diff --git a/src/lib/input.c b/src/lib/input.c
index 65c99dcd4..8de79c1c8 100644
--- a/src/lib/input.c
+++ b/src/lib/input.c
@@ -388,13 +388,13 @@ static char32_t
 handle_input(ncinputlayer* nc, ncinput* ni, int leftmargin, int topmargin,
              const sigset_t* sigmask){
   // we once used getc() here (and kept ttyinfp, a FILE*, instead of the file
-  // descriptor ttyinfd), but under tmux, the first time running getc() would
+  // descriptor infd), but under tmux, the first time running getc() would
   // (bewilderingly) see a series of terminal reset codes emitted. this has
   // never been explained to my satisfaction, but we can work around it by
   // using a lower-level read() anyway.
   // see https://github.com/dankamongmen/notcurses/issues/1314 for more info.
   unsigned char c;
-  while(!input_queue_full(nc) && read(nc->ttyinfd, &c, 1) > 0){
+  while(!input_queue_full(nc) && read(nc->infd, &c, 1) > 0){
     nc->inputbuf[nc->inputbuf_write_at] = c;
 //fprintf(stderr, "OCCUPY: %u@%u read: %d\n", nc->inputbuf_occupied, nc->inputbuf_write_at, nc->inputbuf[nc->inputbuf_write_at]);
     if(++nc->inputbuf_write_at == sizeof(nc->inputbuf) / sizeof(*nc->inputbuf)){
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ handle_input(ncinputlayer* nc, ncinput* ni, int leftmargin, int topmargin,
     }
     ++nc->inputbuf_occupied;
     const struct timespec ts = {};
-    if(block_on_input(nc->ttyinfd, &ts, sigmask) < 1){
+    if(block_on_input(nc->infd, &ts, sigmask) < 1){
       break;
     }
   }
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ ncinputlayer_prestamp(ncinputlayer* nc, const struct timespec *ts,
     return handle_queued_input(nc, ni, leftmargin, topmargin);
   }
   errno = 0;
-  if(block_on_input(nc->ttyinfd, ts, sigmask) > 0){
+  if(block_on_input(nc->infd, ts, sigmask) > 0){
 //fprintf(stderr, "%d events from input!\n", events);
     return handle_ncinput(nc, ni, leftmargin, topmargin, sigmask);
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index 21b40ac18..c8a59cfe7 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ void init_lang(struct notcurses* nc){
 int ncinputlayer_init(ncinputlayer* nilayer, FILE* infp){
   setbuffer(infp, NULL, 0);
   nilayer->inputescapes = NULL;
-  nilayer->ttyinfd = fileno(infp);
+  nilayer->infd = fileno(infp);
   if(prep_special_keys(nilayer)){
     return -1;
   }
@@ -991,8 +991,7 @@ int notcurses_check_pixel_support(notcurses* nc){
 
 // FIXME cut this up into a few distinct pieces, yearrrgh
 notcurses* notcurses_core_init(const notcurses_options* opts, FILE* outfp){
-  notcurses_options defaultopts;
-  memset(&defaultopts, 0, sizeof(defaultopts));
+  notcurses_options defaultopts = { };
   if(!opts){
     opts = &defaultopts;
   }
@@ -1089,7 +1088,7 @@ notcurses* notcurses_core_init(const notcurses_options* opts, FILE* outfp){
     goto err;
   }
   ret->suppress_banner = opts->flags & NCOPTION_SUPPRESS_BANNERS;
-  if(set_fd_nonblocking(ret->tcache.input.ttyinfd, 1, &ret->stdio_blocking_save)){
+  if(set_fd_nonblocking(ret->tcache.input.infd, 1, &ret->stdio_blocking_save)){
     goto err;
   }
   if(ncvisual_init(ret->loglevel)){
@@ -1203,7 +1202,7 @@ int notcurses_stop(notcurses* nc){
   int ret = 0;
   if(nc){
     ret |= notcurses_stop_minimal(nc);
-    ret |= set_fd_nonblocking(nc->tcache.input.ttyinfd, nc->stdio_blocking_save, NULL);
+    ret |= set_fd_nonblocking(nc->tcache.input.infd, nc->stdio_blocking_save, NULL);
     if(nc->stdplane){
       notcurses_drop_planes(nc);
       free_plane(nc->stdplane);
@@ -2612,11 +2611,11 @@ int notcurses_lex_margins(const char* op, notcurses_options* opts){
 }
 
 int notcurses_inputready_fd(notcurses* n){
-  return n->tcache.input.ttyinfd;
+  return n->tcache.input.infd;
 }
 
 int ncdirect_inputready_fd(ncdirect* n){
-  return n->tcache.input.ttyinfd;
+  return n->tcache.input.infd;
 }
 
 // FIXME speed this up, PoC
diff --git a/src/lib/termdesc.c b/src/lib/termdesc.c
index eb3278bcc..8dd795b5f 100644
--- a/src/lib/termdesc.c
+++ b/src/lib/termdesc.c
@@ -255,20 +255,17 @@ send_initial_queries(int fd){
 int interrogate_terminfo(tinfo* ti, int fd, const char* termname, unsigned utf8,
                          unsigned noaltscreen, unsigned nocbreak){
   memset(ti, 0, sizeof(*ti));
-  ti->utf8 = utf8;
   if(fd >= 0){
-    if(tcgetattr(fd, &ti->tpreserved)){
-      fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't preserve terminal state for %d (%s)\n", fd, strerror(errno));
-      return -1;
-    }
     if(send_initial_queries(fd)){
       fprintf(stderr, "Error issuing terminal queries on %d\n", fd);
       return -1;
     }
+    if(tcgetattr(fd, &ti->tpreserved)){
+      fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't preserve terminal state for %d (%s)\n", fd, strerror(errno));
+      return -1;
+    }
   }
-  if(ncinputlayer_init(&ti->input, stdin)){
-    return -1;
-  }
+  ti->utf8 = utf8;
   if(!nocbreak){
     if(cbreak_mode(fd, &ti->tpreserved)){
       return -1;
@@ -423,6 +420,9 @@ int interrogate_terminfo(tinfo* ti, int fd, const char* termname, unsigned utf8,
       goto err;
     }
   }
+  if(ncinputlayer_init(&ti->input, stdin)){
+    return -1;
+  }
   if(apply_term_heuristics(ti, termname, fd)){
     goto err;
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/termdesc.h b/src/lib/termdesc.h
index 5110b2df2..6cac5d609 100644
--- a/src/lib/termdesc.h
+++ b/src/lib/termdesc.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ typedef enum {
 } escape_e;
 
 typedef struct ncinputlayer {
-  int ttyinfd;  // file descriptor for processing input
+  int infd;  // file descriptor for processing input, from stdin
   unsigned char inputbuf[BUFSIZ];
   // we keep a wee ringbuffer of input queued up for delivery. if
   // inputbuf_occupied == sizeof(inputbuf), there is no room. otherwise, data