diff --git a/repos/libports/run/ldso.run b/repos/libports/run/ldso.run
index f54fdae55e..81f1673440 100644
--- a/repos/libports/run/ldso.run
+++ b/repos/libports/run/ldso.run
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ compare_output_to {
 [init -> test-ldso] lib_1_local_3 12345676
 [init -> test-ldso] lib_1_pod_1 8070604d
 [init -> test-ldso] Libc::read:
-[init -> test-ldso] Error: no plugin found for read(0)
+[init -> test-ldso] Error: no plugin found for read(3)
 [init -> test-ldso] Libc::abs(-10): 10
 [init -> test-ldso] 
 [init -> test-ldso] Catch exceptions in program
diff --git a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/vfs_plugin.h b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/vfs_plugin.h
index 22ba7984d3..c844e0e7d2 100644
--- a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/vfs_plugin.h
+++ b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/vfs_plugin.h
@@ -70,7 +70,10 @@ class Libc::Vfs_plugin : public Libc::Plugin
 				if (fd->fd_path) { Genode::warning("may leak former FD path memory"); }
 				fd->fd_path = strdup(path.string());
 
-			} catch (Xml_node::Nonexistent_attribute) { }
+			} catch (Xml_node::Nonexistent_attribute) {
+				/*  fill the stdio number with a EBADF */
+				Libc::file_descriptor_allocator()->alloc(nullptr, nullptr, libc_fd);
+			}
 		}
 
 		void _vfs_sync(Vfs::Vfs_handle *vfs_handle)
diff --git a/repos/libports/src/test/ldso/main.cc b/repos/libports/src/test/ldso/main.cc
index 50b67b6eef..ae7b6df168 100644
--- a/repos/libports/src/test/ldso/main.cc
+++ b/repos/libports/src/test/ldso/main.cc
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ void Libc::Component::construct(Libc::Env &env)
 	lib_1_local_3()->lib_1_local_3();
 	printf("lib_1_pod_1 %x\n", --pod_1);
 
-	int fd = 0;
+	int fd = STDERR_FILENO + 1;
 	char buf[2];
 	printf("Libc::read:\n");
 	Libc::read(fd, buf, 2);