diff --git a/pager.c b/pager.c
index be6f4ee59f..251adfc2ad 100644
--- a/pager.c
+++ b/pager.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ int pager_use_color = 1;
 
 static struct child_process pager_process;
 static char *pager_program;
+static int close_fd2;
 
 /* Is the value coming back from term_columns() just a guess? */
 static int term_columns_guessed;
@@ -23,7 +24,8 @@ static void close_pager_fds(void)
 {
 	/* signal EOF to pager */
 	close(1);
-	close(2);
+	if (close_fd2)
+		close(2);
 }
 
 static void wait_for_pager_atexit(void)
@@ -141,8 +143,10 @@ void setup_pager(void)
 
 	/* original process continues, but writes to the pipe */
 	dup2(pager_process.in, 1);
-	if (isatty(2))
+	if (isatty(2)) {
+		close_fd2 = 1;
 		dup2(pager_process.in, 2);
+	}
 	close(pager_process.in);
 
 	/* this makes sure that the parent terminates after the pager */