diff --git a/cmd/ethereum/js.go b/cmd/ethereum/js.go
index 1f0033daa..599af0a16 100644
--- a/cmd/ethereum/js.go
+++ b/cmd/ethereum/js.go
@@ -67,14 +67,14 @@ type jsre struct {
 	prompter
 }
 
-func newJSRE(ethereum *eth.Ethereum, libPath string) *jsre {
+func newJSRE(ethereum *eth.Ethereum, libPath string, interactive bool) *jsre {
 	js := &jsre{ethereum: ethereum, ps1: "> "}
 	js.xeth = xeth.New(ethereum, js)
 	js.re = re.New(libPath)
 	js.apiBindings()
 	js.adminBindings()
 
-	if !liner.TerminalSupported() {
+	if !liner.TerminalSupported() || !interactive {
 		js.prompter = dumbterm{bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)}
 	} else {
 		lr := liner.NewLiner()
diff --git a/cmd/ethereum/main.go b/cmd/ethereum/main.go
index fea3fbf61..59c6ef485 100644
--- a/cmd/ethereum/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ethereum/main.go
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ func console(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	}
 
 	startEth(ctx, ethereum)
-	repl := newJSRE(ethereum, ctx.String(utils.JSpathFlag.Name))
+	repl := newJSRE(ethereum, ctx.String(utils.JSpathFlag.Name), true)
 	repl.interactive()
 
 	ethereum.Stop()
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ func execJSFiles(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	}
 
 	startEth(ctx, ethereum)
-	repl := newJSRE(ethereum, ctx.String(utils.JSpathFlag.Name))
+	repl := newJSRE(ethereum, ctx.String(utils.JSpathFlag.Name), false)
 	for _, file := range ctx.Args() {
 		repl.exec(file)
 	}