diff --git a/src/tool_formparse.c b/src/tool_formparse.c
index 844b18d154..5ea14f7641 100644
--- a/src/tool_formparse.c
+++ b/src/tool_formparse.c
@@ -125,21 +125,20 @@ static struct tool_mime *tool_mime_new_filedata(struct tool_mime *parent,
     else {  /* Not suitable for direct use, buffer stdin data. */
       size_t stdinsize = 0;
 
-      if(file2memory(&data, &stdinsize, stdin) != PARAM_OK) {
-        /* Out of memory. */
+      switch(file2memory(&data, &stdinsize, stdin)) {
+      case PARAM_NO_MEM:
         return m;
-      }
-
-      if(ferror(stdin)) {
+      case PARAM_READ_ERROR:
         result = CURLE_READ_ERROR;
-        Curl_safefree(data);
-        data = NULL;
-      }
-      else if(!stdinsize) {
-        /* Zero-length data has been freed. Re-create it. */
-        data = strdup("");
-        if(!data)
-          return m;
+        break;
+      default:
+        if(!stdinsize) {
+          /* Zero-length data has been freed. Re-create it. */
+          data = strdup("");
+          if(!data)
+            return m;
+        }
+        break;
       }
       size = curlx_uztoso(stdinsize);
       origin = 0;
diff --git a/src/tool_getparam.h b/src/tool_getparam.h
index 599a0ac885..4f578d5139 100644
--- a/src/tool_getparam.h
+++ b/src/tool_getparam.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  *                            | (__| |_| |  _ <| |___
  *                             \___|\___/|_| \_\_____|
  *
- * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2021, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
+ * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2022, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
  *
  * This software is licensed as described in the file COPYING, which
  * you should have received as part of this distribution. The terms
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ typedef enum {
   PARAM_NO_NOT_BOOLEAN,
   PARAM_CONTDISP_SHOW_HEADER, /* --include and --remote-header-name */
   PARAM_CONTDISP_RESUME_FROM, /* --continue-at and --remote-header-name */
+  PARAM_READ_ERROR,
   PARAM_LAST
 } ParameterError;
 
diff --git a/src/tool_helpers.c b/src/tool_helpers.c
index d47a8d244b..f604def68d 100644
--- a/src/tool_helpers.c
+++ b/src/tool_helpers.c
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ const char *param2text(int res)
     return "showing headers and --remote-header-name cannot be combined";
   case PARAM_CONTDISP_RESUME_FROM:
     return "--continue-at and --remote-header-name cannot be combined";
+  case PARAM_READ_ERROR:
+    return "error encountered when reading a file";
   default:
     return "unknown error";
   }
diff --git a/src/tool_operate.c b/src/tool_operate.c
index bf6aff6eea..cb587e0a64 100644
--- a/src/tool_operate.c
+++ b/src/tool_operate.c
@@ -2621,6 +2621,8 @@ CURLcode operate(struct GlobalConfig *global, int argc, argv_item_t argv[])
         tool_list_engines();
       else if(res == PARAM_LIBCURL_UNSUPPORTED_PROTOCOL)
         result = CURLE_UNSUPPORTED_PROTOCOL;
+      else if(res == PARAM_READ_ERROR)
+        result = CURLE_READ_ERROR;
       else
         result = CURLE_FAILED_INIT;
     }
diff --git a/src/tool_paramhlp.c b/src/tool_paramhlp.c
index 273805ef0d..5c731980e0 100644
--- a/src/tool_paramhlp.c
+++ b/src/tool_paramhlp.c
@@ -94,10 +94,16 @@ ParameterError file2memory(char **bufp, size_t *size, FILE *file)
     do {
       char buffer[4096];
       nread = fread(buffer, 1, sizeof(buffer), file);
+      if(ferror(file)) {
+        curlx_dyn_free(&dyn);
+        *size = 0;
+        *bufp = NULL;
+        return PARAM_READ_ERROR;
+      }
       if(nread)
         if(curlx_dyn_addn(&dyn, buffer, nread))
           return PARAM_NO_MEM;
-    } while(nread);
+    } while(!feof(file));
     *size = curlx_dyn_len(&dyn);
     *bufp = curlx_dyn_ptr(&dyn);
   }