diff --git a/tests/playTests.sh b/tests/playTests.sh
index c48148fa..c93c58fe 100755
--- a/tests/playTests.sh
+++ b/tests/playTests.sh
@@ -127,7 +127,9 @@ fi
 $ECHO "test : null-length file roundtrip"
 $ECHO -n '' | $ZSTD - --stdout | $ZSTD -d --stdout
 $ECHO "test : ensure small file doesn't add 3-bytes null block"
-./datagen -g1 | $ZSTD | wc -c | grep "14"
+./datagen -g1 > tmp1
+$ZSTD tmp1 -c | wc -c | grep "14"
+$ZSTD < tmp1  | wc -c | grep "14"
 $ECHO "test : decompress file with wrong suffix (must fail)"
 $ZSTD -d tmpCompressed && die "wrong suffix error not detected!"
 $ZSTD -df tmp && die "should have refused : wrong extension"