diff --git a/archive/tar/writer.go b/archive/tar/writer.go
index dafb2ca..9dbc01a 100644
--- a/archive/tar/writer.go
+++ b/archive/tar/writer.go
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ func paxHeader(msg string) string {
 // hdr.Size bytes are written after WriteHeader.
 func (tw *Writer) Write(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	if tw.closed {
-		err = ErrWriteTooLong
+		err = ErrWriteAfterClose
 		return
 	}
 	overwrite := false
diff --git a/archive/tar/writer_test.go b/archive/tar/writer_test.go
index 5e42e32..650899a 100644
--- a/archive/tar/writer_test.go
+++ b/archive/tar/writer_test.go
@@ -489,3 +489,20 @@ func TestValidTypeflagWithPAXHeader(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestWriteAfterClose(t *testing.T) {
+	var buffer bytes.Buffer
+	tw := NewWriter(&buffer)
+
+	hdr := &Header{
+		Name: "small.txt",
+		Size: 5,
+	}
+	if err := tw.WriteHeader(hdr); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to write header: %s", err)
+	}
+	tw.Close()
+	if _, err := tw.Write([]byte("Kilts")); err != ErrWriteAfterClose {
+		t.Fatalf("Write: got %v; want ErrWriteAfterClose", err)
+	}
+}