileno += 1;
       filepath = this.filepath(fileno);
+      touch = true;
       filerecord = new FileRecord({
         blocks: 0,
         used: 0,
@@ -211,6 +215,11 @@ class FileBlockStore extends AbstractBlockStore {
       });
     }
 
+    if (touch) {
+      const fd = await fs.open(filepath, 'w');
+      await fs.close(fd);
+    }
+
     return {fileno, filerecord, filepath};
   }
 
@@ -240,7 +249,7 @@ class FileBlockStore extends AbstractBlockStore {
     bwm.writeU32(blength);
     const magic = bwm.render();
 
-    const fd = await fs.open(filepath, 'a');
+    const fd = await fs.open(filepath, 'r+');
 
     const mwritten = await fs.write(fd, magic, 0, mlength, mposition);
     const bwritten = await fs.write(fd, data, 0, blength, bposition);
diff --git a/test/blockstore-test.js b/test/blockstore-test.js
index 2dead60e..53043516 100644
--- a/test/blockstore-test.js
+++ b/test/blockstore-test.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const Logger = require('blgr');
+const bio = require('bufio');
 const assert = require('./util/assert');
 const common = require('./util/common');
 const {resolve} = require('path');
@@ -428,6 +429,54 @@ describe('BlockStore', function() {
       }
     });
 
+    it('will recover from interrupt during block write', async () => {
+      {
+        const block = random.randomBytes(128);
+        const hash = random.randomBytes(32);
+        await store.write(hash, block);
+
+        const block2 = await store.read(hash);
+        assert.bufferEqual(block2, block);
+      }
+
+      // Manually insert a partially written block to the
+      // end of file as would be the case of an untimely
+      // interrupted write of a block. The file record
+      // would not be updated to include the used bytes and
+      // thus this data should be overwritten.
+      {
+        const filepath = store.filepath(0);
+
+        const fd = await fs.open(filepath, 'a');
+
+        const bw = bio.write(8);
+        bw.writeU32(store.network.magic);
+        bw.writeU32(73);
+        const magic = bw.render();
+
+        const failblock = random.randomBytes(73);
+
+        const mwritten = await fs.write(fd, magic, 0, 8);
+        const bwritten = await fs.write(fd, failblock, 0, 73);
+
+        await fs.close(fd);
+
+        assert.equal(mwritten, 8);
+        assert.equal(bwritten, 73);
+      }
+
+      // Now check that this block has the correct position
+      // in the file and that it can be read correctly.
+      {
+        const block = random.randomBytes(128);
+        const hash = random.randomBytes(32);
+        await store.write(hash, block);
+
+        const block2 = await store.read(hash);
+        assert.bufferEqual(block2, block);
+      }
+    });
+
     it('will return null if block not found', async () => {
       const hash = random.randomBytes(32);
       const block = await store.read(hash);