diff --git a/src/lib/input.c b/src/lib/input.c
index 84cae7fec..e1a414f8b 100644
--- a/src/lib/input.c
+++ b/src/lib/input.c
@@ -321,9 +321,9 @@ handle_getc(ncinputlayer* nc, int kpress, ncinput* ni, int leftmargin, int topma
 // blocks up through ts (infinite with NULL ts), returning number of events
 // (0 on timeout) or -1 on error/interruption.
 static int
-block_on_input(FILE* fp, const struct timespec* ts, sigset_t* sigmask){
+block_on_input(int fd, const struct timespec* ts, sigset_t* sigmask){
   struct pollfd pfd = {
-    .fd = fileno(fp),
+    .fd = fd,
     .events = POLLIN,
     .revents = 0,
   };
@@ -380,17 +380,16 @@ handle_queued_input(ncinputlayer* nc, ncinput* ni, int leftmargin, int topmargin
 
 static char32_t
 handle_input(ncinputlayer* nc, ncinput* ni, int leftmargin, int topmargin, sigset_t* sigmask){
-  int r;
-  // getc() returns unsigned chars cast to ints
-  while(!input_queue_full(nc) && (r = getc(nc->ttyinfp)) >= 0){
-    nc->inputbuf[nc->inputbuf_write_at] = (unsigned char)r;
+  unsigned char c;
+  while(!input_queue_full(nc) && read(nc->ttyinfd, &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)){
       nc->inputbuf_write_at = 0;
     }
     ++nc->inputbuf_occupied;
     const struct timespec ts = {};
-    if(block_on_input(nc->ttyinfp, &ts, sigmask) < 1){
+    if(block_on_input(nc->ttyinfd, &ts, sigmask) < 1){
       break;
     }
   }
@@ -444,7 +443,7 @@ ncinputlayer_prestamp(ncinputlayer* nc, const struct timespec *ts,
     return handle_queued_input(nc, ni, leftmargin, topmargin);
   }
   errno = 0;
-  if(block_on_input(nc->ttyinfp, ts, sigmask) > 0){
+  if(block_on_input(nc->ttyinfd, ts, sigmask) > 0){
 //fprintf(stderr, "%d events from input!\n", events);
     return handle_ncinput(nc, ni, leftmargin, topmargin, sigmask);
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index 2f2582bcb..98d92a1af 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ typedef struct tinfo {
 } tinfo;
 
 typedef struct ncinputlayer {
-  FILE* ttyinfp;  // FILE* for processing input
+  int ttyinfd;  // file descriptor for processing input
   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
diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index 627b48ecc..f96712817 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -685,8 +685,7 @@ int ncplane_genocide(ncplane *ncp){
 }
 
 static int
-make_nonblocking(FILE* fp){
-  int fd = fileno(fp);
+make_nonblocking(int fd){
   if(fd < 0){
     return -1;
   }
@@ -887,7 +886,7 @@ get_tty_fd(notcurses* nc, FILE* ttyfp){
 int ncinputlayer_init(ncinputlayer* nilayer, FILE* infp){
   setbuffer(infp, NULL, 0);
   nilayer->inputescapes = NULL;
-  nilayer->ttyinfp = infp;
+  nilayer->ttyinfd = fileno(infp);
   if(prep_special_keys(nilayer)){
     return -1;
   }
@@ -1035,7 +1034,7 @@ notcurses* notcurses_core_init(const notcurses_options* opts, FILE* outfp){
   if(ncinputlayer_init(&ret->input, stdin)){
     goto err;
   }
-  if(make_nonblocking(ret->input.ttyinfp)){
+  if(make_nonblocking(ret->input.ttyinfd)){
     goto err;
   }
   // Neither of these is supported on e.g. the "linux" virtual console.
@@ -2415,11 +2414,11 @@ int notcurses_lex_margins(const char* op, notcurses_options* opts){
 }
 
 int notcurses_inputready_fd(notcurses* n){
-  return fileno(n->input.ttyinfp);
+  return n->input.ttyinfd;
 }
 
 int ncdirect_inputready_fd(ncdirect* n){
-  return fileno(n->input.ttyinfp);
+  return n->input.ttyinfd;
 }
 
 uint32_t* ncplane_rgba(const ncplane* nc, ncblitter_e blit,