diff --git a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core.hpp b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core.hpp
index a1d196d677..fe3af39365 100644
--- a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core.hpp
+++ b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core.hpp
@@ -3139,6 +3139,7 @@ public:
     template<typename _Tp> static Ptr<_Tp> load(const String& filename, const String& objname=String())
     {
         FileStorage fs(filename, FileStorage::READ);
+        CV_Assert(fs.isOpened());
         FileNode fn = objname.empty() ? fs.getFirstTopLevelNode() : fs[objname];
         if (fn.empty()) return Ptr<_Tp>();
         Ptr<_Tp> obj = _Tp::create();
diff --git a/modules/ml/src/ann_mlp.cpp b/modules/ml/src/ann_mlp.cpp
index cbaa6dbf39..4a47b3df42 100644
--- a/modules/ml/src/ann_mlp.cpp
+++ b/modules/ml/src/ann_mlp.cpp
@@ -1399,7 +1399,7 @@ Ptr<ANN_MLP> ANN_MLP::load(const String& filepath)
 {
     FileStorage fs;
     fs.open(filepath, FileStorage::READ);
-
+    CV_Assert(fs.isOpened());
     Ptr<ANN_MLP> ann = makePtr<ANN_MLPImpl>();
 
     ((ANN_MLPImpl*)ann.get())->read(fs.getFirstTopLevelNode());