diff --git a/src/fileimpl.cpp b/src/fileimpl.cpp
index 05d8c629..b5413df5 100644
--- a/src/fileimpl.cpp
+++ b/src/fileimpl.cpp
@@ -164,15 +164,35 @@ class BadSizedFile: public std::exception {};
   //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
   // FileImpl
   //
-  std::shared_ptr<FileImpl> FileImpl::openSinglePieceOrSplitZimFile(const std::string& filename) {
+  std::shared_ptr<FileImpl> FileImpl::openSinglePieceOrSplitZimFile(std::string fname) {
+    bool found = false;
+    std::shared_ptr<FileCompound> fileCompound;
     try {
-      return std::shared_ptr<FileImpl>(
-        new FileImpl(std::make_shared<FileCompound>(filename))
-      );
-    } catch (...) {
-      return std::shared_ptr<FileImpl>(
-        new FileImpl(std::make_shared<FileCompound>(filename, FileCompound::MultiPartToken::Multi))
-      );
+      fileCompound = std::make_shared<FileCompound>(fname);
+      found = true;
+    } catch(...) { }
+    if (found) {
+      try {
+        return std::shared_ptr<FileImpl>(new FileImpl(fileCompound));
+      } catch(BadSizedFile& e) {
+        if (fname.size() > 6 && fname.substr(fname.size()-6) == ".zimaa") {
+          // We have tried to open a split file. Let's continue with "aa" postfix removed.
+          fname.resize(fname.size()-2);
+        } else {
+          // We have found a (not split) file but it is too small.
+          throw ZimFileFormatError("Zim file(s) is too small.");
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Either we haven't succeed to open fname (.zim) or the file (.zimaa) is too small.
+    // Let's try to open as split files.
+    fileCompound = std::make_shared<FileCompound>(fname, FileCompound::MultiPartToken::Multi);
+    try {
+      return std::shared_ptr<FileImpl>(new FileImpl(fileCompound));
+    } catch (BadSizedFile& e) {
+      // BadSizedFile is internal error.
+      throw ZimFileFormatError("Zim file(s) is too small.");
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/fileimpl.h b/src/fileimpl.h
index 53ead5ba..14d8d475 100644
--- a/src/fileimpl.h
+++ b/src/fileimpl.h
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ namespace zim
       using FindxResult = std::pair<bool, entry_index_t>;
       using FindxTitleResult = std::pair<bool, title_index_t>;
 
-      static std::shared_ptr<FileImpl> openSinglePieceOrSplitZimFile(const std::string& fname);
+      static std::shared_ptr<FileImpl> openSinglePieceOrSplitZimFile(std::string fname);
 #ifndef _WIN32
       explicit FileImpl(int fd);
       explicit FileImpl(FdInput fd);
diff --git a/test/archive.cpp b/test/archive.cpp
index 230b27ef..f1d022e7 100644
--- a/test/archive.cpp
+++ b/test/archive.cpp
@@ -264,6 +264,31 @@ TEST(ZimArchive, openRealZimArchive)
   }
 }
 
+TEST(ZimArchive, openSplitZimArchive)
+{
+  const char* fname = "wikibooks_be_all_nopic_2017-02_splitted.zim";
+
+  for (auto& testfile: getDataFilePath(fname)) {
+    const TestContext ctx{ {"path", testfile.path+"aa" } };
+    std::unique_ptr<zim::Archive> archive;
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW( archive.reset(new zim::Archive(testfile.path+"aa")) ) << ctx;
+    if ( archive ) {
+      EXPECT_TRUE( archive->check() ) << ctx;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+TEST(ZimArchive, openDontFallbackOnNonSplitZimArchive)
+{
+  const char* fname = "wikibooks_be_all_nopic_2017-02.zim";
+
+  for (auto& testfile: getDataFilePath(fname)) {
+    const TestContext ctx{ {"path", testfile.path+"aa" } };
+    std::unique_ptr<zim::Archive> archive;
+    EXPECT_THROW( archive.reset(new zim::Archive(testfile.path+"aa")), std::runtime_error) << ctx;
+  }
+}
+
 TEST(ZimArchive, randomEntry)
 {
   const char* const zimfiles[] = {
@@ -404,7 +429,7 @@ TEST(ZimArchive, validate)
 
   TEST_BROKEN_ZIM_NAME(
     "invalid.smaller_than_header.zim",
-    "zim-file is too small to contain a header\n"
+    "Zim file(s) is too small.\n"
   );
 
   TEST_BROKEN_ZIM_NAME(
@@ -434,7 +459,7 @@ TEST(ZimArchive, validate)
 
   TEST_BROKEN_ZIM_NAME(
     "invalid.invalid_checksumpos.zim",
-    "Checksum position is not valid\n"
+    "Zim file(s) is too small.\n"
   );
 
   TEST_BROKEN_ZIM_NAME(