diff --git a/awk.h b/awk.h
index cb7c4990..49986949 100644
--- a/awk.h
+++ b/awk.h
@@ -960,6 +960,7 @@ typedef struct iobuf {
 		IOP_AT_EOF	= 2,
 		IOP_CLOSED	= 4,
 		IOP_AT_START	= 8,
+		IOP_IS_SOCK	= 16,
 	} flag;
 } IOBUF;
 
@@ -1601,6 +1602,7 @@ extern void os_arg_fixup(int *argcp, char ***argvp);
 extern int os_devopen(const char *name, int flag);
 extern void os_close_on_exec(int fd, const char *name, const char *what, const char *dir);
 extern int os_isatty(int fd);
+extern int os_issock(int fd);
 extern int os_isdir(int fd);
 extern int os_isreadable(const awk_input_buf_t *iobuf, bool *isdir);
 extern int os_is_setuid(void);
diff --git a/io.c b/io.c
index 91c94d9b..fd62f878 100644
--- a/io.c
+++ b/io.c
@@ -3466,6 +3466,8 @@ iop_finish(IOBUF *iop)
 
 	if (os_isatty(iop->public.fd))
 		iop->flag |= IOP_IS_TTY;
+	else if (os_issock(iop->public.fd))
+		iop->flag |= IOP_IS_SOCK;
 
 	iop->readsize = iop->size = optimal_bufsize(iop->public.fd, & iop->public.sbuf);
 	if (do_lint && S_ISREG(iop->public.sbuf.st_mode) && iop->public.sbuf.st_size == 0)
@@ -3759,7 +3761,7 @@ again:
          */
 
 	/* succession of tests is easier to trace in GDB. */
-	if (RSre->maybe_long) {
+	if (RSre->maybe_long && (iop->flag & (IOP_IS_TTY|IOP_IS_SOCK)) == 0) {
 		char *matchend = iop->off + reend;
 
 		if (iop->dataend - matchend < RS->stlen)
diff --git a/posix/gawkmisc.c b/posix/gawkmisc.c
index d2e33f41..92124be7 100644
--- a/posix/gawkmisc.c
+++ b/posix/gawkmisc.c
@@ -273,6 +273,16 @@ os_isatty(int fd)
 	return isatty(fd);
 }
 
+/* os_issock --- return true if fd is a socket */
+
+int
+os_issock(int fd)
+{
+	struct stat sbuf;
+
+	return (fstat(fd, & sbuf) >= 0 && S_ISSOCK(sbuf.st_mode));
+}
+
 /* files_are_same --- return true if files are identical */
 
 int