diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 069476b..7b01d9c 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
--- $MawkId: CHANGES,v 1.409 2024/12/13 00:44:41 tom Exp $
+-- $MawkId: CHANGES,v 1.411 2024/12/14 01:09:36 tom Exp $
+
+20241213
+	+ disallow reading from a directory like a file (Original-Mawk #83).
 
 20241212
 	+ modify calls on stdtod() to disallow hexadecimal, infinite and
diff --git a/MANIFEST b/MANIFEST
index bfe0a7f..ccee9a4 100644
--- a/MANIFEST
+++ b/MANIFEST
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-MANIFEST for mawk, version t20241212
+MANIFEST for mawk, version t20241213
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 MANIFEST                        this file
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT                  acknowledgements
diff --git a/config_h.in b/config_h.in
index 0f22db2..a64e69a 100644
--- a/config_h.in
+++ b/config_h.in
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ the GNU General Public License, version 2, 1991.
 ********************************************/
 
 /*
- * $MawkId: config_h.in,v 1.42 2024/11/17 22:07:11 tom Exp $
+ * $MawkId: config_h.in,v 1.43 2024/12/14 01:12:07 tom Exp $
  * template for config.h
  */
 
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ the GNU General Public License, version 2, 1991.
 #undef HAVE_FCNTL_H
 #undef HAVE_FORK
 #undef HAVE_FSEEKO
+#undef HAVE_FSTAT
 #undef HAVE_GETTIMEOFDAY
 #undef HAVE_INT64_T
 #undef HAVE_INTTYPES_H
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 2ae7083..e7ebd96 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -11163,7 +11163,7 @@ EOF
 
 fi
 
-for ac_func in fork matherr mktime pipe strftime tsearch wait
+for ac_func in fork fstat matherr mktime pipe strftime tsearch wait
 do
 as_ac_var=`echo "ac_cv_func_$ac_func" | $as_tr_sh`
 echo "$as_me:11169: checking for $ac_func" >&5
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 603b5e5..ed35eb6 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-dnl $MawkId: configure.in,v 1.76 2024/11/17 23:54:26 tom Exp $
+dnl $MawkId: configure.in,v 1.77 2024/12/14 00:43:08 tom Exp $
 dnl configure.in for mawk
 dnl ###########################################################################
 dnl copyright 2008-2023,2024, Thomas E. Dickey
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ CF_MAWK_FIND_SIZE_T
 CF_LOCALE
 CF_CHECK_ENVIRON(environ)
 
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS(fork matherr mktime pipe strftime tsearch wait)
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS(fork fstat matherr mktime pipe strftime tsearch wait)
 CF_FUNC_GETTIME
 
 ###	Checks for libraries.
diff --git a/error.c b/error.c
index 8de7d2a..5c8a416 100644
--- a/error.c
+++ b/error.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ the GNU General Public License, version 2, 1991.
 ********************************************/
 
 /*
- * $MawkId: error.c,v 1.29 2024/12/11 21:57:28 tom Exp $
+ * $MawkId: error.c,v 1.30 2024/12/13 23:40:55 tom Exp $
  */
 
 #define Visible_CELL
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ errmsg(int errnum, const char *format, ...)
 
 #if OPT_TRACE > 0
     va_start(args, format);
-    Trace("\n?? errmsg \n");
+    Trace("\n?? errmsg: ");
     TraceVA(format, args);
     Trace("\n");
     va_end(args);
diff --git a/files.c b/files.c
index 304991b..c1fe2d0 100644
--- a/files.c
+++ b/files.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ the GNU General Public License, version 2, 1991.
 ********************************************/
 
 /*
- * $MawkId: files.c,v 1.37 2024/11/11 20:55:25 tom Exp $
+ * $MawkId: files.c,v 1.40 2024/12/14 01:35:10 tom Exp $
  */
 
 #define Visible_STRING
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ the GNU General Public License, version 2, 1991.
 #define	 CLOSE_ON_EXEC(fd) ioctl(fd, FIOCLEX, (PTR) 0)
 #endif
 
+#ifdef	  HAVE_FSTAT
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#endif
+
 /* We store dynamically created files on a linked linear
    list with move to the front (big surprise)  */
 
@@ -635,6 +640,15 @@ tfopen(const char *name, const char *mode)
     FILE *retval = fopen(name, mode);
 
     if (retval) {
+#ifdef HAVE_FSTAT
+	struct stat sb;
+	int fd = fileno(retval);
+	if (fstat(fd, &sb) != -1 && (sb.st_mode & S_IFMT) == S_IFDIR) {
+	    fclose(retval);
+	    retval = NULL;
+	    errno = EISDIR;
+	} else
+#endif /* HAVE_FSTAT */
 	if (isatty(fileno(retval)))
 	    setbuf(retval, (char *) 0);
 	else {
diff --git a/fin.c b/fin.c
index 59f2178..e13ae6c 100644
--- a/fin.c
+++ b/fin.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ the GNU General Public License, version 2, 1991.
 ********************************************/
 
 /*
- * $MawkId: fin.c,v 1.57 2024/09/05 17:38:30 tom Exp $
+ * $MawkId: fin.c,v 1.60 2024/12/14 01:35:23 tom Exp $
  */
 
 #define Visible_CELL
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ the GNU General Public License, version 2, 1991.
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #endif
 
+#ifdef	  HAVE_FSTAT
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#endif
+
 /* This file handles input files.  Opening, closing,
    buffering and (most important) splitting files into
    records, FINgets().
@@ -125,8 +130,17 @@ FINopen(char *filename, int main_flag)
 	    setmode(0, O_BINARY);
 #endif
 	result = FINdopen(0, main_flag);
-    } else if ((fd = open(filename, oflag, 0)) != -1) {
-	result = FINdopen(fd, main_flag);
+    } else {
+	if ((fd = open(filename, oflag, 0)) != -1) {
+#ifdef HAVE_FSTAT
+	    struct stat sb;
+	    if (fstat(fd, &sb) != -1 && (sb.st_mode & S_IFMT) == S_IFDIR) {
+		close(fd);
+		errno = EISDIR;
+	    } else
+#endif /* HAVE_FSTAT */
+		result = FINdopen(fd, main_flag);
+	}
     }
     return result;
 }
diff --git a/package/debian/changelog b/package/debian/changelog
index 55112da..e6cb56b 100644
--- a/package/debian/changelog
+++ b/package/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+mawk-cur (1.3.4-20241213) unstable; urgency=low
+
+  * maintenance updates
+
+ -- Thomas E. Dickey <dickey@invisible-island.net>  Fri, 13 Dec 2024 20:01:15 -0500
+
 mawk-cur (1.3.4-20241212) unstable; urgency=low
 
   * maintenance updates
diff --git a/package/freebsd/Makefile b/package/freebsd/Makefile
index 28abe18..442716c 100644
--- a/package/freebsd/Makefile
+++ b/package/freebsd/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # $FreeBSD: head/lang/mawk/Makefile 516890 2019-11-06 14:17:48Z wen $
 
 PORTNAME=	mawk
-DISTVERSION=	1.3.4.20241212
+DISTVERSION=	1.3.4.20241213
 CATEGORIES=	lang
 MASTER_SITES=	https://invisible-island.net/archives/${PORTNAME}/ \
 		https://invisible-mirror.net/archives/${PORTNAME}/
diff --git a/package/mawk.spec b/package/mawk.spec
index 9167d29..f8d5187 100644
--- a/package/mawk.spec
+++ b/package/mawk.spec
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 Summary: mawk - pattern scanning and text processing language
 %global AppProgram mawk
 %global AppVersion 1.3.4
-%global AppPatched 20241212
+%global AppPatched 20241213
 %global MySite https://invisible-island.net
-# $MawkId: mawk.spec,v 1.134 2024/12/13 00:44:41 tom Exp $
+# $MawkId: mawk.spec,v 1.135 2024/12/14 01:01:15 tom Exp $
 Name: %{AppProgram}
 Version: %{AppVersion}
 Release: %{AppPatched}
diff --git a/patchlev.h b/patchlev.h
index c7b677c..08014c5 100644
--- a/patchlev.h
+++ b/patchlev.h
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ the GNU General Public License, version 2, 1991.
  */
 
 /*
- * $MawkId: patchlev.h,v 1.161 2024/12/13 00:44:41 tom Exp $
+ * $MawkId: patchlev.h,v 1.162 2024/12/14 01:01:15 tom Exp $
  */
 #define  PATCH_BASE	1
 #define  PATCH_LEVEL	3
 #define  PATCH_STRING	".4"
-#define  DATE_STRING    "20241212"
+#define  DATE_STRING    "20241213"