diff --git a/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/network/custom.py b/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/network/custom.py
index e290a326179..544dc95289e 100644
--- a/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/network/custom.py
+++ b/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/network/custom.py
@@ -2046,11 +2046,17 @@ def import_zone(cmd, resource_group_name, zone_name, file_name):
     logger.warning("In the future, zone name will be case insensitive.")
     RecordSet = cmd.get_models('RecordSet', resource_type=ResourceType.MGMT_NETWORK_DNS)
 
-    from azure.cli.core.azclierror import FileOperationError
+    from azure.cli.core.azclierror import FileOperationError, UnknownError
     try:
         file_text = read_file_content(file_name)
-    except FileNotFoundError as e:
-        raise FileOperationError(e)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        raise FileOperationError("No such file: " + str(file_name))
+    except IsADirectoryError:
+        raise FileOperationError("Is a directory: " + str(file_name))
+    except PermissionError:
+        raise FileOperationError("Permission denied: " + str(file_name))
+    except OSError as e:
+        raise UnknownError(e)
 
     zone_obj = parse_zone_file(file_text, zone_name)
 
diff --git a/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/network/tests/latest/test_dns_commands.py b/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/network/tests/latest/test_dns_commands.py
index 5f57c925653..f29540d050a 100644
--- a/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/network/tests/latest/test_dns_commands.py
+++ b/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/network/tests/latest/test_dns_commands.py
@@ -61,12 +61,41 @@ def _test_zone(self, zone_name, filename):
 
     @live_only()
     @ResourceGroupPreparer(name_prefix='test_dns_import_file_not_found')
-    def test_dns_import_file_not_found(self, resource_group):
+    def test_dns_import_file_operation_error(self, resource_group):
+        import sys
+        if sys.platform != 'linux':
+            self.skip('This test should run on Linux platform')
+
         from azure.cli.core.azclierror import FileOperationError
-        with self.assertRaises(FileOperationError) as e:
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(FileOperationError, 'No such file: ') as e:
             self._test_zone('404zone.com', 'non_existing_zone_description_file.txt')
             self.assertEqual(e.errno, 1)
 
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(FileOperationError, 'Is a directory: ') as e:
+            self._test_zone('404zone.com', '')
+            self.assertEqual(e.errno, 1)
+
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(FileOperationError, 'Permission denied: ') as e:
+            self._test_zone('404zone.com', '/root/')
+            self.assertEqual(e.errno, 1)
+
+    @live_only()
+    @ResourceGroupPreparer(name_prefix='test_dns_import_file_operation_error_windows')
+    def test_dns_import_file_operation_error_windows(self, resource_group):
+        import sys
+        if sys.platform != 'win32':
+            self.skip('This test should run on Windows platform')
+
+        from azure.cli.core.azclierror import FileOperationError
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(FileOperationError, 'No such file: ') as e:
+            self._test_zone('404zone.com', 'non_existing_zone_description_file.txt')
+            self.assertEqual(e.errno, 1)
+
+        # Difference with Linux platform while reading a directory
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(FileOperationError, 'Permission denied:') as e:
+            self._test_zone('404zone.com', '.')
+            self.assertEqual(e.errno, 1)
+
     @ResourceGroupPreparer(name_prefix='cli_dns_zone1_import')
     def test_dns_zone1_import(self, resource_group):
         self._test_zone('zone1.com', 'zone1.txt')
diff --git a/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/privatedns/custom.py b/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/privatedns/custom.py
index bfa22bbc177..6861ec3f31b 100644
--- a/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/privatedns/custom.py
+++ b/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/privatedns/custom.py
@@ -27,13 +27,24 @@ def list_privatedns_zones(cmd, resource_group_name=None):
     return client.list()
 
 
-# pylint: disable=too-many-statements, too-many-locals
+# pylint: disable=too-many-statements, too-many-locals, too-many-branches
 def import_zone(cmd, resource_group_name, private_zone_name, file_name):
     from azure.cli.core.util import read_file_content
     import sys
     from azure.mgmt.privatedns.models import RecordSet
 
-    file_text = read_file_content(file_name)
+    from azure.cli.core.azclierror import FileOperationError, UnknownError
+    try:
+        file_text = read_file_content(file_name)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        raise FileOperationError("No such file: " + str(file_name))
+    except IsADirectoryError:
+        raise FileOperationError("Is a directory: " + str(file_name))
+    except PermissionError:
+        raise FileOperationError("Permission denied: " + str(file_name))
+    except OSError as e:
+        raise UnknownError(e)
+
     zone_obj = parse_zone_file(file_text, private_zone_name)
     origin = private_zone_name
     record_sets = {}
diff --git a/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/privatedns/tests/latest/test_privatedns_commands.py b/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/privatedns/tests/latest/test_privatedns_commands.py
index 36fafb7c253..0c1f455932b 100644
--- a/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/privatedns/tests/latest/test_privatedns_commands.py
+++ b/src/azure-cli/azure/cli/command_modules/privatedns/tests/latest/test_privatedns_commands.py
@@ -955,6 +955,41 @@ def _test_PrivateDnsZone(self, zone_name, filename):
         # verify that each record in the original import is unchanged after export/re-import
         self._check_records(records1, records2)
 
+    @ResourceGroupPreparer(name_prefix='test_Private_Dns_import_file_not_found')
+    def test_Private_Dns_import_file_operation_error_linux(self, resource_group):
+        import sys
+        if sys.platform != 'linux':
+            self.skip('This test should run on Linux platform')
+
+        from azure.cli.core.azclierror import FileOperationError
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(FileOperationError, 'No such file: ') as e:
+            self._test_PrivateDnsZone('404zone.com', 'non_existing_zone_description_file.txt')
+            self.assertEqual(e.errno, 1)
+
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(FileOperationError, 'Is a directory: ') as e:
+            self._test_PrivateDnsZone('404zone.com', '')
+            self.assertEqual(e.errno, 1)
+
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(FileOperationError, 'Permission denied: ') as e:
+            self._test_PrivateDnsZone('404zone.com', '/root/')
+            self.assertEqual(e.errno, 1)
+
+    @ResourceGroupPreparer(name_prefix='test_dns_import_file_operation_error_windows')
+    def test_Private_Dns_import_file_operation_error_windows(self, resource_group):
+        import sys
+        if sys.platform != 'win32':
+            self.skip('This test should run on Windows platform')
+
+        from azure.cli.core.azclierror import FileOperationError
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(FileOperationError, 'No such file: ') as e:
+            self._test_PrivateDnsZone('404zone.com', 'non_existing_zone_description_file.txt')
+            self.assertEqual(e.errno, 1)
+
+        # Difference with Linux platform while reading a directory
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(FileOperationError, 'Permission denied:') as e:
+            self._test_PrivateDnsZone('404zone.com', '.')
+            self.assertEqual(e.errno, 1)
+
     @ResourceGroupPreparer(name_prefix='cli_private_dns_zone1_import')
     def test_Private_Dns_Zone1_Import(self, resource_group):
         self._test_PrivateDnsZone('zone1.com', 'zone1.txt')