--- a/src/code_io.c
+++ b/src/code_io.c
@@ -203,9 +203,9 @@ extern file_buffer_ty * read_file(
      * bytes in a 16-bit world...
      */
   
-    unsigned int size = 0, size_to_read = 0;
+    unsigned int size = 0, size_to_read = 0, size_sum = 0;
 #else
-    ssize_t size = 0;
+    ssize_t size = 0, size_sum = 0;
     size_t size_to_read = 0;
 #endif
 
@@ -284,8 +284,12 @@ extern file_buffer_ty * read_file(
             xfree(fileptr.data);
             fatal (_("Error reading input file %s"), filename);
         }
+        if (size == 0)
+            break;
         size_to_read -= size;
+        size_sum += size;
     }
+    size = size_sum;
     
     if (close(fd) < 0)
     {