diff --git a/src/shell/main.cpp b/src/shell/main.cpp
index b3b73eeba..eb827e3e6 100644
--- a/src/shell/main.cpp
+++ b/src/shell/main.cpp
@@ -94,27 +94,34 @@ int main (int argc, const char** argv)
     }
   }
 
-  // if a file is given, read from it
+  // If a file is given, read from it
   std::ifstream fin;
   if (read_from_file)
   {
     fin.open (argv[1]);
   }
 
-  // commands may be redirected too
+  // Commands may be redirected too
   std::istream &in = read_from_file ? fin : std::cin;
 
-  // Begining initilaization
-  context.initialize (0, NULL);
+  if (Readline::interactiveMode (in))
+  {
+    // Begining initilaization
+    if (context.initialize (0, NULL))
+    {
+      return -1;
+    }
 
-  // Display some kind of welcome message.
-  Color bold (Color::nocolor, Color::nocolor, false, true, false);
+    // Display some kind of welcome message.
+    Color bold (Color::nocolor, Color::nocolor, false, true, false);
 
-  std::cout << (context.color () ? bold.colorize (PACKAGE_STRING) : PACKAGE_STRING)
-            << " shell\n\n"
-            << STRING_CMD_SHELL_HELP1 << '\n'
-            << STRING_CMD_SHELL_HELP2 << '\n'
-            << STRING_CMD_SHELL_HELP3 << "\n\n";
+    std::cout << (context.color () ? bold.colorize (PACKAGE_STRING)
+                                   : PACKAGE_STRING)
+              << " shell\n\n"
+              << STRING_CMD_SHELL_HELP1 << '\n'
+              << STRING_CMD_SHELL_HELP2 << '\n'
+              << STRING_CMD_SHELL_HELP3 << "\n\n";
+  }
 
   // Make a copy because context.clear will delete them.
   std::string permanent_overrides;