diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 03824d50..8dd2d312 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/go-quicktest/qt v1.101.0
 	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.6.0
 	github.com/google/renameio/v2 v2.0.0
+	github.com/muesli/cancelreader v0.2.2
 	github.com/pkg/diff v0.0.0-20210226163009-20ebb0f2a09e
 	github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.12.0
 	golang.org/x/sync v0.6.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index ff4788f1..4c15ee1a 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ github.com/kr/pretty v0.3.1 h1:flRD4NNwYAUpkphVc1HcthR4KEIFJ65n8Mw5qdRn3LE=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.3.1/go.mod h1:hoEshYVHaxMs3cyo3Yncou5ZscifuDolrwPKZanG3xk=
 github.com/kr/text v0.2.0 h1:5Nx0Ya0ZqY2ygV366QzturHI13Jq95ApcVaJBhpS+AY=
 github.com/kr/text v0.2.0/go.mod h1:eLer722TekiGuMkidMxC/pM04lWEeraHUUmBw8l2grE=
+github.com/muesli/cancelreader v0.2.2 h1:3I4Kt4BQjOR54NavqnDogx/MIoWBFa0StPA8ELUXHmA=
+github.com/muesli/cancelreader v0.2.2/go.mod h1:3XuTXfFS2VjM+HTLZY9Ak0l6eUKfijIfMUZ4EgX0QYo=
 github.com/pkg/diff v0.0.0-20210226163009-20ebb0f2a09e h1:aoZm08cpOy4WuID//EZDgcC4zIxODThtZNPirFr42+A=
 github.com/pkg/diff v0.0.0-20210226163009-20ebb0f2a09e/go.mod h1:pJLUxLENpZxwdsKMEsNbx1VGcRFpLqf3715MtcvvzbA=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.9.0/go.mod h1:WtVeX8xhTBvf0smdhujwtBcq4Qrzq/fJaraNFVN+nFs=
diff --git a/interp/builtin.go b/interp/builtin.go
index b24a3d6a..0342a7f0 100644
--- a/interp/builtin.go
+++ b/interp/builtin.go
@@ -9,12 +9,13 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 
+	"github.com/muesli/cancelreader"
 	"mvdan.cc/sh/v3/expand"
 	"mvdan.cc/sh/v3/syntax"
 )
@@ -589,10 +590,7 @@ func (r *Runner) builtinCode(ctx context.Context, pos syntax.Pos, name string, a
 			r.out(prompt)
 		}
 
-		line, err := r.readLine(raw)
-		if err != nil {
-			return 1
-		}
+		line, err := r.readLine(ctx, raw)
 		if len(args) == 0 {
 			args = append(args, shellReplyVar)
 		}
@@ -606,6 +604,12 @@ func (r *Runner) builtinCode(ctx context.Context, pos syntax.Pos, name string, a
 			r.setVarString(name, val)
 		}
 
+		// We can get data back from readLine and an error at the same time, so
+		// check err after we process the data.
+		if err != nil {
+			return 1
+		}
+
 		return 0
 
 	case "getopts":
@@ -917,7 +921,7 @@ func (r *Runner) printOptLine(name string, enabled, supported bool) {
 	r.outf("%s\t%s\t(%q not supported)\n", name, state, r.optStatusText(!enabled))
 }
 
-func (r *Runner) readLine(raw bool) ([]byte, error) {
+func (r *Runner) readLine(ctx context.Context, raw bool) ([]byte, error) {
 	if r.stdin == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("interp: can't read, there's no stdin")
 	}
@@ -925,9 +929,38 @@ func (r *Runner) readLine(raw bool) ([]byte, error) {
 	var line []byte
 	esc := false
 
+	stdin := r.stdin
+	if osFile, ok := stdin.(*os.File); ok {
+		cr, err := cancelreader.NewReader(osFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		stdin = cr
+		done := make(chan struct{})
+		var wg sync.WaitGroup
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				cr.Cancel()
+			case <-done:
+			}
+			wg.Done()
+		}()
+		defer func() {
+			close(done)
+			wg.Wait()
+			// Could put the Close in the above goroutine, but if "read" is
+			// immediately called again, the Close might overlap with creating a
+			// new cancelreader. Want this cancelreader to be completely closed
+			// by the time readLine returns.
+			cr.Close()
+		}()
+	}
+
 	for {
 		var buf [1]byte
-		n, err := r.stdin.Read(buf[:])
+		n, err := stdin.Read(buf[:])
 		if n > 0 {
 			b := buf[0]
 			switch {
@@ -945,11 +978,8 @@ func (r *Runner) readLine(raw bool) ([]byte, error) {
 				esc = false
 			}
 		}
-		if err == io.EOF && len(line) > 0 {
-			return line, nil
-		}
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return line, err
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/interp/interp_test.go b/interp/interp_test.go
index 8a6a528a..f65b721c 100644
--- a/interp/interp_test.go
+++ b/interp/interp_test.go
@@ -2903,6 +2903,22 @@ done <<< 2`,
 		"read -r -p 'Prompt and raw flag together: ' a <<< '\\a\\b\\c'; echo $a",
 		"Prompt and raw flag together: \\a\\b\\c\n #IGNORE bash requires a terminal",
 	},
+	{
+		`a=a; echo | (read a; echo -n "$a")`,
+		"",
+	},
+	{
+		`a=b; read a < /dev/null; echo -n "$a"`,
+		"",
+	},
+	{
+		"a=c; echo x | (read a; echo -n $a)",
+		"x",
+	},
+	{
+		"a=d; echo -n y | (read a; echo -n $a)",
+		"y",
+	},
 
 	// getopts
 	{
@@ -3943,6 +3959,51 @@ func TestRunnerContext(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCancelreader(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	p := syntax.NewParser()
+	file := parse(t, p, "read x")
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 100*time.Millisecond)
+	// Make the linter happy, even though we deliberately wait for the
+	// timeout.
+	defer cancel()
+
+	var stdinRead *os.File
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		// On Windows, the cancelreader only works on stdin
+		stdinRead = os.Stdin
+	} else {
+		var stdinWrite *os.File
+		var err error
+		stdinRead, stdinWrite, err = os.Pipe()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Error calling os.Pipe: %v", err)
+		}
+		defer func() {
+			stdinWrite.Close()
+			stdinRead.Close()
+		}()
+	}
+	r, _ := interp.New(interp.StdIO(stdinRead, nil, nil))
+	now := time.Now()
+	errChan := make(chan error)
+	go func() {
+		errChan <- r.Run(ctx, file)
+	}()
+
+	timeout := 500 * time.Millisecond
+	select {
+	case err := <-errChan:
+		if err == nil || err.Error() != "exit status 1" || ctx.Err() != context.DeadlineExceeded {
+			t.Fatalf("'read x' did not timeout correctly; err: %v, ctx.Err(): %v; dur: %v",
+				err, ctx.Err(), time.Since(now))
+		}
+	case <-time.After(timeout):
+		t.Fatalf("program was not killed in %s", timeout)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRunnerAltNodes(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/interp/runner.go b/interp/runner.go
index 79bf0fd4..7df486fd 100644
--- a/interp/runner.go
+++ b/interp/runner.go
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ func (r *Runner) cmd(ctx context.Context, cm syntax.Command) {
 					}
 					r.errf("%s", ps3)
 
-					line, err := r.readLine(true)
+					line, err := r.readLine(ctx, true)
 					if err != nil {
 						r.exit = 1
 						return nil