diff --git a/programs/fileio.c b/programs/fileio.c
index 3c638f37d..4d579d5cf 100644
--- a/programs/fileio.c
+++ b/programs/fileio.c
@@ -351,6 +351,7 @@ enum {
     FIO_RUST_OPEN_SRC_STAT_FAILED = 1,
     FIO_RUST_OPEN_SRC_NON_REGULAR = 2,
     FIO_RUST_OPEN_SRC_FOPEN_FAILED = 3,
+    FIO_RUST_OPEN_SRC_STDIN = 4,
 };
 int FIO_rust_openSrcFile(int allowBlockDevices,
                          const char* srcFileName,
@@ -671,17 +672,17 @@ static FILE* FIO_openSrcFile(const FIO_prefs_t* const prefs, const char* srcFile
     int allowBlockDevices = prefs != NULL ? prefs->allowBlockDevices : 0;
     assert(srcFileName != NULL);
     assert(statbuf != NULL);
-    if (!strcmp (srcFileName, stdinmark)) {
-        DISPLAYLEVEL(4,"Using stdin for input \n");
-        SET_BINARY_MODE(stdin);
-        return stdin;
-    }
-
     {   FILE* f = NULL;
         int const status = FIO_rust_openSrcFile(allowBlockDevices,
                                                 srcFileName,
                                                 statbuf,
                                                 &f);
+        if (status == FIO_RUST_OPEN_SRC_STDIN) {
+            DISPLAYLEVEL(4,"Using stdin for input \n");
+            SET_BINARY_MODE(stdin);
+            return stdin;
+        }
+
         if (status == FIO_RUST_OPEN_SRC_STAT_FAILED) {
             DISPLAYLEVEL(1, "zstd: can't stat %s : %s -- ignored \n",
                             srcFileName, strerror(errno));
diff --git a/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs b/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs
index 52665e59c..eb69e7881 100644
--- a/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs
+++ b/rust/src/fileio_backend.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ const FIO_OPEN_SRC_SUCCESS: c_int = 0;
 const FIO_OPEN_SRC_STAT_FAILED: c_int = 1;
 const FIO_OPEN_SRC_NON_REGULAR: c_int = 2;
 const FIO_OPEN_SRC_FOPEN_FAILED: c_int = 3;
+const FIO_OPEN_SRC_STDIN: c_int = 4;
 
 const FIO_OPEN_DST_SUCCESS: c_int = 0;
 const FIO_OPEN_DST_SETBUF_FAILED: c_int = 1;
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ const FIO_OPEN_DST_ACTION_SUCCESS: c_int = 11;
 const FIO_OPEN_DST_ACTION_INVALID: c_int = 12;
 
 static STDOUT_MARK: &[u8] = b"/*stdout*\\\0";
+static STDIN_MARK: &[u8] = b"/*stdin*\\\0";
 
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
 enum DestinationDecision {
@@ -475,7 +477,8 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn FIO_rust_getDictFileStat(
     FIO_DICT_STAT_SUCCESS
 }
 
-/// Opens a non-stdin source path and returns a status for the C policy adapter.
+/// Classifies stdin before opening or statting, then opens a non-stdin source
+/// path and returns a status for the C policy adapter.
 ///
 /// `stat_buf` and `out_file` deliberately cross this boundary as opaque
 /// pointers. The existing utility ABI owns the target-specific `stat_t` layout
@@ -488,7 +491,17 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn FIO_rust_openSrcFile(
     stat_buf: *mut c_void,
     out_file: *mut *mut c_void,
 ) -> c_int {
-    if file_name.is_null() || stat_buf.is_null() || out_file.is_null() {
+    if file_name.is_null() || out_file.is_null() {
+        return FIO_OPEN_SRC_STAT_FAILED;
+    }
+
+    // The stdin sentinel is a dispatch decision, not a filesystem path.  It
+    // must be recognized before the stat buffer is touched; C retains the
+    // stream selection, binary-mode setup, and exact diagnostic.
+    if c_string_equals(file_name, STDIN_MARK) {
+        return FIO_OPEN_SRC_STDIN;
+    }
+    if stat_buf.is_null() {
         return FIO_OPEN_SRC_STAT_FAILED;
     }
 
@@ -1698,6 +1711,19 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(file.is_null());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn classifies_stdin_before_stat_and_leaves_output_untouched() {
+        let stdin = CString::new("/*stdin*\\").expect("stdin sentinel contains no NUL");
+        let sentinel = ptr::dangling_mut::<c_void>();
+        let mut out_file = sentinel;
+
+        let status = unsafe {
+            FIO_rust_openSrcFile(0, stdin.as_ptr(), ptr::null_mut(), &mut out_file)
+        };
+        assert_eq!(status, FIO_OPEN_SRC_STDIN);
+        assert_eq!(out_file, sentinel);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn rejects_directory_source_path() {
         let path = temp_path("open-directory");