diff --git a/py/_error.py b/py/_error.py
index 2f1d9e3a0..bd183e0db 100644
--- a/py/_error.py
+++ b/py/_error.py
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ class ErrorMaker(object):
             self._errno2class[eno] = errorcls
             return errorcls
 
-    def checked_call(self, func, *args):
+    def checked_call(self, func, *args, **kwargs):
         """ call a function and raise an errno-exception if applicable. """
         __tracebackhide__ = True
         try:
-            return func(*args)
+            return func(*args, **kwargs)
         except self.Error:
             raise
         except EnvironmentError:
diff --git a/testing/root/test_error.py b/testing/root/test_error.py
index 2450b171f..1b9cf70ef 100644
--- a/testing/root/test_error.py
+++ b/testing/root/test_error.py
@@ -24,3 +24,8 @@ def test_error_conversion_ENOTDIR(testdir):
     assert isinstance(excinfo.value, EnvironmentError)
     assert isinstance(excinfo.value, py.error.Error)
     assert "ENOTDIR" in repr(excinfo.value) 
+
+
+def test_checked_call_supports_kwargs(tmpdir):
+    import tempfile
+    py.error.checked_call(tempfile.mkdtemp, dir=str(tmpdir))