diff --git a/programs/zstdcli.c b/programs/zstdcli.c
index a187ffafd..a42fd5605 100644
--- a/programs/zstdcli.c
+++ b/programs/zstdcli.c
@@ -839,6 +839,7 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
     size_t streamSrcSize = 0;
     size_t targetCBlockSize = 0;
     size_t srcSizeHint = 0;
+    size_t nbInputFileNames = 0;
     int dictCLevel = g_defaultDictCLevel;
     unsigned dictSelect = g_defaultSelectivityLevel;
 #ifndef ZSTD_NODICT
@@ -1261,6 +1262,8 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
         }
     }
 
+    nbInputFileNames = filenames->tableSize; /* saving number of input files */
+    
     if (recursive) {  /* at this stage, filenameTable is a list of paths, which can contain both files and directories */
         UTIL_expandFNT(&filenames, followLinks);
     }
@@ -1363,7 +1366,17 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
 #endif
 
     /* No input filename ==> use stdin and stdout */
-    if (filenames->tableSize == 0) UTIL_refFilename(filenames, stdinmark);
+    if (filenames->tableSize == 0) {
+      /* It is possible that the input
+       was a number of empty directories. In this case
+       stdin and stdout should not be used */
+       if (nbInputFileNames > 0 ){
+        DISPLAYLEVEL(1, "please provide correct input file(s) or non-empty directories -- ignored \n");
+        CLEAN_RETURN(0);
+       }
+       UTIL_refFilename(filenames, stdinmark);
+    }
+    
     if (!strcmp(filenames->fileNames[0], stdinmark) && !outFileName)
         outFileName = stdoutmark;  /* when input is stdin, default output is stdout */
 
diff --git a/tests/playTests.sh b/tests/playTests.sh
index edf344f5b..f04f1da72 100755
--- a/tests/playTests.sh
+++ b/tests/playTests.sh
@@ -391,6 +391,11 @@ println "\n===>  recursive mode test "
 # combination of -r with empty list of input file
 zstd -c -r < tmp > tmp.zst
 
+# combination of -r with empty folder
+mkdir -p tmpEmptyDir
+zstd -r tmpEmptyDir
+rm -rf tmpEmptyDir
+
 
 println "\n===>  file removal"
 zstd -f --rm tmp