diff --git a/builtin.cpp b/builtin.cpp
index 4604190c3..e7c492859 100644
--- a/builtin.cpp
+++ b/builtin.cpp
@@ -2655,7 +2655,7 @@ static int builtin_read(parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv)
             }
         }
 
-        if (buff.size() < 2 && eof)
+        if (buff.empty() && eof)
         {
             exit_res = 1;
         }
diff --git a/tests/read.in b/tests/read.in
index 7cf091129..893797a1b 100644
--- a/tests/read.in
+++ b/tests/read.in
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ echo 'test' | read -l one two three
 print_vars one two three
 echo 'foo   bar   baz' | read -l one two three
 print_vars one two three
+echo -n 'a' | read -l one
+echo "$status $one"
 
 echo
 set -l IFS
diff --git a/tests/read.out b/tests/read.out
index d8cf948d1..43b016db3 100644
--- a/tests/read.out
+++ b/tests/read.out
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ two
 1 '' 1 ''
 1 'test' 1 '' 1 ''
 1 'foo' 1 'bar' 1 '  baz'
+0 a
 
 1 'hello'
 1 'h' 1 'ello'