diff --git a/crates/nu-cmd-lang/src/core_commands/do_.rs b/crates/nu-cmd-lang/src/core_commands/do_.rs
index 6043a8681a..36fb13cf10 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cmd-lang/src/core_commands/do_.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cmd-lang/src/core_commands/do_.rs
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ impl Command for Do {
                                     None,
                                 )
                             })
-                            .map_err(|e| e.into_spanned(call.head))
+                            .err_span(call.head)
                     })
                     .transpose()?;
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-cmd-plugin/src/commands/plugin/add.rs b/crates/nu-cmd-plugin/src/commands/plugin/add.rs
index 156b80f1f1..d615ed8de6 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cmd-plugin/src/commands/plugin/add.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cmd-plugin/src/commands/plugin/add.rs
@@ -106,9 +106,7 @@ apparent the next time `nu` is next launched with that plugin cache file.
 
         let shell_expanded = shell
             .as_ref()
-            .map(|s| {
-                nu_path::canonicalize_with(&s.item, &cwd).map_err(|err| err.into_spanned(s.span))
-            })
+            .map(|s| nu_path::canonicalize_with(&s.item, &cwd).err_span(s.span))
             .transpose()?;
 
         // Parse the plugin filename so it can be used to spawn the plugin
diff --git a/crates/nu-cmd-plugin/src/util.rs b/crates/nu-cmd-plugin/src/util.rs
index c728c12e89..e24e72eab8 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cmd-plugin/src/util.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cmd-plugin/src/util.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ pub(crate) fn modify_plugin_file(
     // Try to read the plugin file if it exists
     let mut contents = if fs::metadata(&plugin_cache_file_path).is_ok_and(|m| m.len() > 0) {
         PluginCacheFile::read_from(
-            File::open(&plugin_cache_file_path).map_err(|err| err.into_spanned(span))?,
+            File::open(&plugin_cache_file_path).err_span(span)?,
             Some(span),
         )?
     } else {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ pub(crate) fn modify_plugin_file(
 
     // Save the modified file on success
     contents.write_to(
-        File::create(&plugin_cache_file_path).map_err(|err| err.into_spanned(span))?,
+        File::create(&plugin_cache_file_path).err_span(span)?,
         Some(span),
     )?;
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/save.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/save.rs
index 30be3da818..852dbf529e 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/save.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/save.rs
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ impl Command for Save {
                                     .spawn(move || stderr.drain()),
                             })
                             .transpose()
-                            .map_err(|e| e.into_spanned(span))?;
+                            .err_span(span)?;
 
                         let res = stream_to_file(stdout, file, span, progress);
                         if let Some(h) = handler {
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/tee.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/tee.rs
index 490e66a7c9..5287f44512 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/tee.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/tee.rs
@@ -125,8 +125,7 @@ use it in your pipeline."#
                 if use_stderr {
                     let stderr = stderr
                         .map(|stderr| {
-                            let iter = tee(stderr.stream, with_stream)
-                                .map_err(|e| e.into_spanned(call.head))?;
+                            let iter = tee(stderr.stream, with_stream).err_span(call.head)?;
                             Ok::<_, ShellError>(RawStream::new(
                                 Box::new(iter.map(flatten_result)),
                                 stderr.ctrlc,
@@ -146,8 +145,7 @@ use it in your pipeline."#
                 } else {
                     let stdout = stdout
                         .map(|stdout| {
-                            let iter = tee(stdout.stream, with_stream)
-                                .map_err(|e| e.into_spanned(call.head))?;
+                            let iter = tee(stdout.stream, with_stream).err_span(call.head)?;
                             Ok::<_, ShellError>(RawStream::new(
                                 Box::new(iter.map(flatten_result)),
                                 stdout.ctrlc,
@@ -189,7 +187,7 @@ use it in your pipeline."#
                     // Make sure to drain any iterator produced to avoid unexpected behavior
                     result.and_then(|data| data.drain())
                 })
-                .map_err(|e| e.into_spanned(call.head))?
+                .err_span(call.head)?
                 .map(move |result| result.unwrap_or_else(|err| Value::error(err, closure_span)))
                 .into_pipeline_data_with_metadata(metadata, engine_state.ctrlc.clone());
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/system/complete.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/system/complete.rs
index 48f04b4ff3..e12f65fb5a 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/system/complete.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/system/complete.rs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ impl Command for Complete {
                                 }
                             })
                             .map(|handle| (handle, stderr_span))
-                            .map_err(|err| err.into_spanned(call.head))
+                            .err_span(call.head)
                     })
                     .transpose()?;
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
index 1363481311..85d3f19f54 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ impl ExternalCommand {
 
                                 Ok(())
                             })
-                            .map_err(|e| e.into_spanned(head))?;
+                            .err_span(head)?;
                     }
                 }
 
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ impl ExternalCommand {
                             Ok(())
                         }
                     })
-                    .map_err(|e| e.into_spanned(head))?;
+                    .err_span(head)?;
 
                 let exit_code_receiver = ValueReceiver::new(exit_code_rx);
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-engine/src/command_prelude.rs b/crates/nu-engine/src/command_prelude.rs
index 2764629683..089a2fb8fa 100644
--- a/crates/nu-engine/src/command_prelude.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-engine/src/command_prelude.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ pub use crate::CallExt;
 pub use nu_protocol::{
     ast::{Call, CellPath},
     engine::{Command, EngineState, Stack},
-    record, Category, Example, IntoInterruptiblePipelineData, IntoPipelineData, IntoSpanned,
-    PipelineData, Record, ShellError, Signature, Span, Spanned, SyntaxShape, Type, Value,
+    record, Category, ErrSpan, Example, IntoInterruptiblePipelineData, IntoPipelineData,
+    IntoSpanned, PipelineData, Record, ShellError, Signature, Span, Spanned, SyntaxShape, Type,
+    Value,
 };
diff --git a/crates/nu-parser/src/parse_keywords.rs b/crates/nu-parser/src/parse_keywords.rs
index 537d5c3f80..84121e5aee 100644
--- a/crates/nu-parser/src/parse_keywords.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-parser/src/parse_keywords.rs
@@ -3550,8 +3550,7 @@ pub fn parse_where(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, lite_command: &LiteCommand
 pub fn parse_register(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, lite_command: &LiteCommand) -> Pipeline {
     use nu_plugin::{get_signature, PersistentPlugin, PluginDeclaration};
     use nu_protocol::{
-        engine::Stack, IntoSpanned, PluginCacheItem, PluginIdentity, PluginSignature,
-        RegisteredPlugin,
+        engine::Stack, ErrSpan, PluginCacheItem, PluginIdentity, PluginSignature, RegisteredPlugin,
     };
 
     let spans = &lite_command.parts;
@@ -3694,8 +3693,7 @@ pub fn parse_register(working_set: &mut StateWorkingSet, lite_command: &LiteComm
         let path = path.path_buf();
 
         // Create the plugin identity. This validates that the plugin name starts with `nu_plugin_`
-        let identity =
-            PluginIdentity::new(path, shell).map_err(|err| err.into_spanned(path_span))?;
+        let identity = PluginIdentity::new(path, shell).err_span(path_span)?;
 
         // Find garbage collection config
         let gc_config = working_set
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/span.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/span.rs
index db2885c1a4..7bc13997a1 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/span.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/span.rs
@@ -147,3 +147,34 @@ pub fn span(spans: &[Span]) -> Span {
         Span::new(spans[0].start, end)
     }
 }
+
+/// An extension trait for `Result`, which adds a span to the error type.
+pub trait ErrSpan {
+    type Result;
+
+    /// Add the given span to the error type `E`, turning it into a `Spanned<E>`.
+    ///
+    /// Some auto-conversion methods to `ShellError` from other error types are available on spanned
+    /// errors, to give users better information about where an error came from. For example, it is
+    /// preferred when working with `std::io::Error`:
+    ///
+    /// ```no_run
+    /// use nu_protocol::{ErrSpan, ShellError, Span};
+    /// use std::io::Read;
+    ///
+    /// fn read_from(mut reader: impl Read, span: Span) -> Result<Vec<u8>, ShellError> {
+    ///     let mut vec = vec![];
+    ///     reader.read_to_end(&mut vec).err_span(span)?;
+    ///     Ok(vec)
+    /// }
+    /// ```
+    fn err_span(self, span: Span) -> Self::Result;
+}
+
+impl<T, E> ErrSpan for Result<T, E> {
+    type Result = Result<T, Spanned<E>>;
+
+    fn err_span(self, span: Span) -> Self::Result {
+        self.map_err(|err| err.into_spanned(span))
+    }
+}