--- b/lib/libedit/read.c	
+++ b/lib/libedit/read.c	
@@ -238,8 +238,7 @@ read_getcmd(EditLine *el, el_action_t *cmdnum, char *ch)
 	el->el_errno = 0;
 	do {
 		if ((num = el_getc(el, ch)) != 1) {	/* if EOF or error */
-			el->el_errno = num == 0 ? 0 : errno;
-			return (num);
+			return (num < 0 ? 1 : 0);
 		}
 
 #ifdef	KANJI
@@ -294,16 +293,18 @@ read_char(EditLine *el, char *cp)
 
  again:
 	el->el_signal->sig_no = 0;
-	while ((num_read = read(el->el_infd, cp, 1)) == -1) {
+	while ((num_read = read(el->el_infd, cp, 1)) < 0) {
+		int e = errno;
 		if (el->el_signal->sig_no == SIGCONT) {
 			sig_set(el);
 			el_set(el, EL_REFRESH);
 			goto again;
 		}
-		if (!tried && read__fixio(el->el_infd, errno) == 0)
+		if (!tried && read__fixio(el->el_infd, e) == 0)
 			tried = 1;
 		else {
 			*cp = '\0';
+			errno = e;
 			return (-1);
 		}
 	}
@@ -369,8 +370,10 @@ el_getc(EditLine *el, char *cp)
 	(void) fprintf(el->el_errfile, "Reading a character\n");
 #endif /* DEBUG_READ */
 	num_read = (*el->el_read.read_char)(el, cp);
+	if (num_read < 0)
+		el->el_errno = errno;
 #ifdef DEBUG_READ
-	(void) fprintf(el->el_errfile, "Got it %c\n", *cp);
+	(void) fprintf(el->el_errfile, "Got <%c> (return %d)\n", *cp, num_read);
 #endif /* DEBUG_READ */
 	return (num_read);
 }
@@ -426,7 +429,7 @@ el_gets(EditLine *el, int *nread)
 		char *cp = el->el_line.buffer;
 		size_t idx;
 
-		while ((*el->el_read.read_char)(el, cp) == 1) {
+		while ((num = (*el->el_read.read_char)(el, cp)) == 1) {
 			/* make sure there is space for next character */
 			if (cp + 1 >= el->el_line.limit) {
 				idx = (cp - el->el_line.buffer);
@@ -479,7 +482,7 @@ el_gets(EditLine *el, int *nread)
 
 		term__flush(el);
 
-		while ((*el->el_read.read_char)(el, cp) == 1) {
+		while ((num = (*el->el_read.read_char)(el, cp)) == 1) {
 			/* make sure there is space next character */
 			if (cp + 1 >= el->el_line.limit) {
 				idx = (cp - el->el_line.buffer);
@@ -511,6 +514,7 @@ el_gets(EditLine *el, int *nread)
 #endif /* DEBUG_EDIT */
 		/* if EOF or error */
 		if ((num = read_getcmd(el, &cmdnum, &ch)) != OKCMD) {
+			num = -1;
 #ifdef DEBUG_READ
 			(void) fprintf(el->el_errfile,
 			    "Returning from el_gets %d\n", num);