diff --git a/src/fd_monitor.rs b/src/fd_monitor.rs
index b9fb1df8b..698974029 100644
--- a/src/fd_monitor.rs
+++ b/src/fd_monitor.rs
@@ -192,10 +192,10 @@ impl From<u64> for FdMonitorItemId {
 }
 
 /// The callback type used by [`FdMonitorItem`]. It is passed a mutable reference to the
-/// `FdMonitorItem`'s [`FdMonitorItem::fd`] and [the reason](ItemWakeupReason) for the wakeup. The
-/// callback may close the fd, in which case the `FdMonitorItem` is removed from [`FdMonitor`]'s
-/// set.
-pub type Callback = Box<dyn Fn(&mut AutoCloseFd, ItemWakeReason) + Send + Sync>;
+/// `FdMonitorItem`'s [`FdMonitorItem::fd`] and [the reason](ItemWakeupReason) for the wakeup.
+/// It should return an [`ItemAction`] to indicate whether the item should be removed from the
+/// [`FdMonitor`] set.
+pub type Callback = Box<dyn Fn(&mut AutoCloseFd, ItemWakeReason) -> ItemAction + Send + Sync>;
 
 /// An item containing an fd and callback, which can be monitored to watch when it becomes readable
 /// and invoke the callback.
@@ -214,11 +214,9 @@ pub struct FdMonitorItem {
     item_id: FdMonitorItemId,
 }
 
-/// Unlike C++, rust's `Vec` has `Vec::retain()` instead of `std::remove_if(...)` with the inverse
-/// logic. It's hard to keep track of which bool means what across the different layers, so be more
-/// explicit.
+/// A value returned by the callback to indicate what to do with the item.
 #[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]
-enum ItemAction {
+pub enum ItemAction {
     Remove,
     Retain,
 }
@@ -257,12 +255,9 @@ impl FdMonitorItem {
             } else {
                 ItemWakeReason::Timeout
             };
-            (self.callback)(&mut self.fd, reason);
-            if !self.fd.is_valid() {
-                result = ItemAction::Remove;
-            }
+            result = (self.callback)(&mut self.fd, reason);
         }
-        return result;
+        result
     }
 
     /// Invoke this item's callback with a poke, if its id is present in the sorted poke list.
@@ -272,12 +267,7 @@ impl FdMonitorItem {
             return ItemAction::Retain;
         }
 
-        (self.callback)(&mut self.fd, ItemWakeReason::Poke);
-        // Return `ItemAction::Remove` if the callback closed the fd
-        match self.fd.is_valid() {
-            true => ItemAction::Retain,
-            false => ItemAction::Remove,
-        }
+        (self.callback)(&mut self.fd, ItemWakeReason::Poke)
     }
 
     pub fn new(fd: AutoCloseFd, timeout: Option<Duration>, callback: Callback) -> Self {
@@ -483,11 +473,11 @@ impl BackgroundFdMonitor {
             // A predicate which services each item in turn, returning true if it should be removed
             let servicer = |item: &mut FdMonitorItem| {
                 let fd = item.fd.as_raw_fd();
-                if item.service_item(&fds, &now) == ItemAction::Remove {
+                let action = item.service_item(&fds, &now);
+                if action == ItemAction::Remove {
                     FLOG!(fd_monitor, "Removing fd", fd);
-                    return ItemAction::Remove;
                 }
-                return ItemAction::Retain;
+                action
             };
 
             // Service all items that are either readable or have timed out, and remove any which
diff --git a/src/io.rs b/src/io.rs
index 5d3be4a28..f6ed43d09 100644
--- a/src/io.rs
+++ b/src/io.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use crate::builtins::shared::{STATUS_CMD_ERROR, STATUS_CMD_OK, STATUS_READ_TOO_MUCH};
 use crate::common::{str2wcstring, wcs2string, EMPTY_STRING};
-use crate::fd_monitor::{Callback, FdMonitor, FdMonitorItem, FdMonitorItemId, ItemWakeReason};
+use crate::fd_monitor::{
+    Callback, FdMonitor, FdMonitorItem, FdMonitorItemId, ItemAction, ItemWakeReason,
+};
 use crate::fds::{
     make_autoclose_pipes, make_fd_nonblocking, wopen_cloexec, AutoCloseFd, PIPE_ERROR,
 };
@@ -580,7 +582,9 @@ fn begin_filling(iobuffer: &Arc<IoBuffer>, fd: AutoCloseFd) {
                 }
                 done = true;
             }
-            if done {
+            if !done {
+                ItemAction::Retain
+            } else {
                 fd.close();
                 let (mutex, condvar) = &*promise;
                 {
@@ -588,6 +592,7 @@ fn begin_filling(iobuffer: &Arc<IoBuffer>, fd: AutoCloseFd) {
                     *done = true;
                 }
                 condvar.notify_one();
+                ItemAction::Remove
             }
         })
     };
diff --git a/src/tests/fd_monitor.rs b/src/tests/fd_monitor.rs
index f6b16309a..8712a955f 100644
--- a/src/tests/fd_monitor.rs
+++ b/src/tests/fd_monitor.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use crate::fd_monitor::{
-    FdEventSignaller, FdMonitor, FdMonitorItem, FdMonitorItemId, ItemWakeReason,
+    FdEventSignaller, FdMonitor, FdMonitorItem, FdMonitorItemId, ItemAction, ItemWakeReason,
 };
 use crate::fds::{make_autoclose_pipes, AutoCloseFd};
 use crate::tests::prelude::*;
@@ -51,9 +51,7 @@ impl ItemMaker {
         let result = Arc::new(result);
         let callback = {
             let result = Arc::clone(&result);
-            move |fd: &mut AutoCloseFd, reason: ItemWakeReason| {
-                result.callback(fd, reason);
-            }
+            move |fd: &mut AutoCloseFd, reason: ItemWakeReason| result.callback(fd, reason)
         };
         let item = FdMonitorItem::new(pipes.read, timeout, Box::new(callback));
         let item_id = monitor.add(item);
@@ -66,7 +64,7 @@ impl ItemMaker {
         self.item_id.load(Ordering::Relaxed).into()
     }
 
-    fn callback(&self, fd: &mut AutoCloseFd, reason: ItemWakeReason) {
+    fn callback(&self, fd: &mut AutoCloseFd, reason: ItemWakeReason) -> ItemAction {
         let mut was_closed = false;
 
         match reason {
@@ -89,6 +87,9 @@ impl ItemMaker {
         self.total_calls.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
         if self.always_exit || was_closed {
             fd.close();
+            ItemAction::Remove
+        } else {
+            ItemAction::Retain
         }
     }