diff --git a/doc_src/isatty.txt b/doc_src/isatty.txt
index d3b52892c..0a0caf739 100644
--- a/doc_src/isatty.txt
+++ b/doc_src/isatty.txt
@@ -1,14 +1,29 @@
-\section isatty isatty - test if the specified file descriptor is a tty
+\section isatty isatty - test if a file or file descriptor is a tty.
 
 \subsection isatty-synopsis Synopsis
- <tt>isatty [FILE DESCRIPTOR]</tt>
+<tt>isatty [FILE | DEVICE | FILE DESCRIPTOR NUMBER]</tt>
 
 \subsection isatty-description Description
-<tt>isatty</tt> tests if a file descriptor is a tty.
+<tt>isatty</tt> tests if a file or file descriptor is a tty.
+The argument may be in the form of a file path, device, or file descriptor
+number. Without an argument, <tt>standard input</tt> is implied.
 
-<tt>FILE DESCRIPTOR</tt> may be either the number of a file descriptor, or one of the
-strings <tt>stdin</tt>, \c stdout and <tt>stderr</tt>.
+If the resolved file descriptor is a tty, the command returns zero. Otherwise, the command exits one. No messages are printed to standard error.
 
-If the specified file descriptor is a tty, the exit status of the command is
-zero. Otherwise, it is non-zero.
+\subsection isatty-examples Examples
 
+From an interactive shell, the commands below exit with a return value of zero:
+<pre>
+isatty
+isatty stdout
+isatty 2
+echo | isatty /dev/fd/1
+</pre>
+
+And these will exit non-zero:
+<pre>
+echo | isatty
+isatty /dev/fd/9
+isatty stdout > file
+isatty 2 2> file
+</pre>
diff --git a/doc_src/test.txt b/doc_src/test.txt
index 946c53307..892848d11 100644
--- a/doc_src/test.txt
+++ b/doc_src/test.txt
@@ -97,4 +97,11 @@ end.
 <a href="http://www.unix.com/man-page/POSIX/1/test/">IEEE Std 1003.1-2008
 (POSIX.1) standard</a>. The following exceptions apply:
 - The \c < and \c > operators for comparing strings are not implemented.
+- Because this test is a shell builtin and not a standalone utility, using
+ the -c flag on a special file descriptors like standard input and output
+ may not return the same result when invoked from within a pipe as one
+ would expect when invoking the \c test utility in another shell.
+ 
+ In cases such as this, one can use \c command \c test to explicitly
+ use the system's standalone \c test rather than this \c builtin \c test.
 
diff --git a/share/functions/isatty.fish b/share/functions/isatty.fish
index d4f2c43e3..f49b3aa4e 100644
--- a/share/functions/isatty.fish
+++ b/share/functions/isatty.fish
@@ -1,28 +1,27 @@
+function isatty -d "Test if a file or file descriptor is a tty."
 
-function isatty -d "Tests if a file descriptor is a tty"
-	set -l fd 0
-	if count $argv >/dev/null
-		switch $argv[1]
+# Use `command test` because `builtin test` doesn't open the regular fd's.
 
-			case -h --h --he --hel --help
-				__fish_print_help isatty
-				return 0
+  switch "$argv"
 
-			case stdin
-				set fd 0
+    case '-h*' '--h*'
+      __fish_print_help isatty
 
-			case stdout
-				set fd 1
+    case ''
+      command test -c /dev/stdin
 
-			case stderr
-				set fd 2
+    case '*'
+      if test -e "$argv" # The eval here is needed for symlinks. Unsure why.
+        command test -c "$argv"; and eval tty 0>"$argv" >/dev/null
 
-			case '*'
-				set fd $argv[1]
+      else if test -e /dev/"$argv"
+         command test -c /dev/"$argv"; and tty 0>/dev/"$argv" >/dev/null
 
-		end
-	end
-
-	eval "tty 0>&$fd >/dev/null"
+      else if test -e /dev/fd/"$argv"
+         command test -c /dev/fd/"$argv"; and tty 0>/dev/fd/"$argv" >/dev/null
 
+      else
+         return 1
+    end
+  end
 end