diff --git a/docs/reference/stdlib.md b/docs/reference/stdlib.md
index 8c09f1ac96..6749747b6d 100644
--- a/docs/reference/stdlib.md
+++ b/docs/reference/stdlib.md
@@ -207,7 +207,10 @@ The following functions are available in Nextflow scripts:
 : Stop the pipeline execution and return an exit code and optional error message.
 
 `file( filePattern, [options] )`
-: Get one or more files from a path or glob pattern. Returns a [Path](https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/11/docs/api/java.base/java/nio/file/Path.html) or list of Paths if there are multiple files.
+: :::{versionchanged} 24.11.0-edge
+  The `file()` function should be used only to match a single file. Use `files()` to match a collection of files. In the future, `file()` will raise an error if it does not match exactly one file.
+  :::
+: Get one or more files from a file name or glob pattern. Returns a single [Path](#path) if there is one file, or a collection of Paths if there are multiple files.
 
 : The following options are available:
 
@@ -232,7 +235,7 @@ The following functions are available in Nextflow scripts:
 : See also: {ref}`Channel.fromPath <channel-path>`.
 
 `files( filePattern, [options] )`
-: Convenience method for `file()` that always returns a list.
+: Get a collection of files from a file name or glob pattern. Always returns a collection of files. Supports the same options as `file()`.
 
 `groupKey( key, size )`
 : Create a grouping key to use with the {ref}`operator-grouptuple` operator.
diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/Nextflow.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/Nextflow.groovy
index 3f1257a01c..e006d5f80f 100644
--- a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/Nextflow.groovy
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/Nextflow.groovy
@@ -57,9 +57,7 @@ class Nextflow {
 
     private static final Random random = new Random()
 
-
-    static private fileNamePattern( FilePatternSplitter splitter, Map opts ) {
-
+    private static List<Path> fileNamePattern( FilePatternSplitter splitter, Map opts ) {
         final scheme = splitter.scheme
         final target = scheme ? "$scheme://$splitter.parent" : splitter.parent
         final folder = toCanonicalPath(target)
@@ -68,7 +66,7 @@ class Nextflow {
         if( opts == null ) opts = [:]
         if( !opts.type ) opts.type = 'file'
 
-        def result = new LinkedList()
+        def result = new LinkedList<Path>()
         try {
             FileHelper.visitFiles(opts, folder, pattern) { Path it -> result.add(it) }
         }
@@ -76,7 +74,6 @@ class Nextflow {
             log.debug "No such file or directory: $folder -- Skipping visit"
         }
         return result
-
     }
 
     static private String str0(value) {
@@ -104,11 +101,16 @@ class Nextflow {
      * @param path A file path eventually including a glob pattern e.g. /some/path/file*.txt
      * @return An instance of {@link Path} when a single file is matched or a list of {@link Path}s
      */
-    static file( Map options = null, def filePattern ) {
-
+    static file(Map options = null, def filePattern) {
         if( !filePattern )
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Argument of `file` function cannot be ${filePattern==null?'null':'empty'}")
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Argument of `file()` function cannot be ${filePattern==null?'null':'empty'}")
+        final result = file0(options, filePattern)
+        if( result instanceof Collection && result.size() != 1 )
+            log.warn "The `file()` function was called with a glob pattern that matched a collection of files -- use `files()` instead. The `file()` function should only be used to retrieve a single file. This warning will become an error in the future."
+        return result
+    }
 
+    private static file0( Map options = null, def filePattern ) {
         final path = filePattern as Path
         final glob = options?.containsKey('glob') ? options.glob as boolean : isGlobAllowed(path)
         if( !glob ) {
@@ -127,9 +129,11 @@ class Nextflow {
         return fileNamePattern(splitter, options)
     }
 
-    static files( Map options=null, def path ) {
-        def result = file(options, path)
-        return result instanceof List ? result : [result]
+    static Collection<Path> files(Map options=null, def filePattern) {
+        if( !filePattern )
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Argument of `files()` function cannot be ${filePattern==null?'null':'empty'}")
+        final result = file0(options, filePattern)
+        return result instanceof Collection ? result : [result]
     }
 
 
diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/NextflowTest.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/NextflowTest.groovy
index c32a461ecb..ce5c8a691c 100644
--- a/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/NextflowTest.groovy
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/NextflowTest.groovy
@@ -74,13 +74,13 @@ class NextflowTest extends Specification {
         Nextflow.file(null)
         then:
         e = thrown(IllegalArgumentException)
-        e.message == 'Argument of `file` function cannot be null'
+        e.message == 'Argument of `file()` function cannot be null'
 
         when:
         Nextflow.file('')
         then:
         e = thrown(IllegalArgumentException)
-        e.message == 'Argument of `file` function cannot be empty'
+        e.message == 'Argument of `file()` function cannot be empty'
     }
 
     def 'should return http path' () {