diff --git a/src/libstd/process.rs b/src/libstd/process.rs
index ec86dd062b5..fe5e49ecb09 100644
--- a/src/libstd/process.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/process.rs
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ impl Command {
     /// By default, stdin, stdout and stderr are inherited from the parent.
     #[stable(feature = "process", since = "1.0.0")]
     pub fn spawn(&mut self) -> io::Result<Child> {
-        self.inner.spawn(imp::Stdio::Inherit).map(Child::from_inner)
+        self.inner.spawn(imp::Stdio::Inherit, true).map(Child::from_inner)
     }
 
     /// Executes the command as a child process, waiting for it to finish and
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ impl Command {
     /// ```
     #[stable(feature = "process", since = "1.0.0")]
     pub fn output(&mut self) -> io::Result<Output> {
-        self.inner.spawn(imp::Stdio::MakePipe).map(Child::from_inner)
+        self.inner.spawn(imp::Stdio::MakePipe, false).map(Child::from_inner)
             .and_then(|p| p.wait_with_output())
     }
 
@@ -340,7 +340,8 @@ impl Command {
     /// ```
     #[stable(feature = "process", since = "1.0.0")]
     pub fn status(&mut self) -> io::Result<ExitStatus> {
-        self.spawn().and_then(|mut p| p.wait())
+        self.inner.spawn(imp::Stdio::Inherit, false).map(Child::from_inner)
+                  .and_then(|mut p| p.wait())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/unix/process.rs b/src/libstd/sys/unix/process.rs
index 28475f50ce6..5696cb2b52f 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/unix/process.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/unix/process.rs
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ impl Command {
         self.stderr = Some(stderr);
     }
 
-    pub fn spawn(&mut self, default: Stdio)
+    pub fn spawn(&mut self, default: Stdio, needs_stdin: bool)
                  -> io::Result<(Process, StdioPipes)> {
         const CLOEXEC_MSG_FOOTER: &'static [u8] = b"NOEX";
 
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ impl Command {
                                       "nul byte found in provided data"));
         }
 
-        let (ours, theirs) = try!(self.setup_io(default));
+        let (ours, theirs) = try!(self.setup_io(default, needs_stdin));
         let (input, output) = try!(sys::pipe::anon_pipe());
 
         let pid = unsafe {
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ impl Command {
                                   "nul byte found in provided data")
         }
 
-        match self.setup_io(default) {
+        match self.setup_io(default, true) {
             Ok((_, theirs)) => unsafe { self.do_exec(theirs) },
             Err(e) => e,
         }
@@ -408,8 +408,11 @@ impl Command {
     }
 
 
-    fn setup_io(&self, default: Stdio) -> io::Result<(StdioPipes, ChildPipes)> {
-        let stdin = self.stdin.as_ref().unwrap_or(&default);
+    fn setup_io(&self, default: Stdio, needs_stdin: bool)
+                -> io::Result<(StdioPipes, ChildPipes)> {
+        let null = Stdio::Null;
+        let default_stdin = if needs_stdin {&default} else {&null};
+        let stdin = self.stdin.as_ref().unwrap_or(default_stdin);
         let stdout = self.stdout.as_ref().unwrap_or(&default);
         let stderr = self.stderr.as_ref().unwrap_or(&default);
         let (their_stdin, our_stdin) = try!(stdin.to_child_stdio(true));
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/windows/process.rs b/src/libstd/sys/windows/process.rs
index fa118be6fe6..524c932eed4 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/windows/process.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/windows/process.rs
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ impl Command {
         self.stderr = Some(stderr);
     }
 
-    pub fn spawn(&mut self, default: Stdio)
+    pub fn spawn(&mut self, default: Stdio, needs_stdin: bool)
                  -> io::Result<(Process, StdioPipes)> {
         // To have the spawning semantics of unix/windows stay the same, we need
         // to read the *child's* PATH if one is provided. See #15149 for more
@@ -181,7 +181,9 @@ impl Command {
             stdout: None,
             stderr: None,
         };
-        let stdin = self.stdin.as_ref().unwrap_or(&default);
+        let null = Stdio::Null;
+        let default_stdin = if needs_stdin {&default} else {&null};
+        let stdin = self.stdin.as_ref().unwrap_or(default_stdin);
         let stdout = self.stdout.as_ref().unwrap_or(&default);
         let stderr = self.stderr.as_ref().unwrap_or(&default);
         let stdin = try!(stdin.to_handle(c::STD_INPUT_HANDLE, &mut pipes.stdin));