diff --git a/src/lib/direct.c b/src/lib/direct.c
index c2d308627..96e8ca163 100644
--- a/src/lib/direct.c
+++ b/src/lib/direct.c
@@ -973,7 +973,11 @@ int ncdirect_stop(ncdirect* nc){
 char* ncdirect_readline(ncdirect* n, const char* prompt){
   const char* u7 = get_escape(&n->tcache, ESCAPE_U7);
   if(!u7){ // we probably *can*, but it would be a pita; screw it
-    logerror("can't readline without u7\n");
+    logerror("can't readline without u7");
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  if(n->eof){
+    logerror("already got EOF");
     return NULL;
   }
   if(fprintf(n->ttyfp, "%s", prompt) < 0){
@@ -1005,15 +1009,18 @@ char* ncdirect_readline(ncdirect* n, const char* prompt){
     if(ni.evtype == NCTYPE_RELEASE){
       continue;
     }
-    if(id == NCKEY_EOF || id == NCKEY_ENTER){
+    if(id == NCKEY_EOF || id == NCKEY_ENTER || (ncinput_ctrl_p(&ni) && id == 'd')){
       if(id == NCKEY_ENTER){
         if(fputc('\n', n->ttyfp) < 0){
           free(str);
           return NULL;
         }
-      }else if(wused == 1){ // NCKEY_EOF without input returns NULL
-        free(str);
-        return NULL;
+      }else{
+        n->eof = 1;
+        if(wused == 1){ // NCKEY_EOF without input returns NULL
+          free(str);
+          return NULL;
+        }
       }
       char* ustr = ncwcsrtombs(str);
       free(str);
diff --git a/src/lib/in.c b/src/lib/in.c
index dc0aa6084..2385538dd 100644
--- a/src/lib/in.c
+++ b/src/lib/in.c
@@ -2476,7 +2476,15 @@ int notcurses_getvec(notcurses* n, const struct timespec* absdl,
 }
 
 uint32_t ncdirect_get(ncdirect* n, const struct timespec* absdl, ncinput* ni){
-  return internal_get(n->tcache.ictx, absdl, ni);
+  if(n->eof){
+    logerror("already got EOF");
+    return -1;
+  }
+  uint32_t r = internal_get(n->tcache.ictx, absdl, ni);
+  if(r == NCKEY_EOF){
+    n->eof = 1;
+  }
+  return r;
 }
 
 int get_cursor_location(inputctx* ictx, const char* u7, unsigned* y, unsigned* x){
diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index b95462bf4..5fb4893a2 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ typedef struct ncdirect {
   uint16_t stylemask;        // current styles
   uint64_t flags;            // copied in ncdirect_init() from param
   ncsharedstats stats;       // stats! not as broadly used as in notcurses
+  unsigned eof;              // have we seen EOF on stdin?
 } ncdirect;
 
 // Extracellular state for a cell during the render process. There is one