diff --git a/core/shared/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IO.scala b/core/shared/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IO.scala
index 711c7b8d4c..ee3a9da1fc 100644
--- a/core/shared/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IO.scala
+++ b/core/shared/src/main/scala/cats/effect/IO.scala
@@ -489,11 +489,8 @@ sealed abstract class IO[+A] private () extends IOPlatform[A] {
   def guarantee(finalizer: IO[Unit]): IO[A] =
     // this is a little faster than the default implementation, which helps Resource
     IO uncancelable { poll =>
-      val handled = finalizer handleErrorWith { t =>
-        IO.executionContext.flatMap(ec => IO(ec.reportFailure(t)))
-      }
-
-      poll(this).onCancel(finalizer).onError(_ => handled).flatTap(_ => finalizer)
+      val onError: PartialFunction[Throwable, IO[Unit]] = { case _ => finalizer.reportError }
+      poll(this).onCancel(finalizer).onError(onError).flatTap(_ => finalizer)
     }
 
   /**
@@ -519,12 +516,10 @@ sealed abstract class IO[+A] private () extends IOPlatform[A] {
   def guaranteeCase(finalizer: OutcomeIO[A @uncheckedVariance] => IO[Unit]): IO[A] =
     IO.uncancelable { poll =>
       val finalized = poll(this).onCancel(finalizer(Outcome.canceled))
-      val handled = finalized.onError { e =>
-        finalizer(Outcome.errored(e)).handleErrorWith { t =>
-          IO.executionContext.flatMap(ec => IO(ec.reportFailure(t)))
-        }
+      val onError: PartialFunction[Throwable, IO[Unit]] = {
+        case e => finalizer(Outcome.errored(e)).reportError
       }
-      handled.flatTap(a => finalizer(Outcome.succeeded(IO.pure(a))))
+      finalized.onError(onError).flatTap { (a: A) => finalizer(Outcome.succeeded(IO.pure(a))) }
     }
 
   def handleError[B >: A](f: Throwable => B): IO[B] =
@@ -588,8 +583,20 @@ sealed abstract class IO[+A] private () extends IOPlatform[A] {
   def onCancel(fin: IO[Unit]): IO[A] =
     IO.OnCancel(this, fin)
 
-  def onError(f: Throwable => IO[Unit]): IO[A] =
-    handleErrorWith(t => f(t).voidError *> IO.raiseError(t))
+  @deprecated("Use onError with PartialFunction argument", "3.6.0")
+  def onError(f: Throwable => IO[Unit]): IO[A] = {
+    val pf: PartialFunction[Throwable, IO[Unit]] = { case t => f(t).reportError }
+    onError(pf)
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Execute a callback on certain errors, then rethrow them. Any non matching error is rethrown
+   * as well.
+   *
+   * Implements `ApplicativeError.onError`.
+   */
+  def onError(pf: PartialFunction[Throwable, IO[Unit]]): IO[A] =
+    handleErrorWith(t => pf.applyOrElse(t, (_: Throwable) => IO.unit) *> IO.raiseError(t))
 
   /**
    * Like `Parallel.parProductL`
@@ -928,6 +935,19 @@ sealed abstract class IO[+A] private () extends IOPlatform[A] {
   def void: IO[Unit] =
     map(_ => ())
 
+  /**
+   * Similar to [[IO.voidError]], but also reports the error.
+   */
+  private[effect] def reportError(implicit ev: A <:< Unit): IO[Unit] = {
+    val _ = ev
+    asInstanceOf[IO[Unit]].handleErrorWith { t =>
+      IO.executionContext.flatMap(ec => IO(ec.reportFailure(t)))
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Discard any error raised by the source.
+   */
   def voidError(implicit ev: A <:< Unit): IO[Unit] = {
     val _ = ev
     asInstanceOf[IO[Unit]].handleError(_ => ())
@@ -1975,6 +1995,9 @@ object IO extends IOCompanionPlatform with IOLowPriorityImplicits with TuplePara
     override def handleError[A](fa: IO[A])(f: Throwable => A): IO[A] =
       fa.handleError(f)
 
+    override def onError[A](fa: IO[A])(pf: PartialFunction[Throwable, IO[Unit]]): IO[A] =
+      fa.onError(pf)
+
     override def timeout[A](fa: IO[A], duration: FiniteDuration)(
         implicit ev: TimeoutException <:< Throwable): IO[A] = {
       fa.timeout(duration)