diff --git a/doc/us/manual.html b/doc/us/manual.html
index a5843ed..48a8e5b 100644
--- a/doc/us/manual.html
+++ b/doc/us/manual.html
@@ -221,8 +221,8 @@ LuaFileSystem offers the following functions:
 
     <dt><a name="setmode"></a><strong><code>lfs.setmode (file, mode)</code></strong></dt>
     <dd>Sets the writing mode for a file. The mode string can be either <code>binary</code> or <code>text</code>.
-    Returns the previous mode string for the file. This function is only available in Windows, so you may want to make sure that
-    <code>lfs.setmode</code> exists before using it.
+    Returns the previous mode string for the file. On non-Windows platforms, where the two modes are identical,
+    setting the mode has no effect, and the mode is always returned as <code>binary</code>.
     </dd>
     
     <dt><a name="symlinkattributes"></a><strong><code>lfs.symlinkattributes (filepath [, aname])</code></strong></dt>
diff --git a/src/lfs.c b/src/lfs.c
index 63d2dbd..e78aae6 100644
--- a/src/lfs.c
+++ b/src/lfs.c
@@ -100,8 +100,7 @@ typedef struct dir_data {
 #else
 #define _O_TEXT               0
 #define _O_BINARY             0
-#define lfs_setmode(L,file,m)   ((void)((void)file,m),  \
-		 luaL_error(L, LUA_QL("setmode") " not supported on this platform"), -1)
+#define lfs_setmode(L,file,m)   0
 #define STAT_STRUCT struct stat
 #define STAT_FUNC stat
 #define LSTAT_FUNC lstat
@@ -281,10 +280,9 @@ static int lfs_unlock_dir(lua_State *L) {
 }
 #endif
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
 static int lfs_g_setmode (lua_State *L, FILE *f, int arg) {
-  static const int mode[] = {_O_TEXT, _O_BINARY};
-  static const char *const modenames[] = {"text", "binary", NULL};
+  static const int mode[] = {_O_BINARY, _O_TEXT};
+  static const char *const modenames[] = {"binary", "text", NULL};
   int op = luaL_checkoption(L, arg, NULL, modenames);
   int res = lfs_setmode(L, f, mode[op]);
   if (res != -1) {
@@ -307,13 +305,6 @@ static int lfs_g_setmode (lua_State *L, FILE *f, int arg) {
     return 3;
   }
 }
-#else
-static int lfs_g_setmode (lua_State *L, FILE *f, int arg) {
-  lua_pushboolean(L, 0);
-  lua_pushliteral(L, "setmode not supported on this platform");
-  return 2;
-}
-#endif
 
 static int lfs_f_setmode(lua_State *L) {
   return lfs_g_setmode(L, check_file(L, 1, "setmode"), 2);
diff --git a/tests/test.lua b/tests/test.lua
index 133bac2..6eb9f70 100644
--- a/tests/test.lua
+++ b/tests/test.lua
@@ -76,15 +76,13 @@ if (os.execute ("ln -s "..tmpfile.." _a_link_for_test_")) then
   assert (os.remove"_a_link_for_test_")
 end
 
-if lfs.setmode then
-    -- Checking text/binary modes (works only in Windows)
-    local f = io.open(tmpfile, "w")
-    local result, mode = lfs.setmode(f, "binary")
-    assert((result and mode == "text") or (not result and mode == "setmode not supported on this platform"))
-    result, mode = lfs.setmode(f, "text")
-    assert((result and mode == "binary") or (not result and mode == "setmode not supported on this platform"))
-    f:close()
-end
+-- Checking text/binary modes (only has an effect in Windows)
+local f = io.open(tmpfile, "w")
+local result, mode = lfs.setmode(f, "binary")
+assert(result) -- on non-Windows platforms, mode is always returned as "binary"
+result, mode = lfs.setmode(f, "text")
+assert(result and mode == "binary")
+f:close()
     
 -- Restore access time to current value
 assert (lfs.touch (tmpfile, attrib.access, attrib.modification))