diff --git a/src/espeak.cpp b/src/espeak.cpp
index 17e64fa..813be50 100644
--- a/src/espeak.cpp
+++ b/src/espeak.cpp
@@ -726,8 +726,17 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 	else
 	{
+		struct stat st;
+		if (stat(filename, &st) != 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Failed to stat() file '%s'\n", filename);
+			exit(1);
+		}
 		filesize = GetFileLength(filename);
 		f_text = fopen(filename,"r");
+		if (S_ISFIFO(st.st_mode))
+		{
+			flag_stdin = 2;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if((f_text == NULL) && (p_text == NULL))
@@ -751,13 +760,16 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 
 		if(flag_stdin == 2)
 		{
-			// line by line input on stdin
-			while(fgets(p_text,max,stdin) != NULL)
+			// line by line input on stdin or from FIFO
+			while(fgets(p_text,max,f_text) != NULL)
 			{
 				p_text[max-1] = 0;
 				espeak_Synth(p_text,max,0,POS_CHARACTER,0,synth_flags,NULL,NULL);
 
 			}
+			if (f_text != stdin) {
+				fclose(f_text);
+			}
 		}
 		else
 		{