diff --git a/lib/widget/wtools.h b/lib/widget/wtools.h
index 510f3f51d..e9e9ee839 100644
--- a/lib/widget/wtools.h
+++ b/lib/widget/wtools.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ char *input_dialog_help (const char *header, const char *text, const char *help,
 char *input_expand_dialog (const char *header, const char *text, const char *history_name,
                            const char *def_text, input_complete_t completion_flags);
 
-int query_dialog (const char *header, const char *text, int flags, int count, ...);
+MC_MOCKABLE int query_dialog (const char *header, const char *text, int flags, int count, ...);
 void query_set_sel (int new_sel);
 
 /* Create message box but don't dismiss it yet, not background safe */
diff --git a/src/filemanager/file.c b/src/filemanager/file.c
index d4b08ab39..30ac223b8 100644
--- a/src/filemanager/file.c
+++ b/src/filemanager/file.c
@@ -2762,10 +2762,11 @@ copy_file_file (file_op_context_t *ctx, const char *src_path, const char *dst_pa
 
             // src_read
             if (mc_ctl (src_desc, VFS_CTL_IS_NOTREADY, 0) == 0)
-                while ((n_read = mc_read (src_desc, buf, bufsize)) < 0 && !ctx->ignore_all)
+                while ((n_read = mc_read (src_desc, buf, bufsize)) < 0)
                 {
-                    return_status =
-                        file_error (ctx, TRUE, _ ("Cannot read source file\n%s"), src_path);
+                    return_status = ctx->ignore_all
+                        ? FILE_IGNORE_ALL
+                        : file_error (ctx, TRUE, _ ("Cannot read source file\n%s"), src_path);
                     if (return_status == FILE_RETRY)
                         continue;
                     if (return_status == FILE_IGNORE_ALL)
@@ -2923,13 +2924,21 @@ copy_file_file (file_op_context_t *ctx, const char *src_path, const char *dst_pa
 
     if (dst_status == DEST_SHORT_QUERY)
     {
-        // Query to remove short file
-        if (query_dialog (Q_ ("DialogTitle|Copy"), _ ("Incomplete file was retrieved"), D_ERROR, 2,
-                          _ ("&Delete"), _ ("&Keep"))
-            == 0)
-            dst_status = DEST_SHORT_DELETE;
+        if (ctx->ignore_all)
+        {
+            // "Ignore all" answers this question too, but never deletes pre-existing data
+            dst_status = appending ? DEST_SHORT_KEEP : DEST_SHORT_DELETE;
+        }
         else
-            dst_status = DEST_SHORT_KEEP;
+        {
+            // Query to remove short file
+            if (query_dialog (Q_ ("DialogTitle|Copy"), _ ("Incomplete file was retrieved"), D_ERROR,
+                              2, _ ("&Delete"), _ ("&Keep"))
+                == 0)
+                dst_status = DEST_SHORT_DELETE;
+            else
+                dst_status = DEST_SHORT_KEEP;
+        }
     }
 
     if (dst_status == DEST_SHORT_DELETE)
diff --git a/tests/src/filemanager/Makefile.am b/tests/src/filemanager/Makefile.am
index 7a902ce0b..823010a7e 100644
--- a/tests/src/filemanager/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/src/filemanager/Makefile.am
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ endif
 
 TESTS = \
 	cd_to \
+	copy_file_file \
 	examine_cd \
 	exec_get_export_variables_ext \
 	ext__exec_make_shell_string \
@@ -29,6 +30,9 @@ check_PROGRAMS = $(TESTS)
 cd_to_SOURCES = \
 	cd_to.c
 
+copy_file_file_SOURCES = \
+	copy_file_file.c
+
 examine_cd_SOURCES = \
 	examine_cd.c
 
diff --git a/tests/src/filemanager/copy_file_file.c b/tests/src/filemanager/copy_file_file.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9e1feb68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/filemanager/copy_file_file.c
@@ -0,0 +1,230 @@
+/*
+   src/filemanager - tests for copy_file_file() function
+
+   Copyright (C) 2026
+   Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+   This file is part of the Midnight Commander.
+
+   The Midnight Commander is free software: you can redistribute it
+   and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+   published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License,
+   or (at your option) any later version.
+
+   The Midnight Commander is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#define TEST_SUITE_NAME "/src/filemanager"
+
+#include "tests/mctest.h"
+
+#include <errno.h>
+
+#include "src/vfs/local/local.c"
+
+#include "src/filemanager/file.c"
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/* Give up injecting read errors after this many calls, so that a regression makes the test
+   fail instead of hanging forever */
+#define READ_ERRORS_MAX 1000
+
+static const char test_content[] = "Midnight Commander copy_file_file() test data\n";
+
+static char *test_dir = NULL;
+static char *src_path = NULL;
+static char *dst_path = NULL;
+
+static gboolean read_fails = FALSE;
+static int read_calls = 0;
+static int query_dialog_calls = 0;
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/* @Mock */
+void
+mc_refresh (void)
+{
+}
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/* @Mock */
+void
+message (int flags, const char *title, const char *text, ...)
+{
+    (void) flags;
+    (void) title;
+    (void) text;
+}
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/* @Mock */
+int
+query_dialog (const char *header, const char *text, int flags, int count, ...)
+{
+    (void) header;
+    (void) text;
+    (void) flags;
+    (void) count;
+
+    query_dialog_calls++;
+
+    // "Incomplete file was retrieved": Delete
+    return 0;
+}
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/* Fault injection at the VFS layer: fail every read of the local file system with EIO, like
+   reading a damaged sector does */
+static ssize_t
+test_local_read (void *data, char *buffer, size_t count)
+{
+    read_calls++;
+
+    if (read_fails && read_calls <= READ_ERRORS_MAX)
+    {
+        errno = EIO;
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (read_fails)
+        return 0;
+
+    return local_read (data, buffer, count);
+}
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/* @Before */
+static void
+setup (void)
+{
+    str_init_strings (NULL);
+
+    vfs_init ();
+    vfs_init_localfs ();
+    vfs_setup_work_dir ();
+
+    vfs_local_ops->read = test_local_read;
+
+    // no UI in tests
+    nice_rotating_dash = FALSE;
+    verbose = FALSE;
+    // force the read()/write() loop instead of reflinking the file
+    mc_global.vfs.file_cloning = FALSE;
+    mc_global.vfs.preallocate_space = FALSE;
+
+    test_dir = g_dir_make_tmp ("mc-test-copy_file_file-XXXXXX", NULL);
+    ck_assert_ptr_nonnull (test_dir);
+    src_path = g_build_filename (test_dir, "src", (char *) NULL);
+    dst_path = g_build_filename (test_dir, "dst", (char *) NULL);
+    ck_assert (g_file_set_contents (src_path, test_content, -1, NULL));
+
+    read_fails = FALSE;
+    read_calls = 0;
+    query_dialog_calls = 0;
+}
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/* @After */
+static void
+teardown (void)
+{
+    (void) unlink (dst_path);
+    (void) unlink (src_path);
+    (void) rmdir (test_dir);
+    g_free (dst_path);
+    g_free (src_path);
+    g_free (test_dir);
+
+    vfs_shut ();
+    str_uninit_strings ();
+}
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/* @Test */
+START_TEST (test_copy_file_file_ok)
+{
+    // given
+    file_op_context_t *ctx;
+    FileProgressStatus status;
+    char *dst_content = NULL;
+
+    ctx = file_op_context_new (OP_COPY);
+
+    // when
+    status = copy_file_file (ctx, src_path, dst_path);
+
+    // then
+    ck_assert_int_eq (status, FILE_CONT);
+    ck_assert (g_file_get_contents (dst_path, &dst_content, NULL, NULL));
+    mctest_assert_str_eq (dst_content, test_content);
+    ck_assert_int_eq (query_dialog_calls, 0);
+
+    g_free (dst_content);
+    file_op_context_destroy (ctx);
+}
+END_TEST
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/* Ticket #4631: after "Ignore all", a read error must skip the file instead of retrying the
+   failing read forever */
+
+/* @Test */
+START_TEST (test_copy_file_file_read_error_ignore_all)
+{
+    // given
+    file_op_context_t *ctx;
+    FileProgressStatus status;
+
+    ctx = file_op_context_new (OP_COPY);
+    ctx->ignore_all = TRUE;
+    read_fails = TRUE;
+
+    // when
+    status = copy_file_file (ctx, src_path, dst_path);
+
+    // then
+    ck_assert_int_eq (read_calls, 1);
+    ck_assert_int_eq (status, FILE_IGNORE_ALL);
+    ck_assert (ctx->ignore_all);
+    // the incomplete target file is deleted
+    ck_assert (!g_file_test (dst_path, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS));
+
+    file_op_context_destroy (ctx);
+}
+END_TEST
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+int
+main (void)
+{
+    TCase *tc_core;
+
+    tc_core = tcase_create ("Core");
+
+    tcase_add_checked_fixture (tc_core, setup, teardown);
+
+    // Add new tests here: ***************
+    tcase_add_test (tc_core, test_copy_file_file_ok);
+    tcase_add_test (tc_core, test_copy_file_file_read_error_ignore_all);
+    // ***********************************
+
+    return mctest_run_all (tc_core);
+}
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */