diff --git a/src/event.c b/src/event.c
index 81b6375..c6dd3e0 100644
--- a/src/event.c
+++ b/src/event.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ static int hyper_getmsg_len(struct hyper_event *de, uint32_t *len)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int hyper_event_read(struct hyper_event *de)
+int hyper_event_read(struct hyper_event *de, int efd)
 {
 	struct hyper_buf *buf = &de->rbuf;
 	uint32_t len = 4;
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ int hyper_handle_event(int efd, struct epoll_event *event)
 	if (event->events & EPOLLIN) {
 		fprintf(stdout, "%s event EPOLLIN, de %p, fd %d, %p\n",
 			__func__, de, de->fd, de->ops);
-		if (de->ops->read(de) < 0)
+		if (de->ops->read(de, efd) < 0)
 			return -1;
 	} else if (event->events & EPOLLHUP) {
 		fprintf(stdout, "%s event EPOLLHUP, de %p, fd %d, %p\n",
diff --git a/src/event.h b/src/event.h
index 9096693..a2c6150 100644
--- a/src/event.h
+++ b/src/event.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 struct hyper_event;
 
 struct hyper_event_ops {
-	int		(*read)(struct hyper_event *e);
+	int		(*read)(struct hyper_event *e, int efd);
 	int		(*write)(struct hyper_event *e);
 	int		(*handle)(struct hyper_event *e, uint32_t len);
 	void		(*hup)(struct hyper_event *e, int efd);
@@ -39,6 +39,6 @@ int hyper_init_event(struct hyper_event *de, struct hyper_event_ops *ops,
 int hyper_handle_event(int efd, struct epoll_event *event);
 void hyper_reset_event(struct hyper_event *de);
 void hyper_event_hup(struct hyper_event *de, int efd);
-int hyper_event_read(struct hyper_event *de);
+int hyper_event_read(struct hyper_event *dei, int efd);
 int hyper_event_write(struct hyper_event *de);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/exec.c b/src/exec.c
index 84e4725..eb4d483 100644
--- a/src/exec.c
+++ b/src/exec.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <sys/epoll.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <sched.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ static void stderr_hup(struct hyper_event *de, int efd)
 	return pts_hup(de, efd, 0);
 }
 
-static int pts_loop(struct hyper_event *de, uint64_t seq)
+static int pts_loop(struct hyper_event *de, uint64_t seq, int efd, int out)
 {
 	int size = -1;
 	struct hyper_buf *buf = &ctl.tty.wbuf;
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ static int pts_loop(struct hyper_event *de, uint64_t seq)
 	while ((buf->get + 12 < buf->size) && size) {
 		size = read(de->fd, buf->data + buf->get + 12, buf->size - buf->get - 12);
 		fprintf(stdout, "%s: read %d data\n", __func__, size);
-		if (size <= 0) {
+		if (size < 0) {
 			if (errno == EINTR)
 				continue;
 
@@ -120,6 +121,10 @@ static int pts_loop(struct hyper_event *de, uint64_t seq)
 
 			break;
 		}
+		if (size == 0) { // eof
+			pts_hup(de, efd, out);
+			break;
+		}
 
 		hyper_set_be64(buf->data + buf->get, seq);
 		hyper_set_be32(buf->data + buf->get + 8, size + 12);
@@ -134,12 +139,12 @@ static int pts_loop(struct hyper_event *de, uint64_t seq)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int stdout_loop(struct hyper_event *de)
+static int stdout_loop(struct hyper_event *de, int efd)
 {
 	struct hyper_exec *exec = container_of(de, struct hyper_exec, e);
 	fprintf(stdout, "%s, seq %" PRIu64"\n", __func__, exec->seq);
 
-	return pts_loop(de, exec->seq);
+	return pts_loop(de, exec->seq, efd, 1);
 }
 
 struct hyper_event_ops pts_ops = {
@@ -150,12 +155,12 @@ struct hyper_event_ops pts_ops = {
 	/* don't need read buff, the pts data will store in tty buffer */
 };
 
-static int stderr_loop(struct hyper_event *de)
+static int stderr_loop(struct hyper_event *de, int efd)
 {
 	struct hyper_exec *exec = container_of(de, struct hyper_exec, errev);
 	fprintf(stdout, "%s, seq %" PRIu64"\n", __func__, exec->errseq);
 
-	return pts_loop(de, exec->errseq);
+	return pts_loop(de, exec->errseq, efd, 0);
 }
 
 struct hyper_event_ops err_ops = {
@@ -184,6 +189,18 @@ int hyper_setup_exec_tty(struct hyper_exec *e)
 		e->errfd = errpipe[1];
 	}
 
+	if (!e->tty) { // don't use tty for stdio
+		int iopair[2];
+		if (socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM | SOCK_CLOEXEC, 0, iopair) < 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "creating stdio pair failed\n");
+			return -1;
+		}
+		hyper_setfd_nonblock(iopair[0]);
+		e->e.fd = iopair[0];
+		e->ptyfd = iopair[1];
+		goto done;
+	}
+
 	if (e->id) {
 		if (sprintf(path, "/tmp/hyper/%s/devpts/", e->id) < 0) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "get ptmx path failed\n");
@@ -225,6 +242,7 @@ int hyper_setup_exec_tty(struct hyper_exec *e)
 	e->ptyfd = open(ptmx, O_RDWR | O_NOCTTY | O_CLOEXEC);
 	fprintf(stdout, "get pty device for exec %s\n", ptmx);
 
+done:
 	fprintf(stdout, "%s pts event %p, fd %d %d\n",
 		__func__, &e->e, e->e.fd, e->ptyfd);
 	return 0;
@@ -253,7 +271,7 @@ int hyper_dup_exec_tty(int to, struct hyper_exec *e)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (e->seq && (ioctl(fd, TIOCSCTTY, NULL) < 0)) {
+	if (e->tty && (ioctl(fd, TIOCSCTTY, NULL) < 0)) {
 		perror("ioctl pty device for execcmd failed");
 		goto out;
 	}
diff --git a/src/exec.h b/src/exec.h
index 56320ca..97cb986 100644
--- a/src/exec.h
+++ b/src/exec.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ struct hyper_exec {
 	char			*id;
 	char			**argv;
 	int			argc;
+	int			tty; // use tty or not
 	uint64_t		seq;
 	uint64_t		errseq;
 	int			pid;
diff --git a/src/parse.c b/src/parse.c
index 5500929..fc529f6 100644
--- a/src/parse.c
+++ b/src/parse.c
@@ -497,6 +497,14 @@ static int hyper_parse_container(struct hyper_pod *pod, struct hyper_container *
 			fprintf(stdout, "container rootfs %s\n", c->rootfs);
 			i++;
 		} else if (json_token_streq(json, t, "tty") && t->size == 1) {
+			if (!json_token_streq(json, &toks[++i], "false")) {
+				c->exec.tty = 1;
+				fprintf(stdout, "container uses terminal\n");
+			} else {
+				fprintf(stdout, "container doesn't use terminal\n");
+			}
+			i++;
+		} else if (json_token_streq(json, t, "stdio") && t->size == 1) {
 			c->exec.seq = json_token_ll(json, &toks[++i]);
 			fprintf(stdout, "container seq %" PRIu64 "\n", c->exec.seq);
 			i++;