diff --git a/tools/virsh.c b/tools/virsh.c
index 50ca50f..a4371c2 100644
--- a/tools/virsh.c
+++ b/tools/virsh.c
@@ -246,6 +246,9 @@ static void vshOpenLogFile(vshControl *ctl);
 static void vshOutputLogFile(vshControl *ctl, int log_level, const char *format, va_list ap);
 static void vshCloseLogFile(vshControl *ctl);
 
+static char *vshReadlineNoReadline (vshControl *, const char *);
+static char *(*vshReadline)(vshControl *, const char *) = vshReadlineNoReadline;
+
 static int vshParseArgv(vshControl *ctl, int argc, char **argv);
 
 static const char *vshCmddefGetInfo(const vshCmdDef *cmd, const char *info);
@@ -12105,6 +12108,12 @@ vshReadlineCompletion(const char *text, int start,
     return matches;
 }
 
+static char *
+vshReadlineReadline (vshControl *ctl ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED, const char *prompt)
+{
+    return readline (prompt);
+}
+
 
 static int
 vshReadlineInit(vshControl *ctl)
@@ -12141,6 +12150,7 @@ vshReadlineInit(vshControl *ctl)
     VIR_FREE(userdir);
 
     read_history(ctl->historyfile);
+    vshReadline = vshReadlineReadline;
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -12161,12 +12171,6 @@ vshReadlineDeinit (vshControl *ctl)
     VIR_FREE(ctl->historyfile);
 }
 
-static char *
-vshReadline (vshControl *ctl ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED, const char *prompt)
-{
-    return readline (prompt);
-}
-
 #else /* !USE_READLINE */
 
 static int
@@ -12182,8 +12186,10 @@ vshReadlineDeinit (vshControl *ctl ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     /* empty */
 }
 
+#endif /* !USE_READLINE */
+
 static char *
-vshReadline (vshControl *ctl, const char *prompt)
+vshReadlineNoReadline (vshControl *ctl, const char *prompt)
 {
     char line[1024];
     char *r;
@@ -12201,8 +12207,6 @@ vshReadline (vshControl *ctl, const char *prompt)
     return vshStrdup (ctl, r);
 }
 
-#endif /* !USE_READLINE */
-
 /*
  * Deinitialize virsh
  */
@@ -12531,9 +12535,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
                        "       'quit' to quit\n\n"));
         }
 
-        if (vshReadlineInit(ctl) < 0) {
-            vshDeinit(ctl);
-            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+        if (isatty(STDIN_FILENO)) {
+            vshReadlineInit(ctl);
         }
 
         do {