diff --git a/src/builtin_read.cpp b/src/builtin_read.cpp
index 453a9df64..4a3afa050 100644
--- a/src/builtin_read.cpp
+++ b/src/builtin_read.cpp
@@ -73,11 +73,6 @@ static const struct woption long_options[] = {{L"export", no_argument, NULL, 'x'
 
 static int parse_cmd_opts(read_cmd_opts_t &opts, int *optind,  //!OCLINT(high ncss method)
                           int argc, wchar_t **argv, parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams) {
-    if (argc == 1) {
-        opts.to_stdout = true;
-        return STATUS_CMD_OK;
-    }
-
     wchar_t *cmd = argv[0];
     int opt;
     wgetopter_t w;
@@ -372,7 +367,7 @@ static int validate_read_args(const wchar_t *cmd, read_cmd_opts_t &opts, int arg
         return STATUS_INVALID_ARGS;
     }
 
-    if (!opts.array && argc < 1) {
+    if (!opts.array && argc < 1 && !opts.to_stdout) {
         streams.err.append_format(BUILTIN_ERR_MIN_ARG_COUNT1, cmd, 1, argc);
         return STATUS_INVALID_ARGS;
     }
@@ -382,6 +377,11 @@ static int validate_read_args(const wchar_t *cmd, read_cmd_opts_t &opts, int arg
         return STATUS_INVALID_ARGS;
     }
 
+    if (opts.to_stdout && argc > 0) {
+        streams.err.append_format(BUILTIN_ERR_MAX_ARG_COUNT1, cmd, 0, argc);
+        return STATUS_INVALID_ARGS;
+    }
+
     // Verify all variable names.
     for (int i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
         if (!valid_var_name(argv[i])) {
@@ -410,6 +410,10 @@ int builtin_read(parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams, wchar_t **argv) {
         argv += optind;
     }
 
+    if (argc == 0) {
+        opts.to_stdout = true;
+    }
+
     if (opts.print_help) {
         builtin_print_help(parser, streams, cmd, streams.out);
         return STATUS_CMD_OK;