diff --git a/acceptance_tests/basic.sh b/acceptance_tests/basic.sh
index 01a446e297..c48f719544 100755
--- a/acceptance_tests/basic.sh
+++ b/acceptance_tests/basic.sh
@@ -362,6 +362,12 @@ EOM
   assertEquals "$expected" "$X"
 }
 
-
+testBasicClosedStdIn() {
+  cat >test.yml <<EOL
+a: 1
+EOL
+  X=$(./yq e '.a' test.yml <&-)
+  assertEquals "1" "$X"
+}
 
 source ./scripts/shunit2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cmd/utils.go b/cmd/utils.go
index ca68a98131..363fb25d44 100644
--- a/cmd/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/utils.go
@@ -227,8 +227,11 @@ func maybeFile(str string) bool {
 }
 
 func processStdInArgs(args []string) []string {
-	stat, _ := os.Stdin.Stat()
-	pipingStdin := (stat.Mode() & os.ModeCharDevice) == 0
+	stat, err := os.Stdin.Stat()
+	if err != nil {
+		yqlib.GetLogger().Debugf("error getting stdin: %v", err)
+	}
+	pipingStdin := stat != nil && (stat.Mode()&os.ModeCharDevice) == 0
 
 	// if we've been given a file, don't automatically
 	// read from stdin.