--- src/common.h
+++ src/common.h
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
 #include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 #include <boost/filesystem/operations.hpp>
 #include <boost/filesystem/convenience.hpp>

--- src/file.cpp
+++ src/file.cpp
@@ -74,9 +74,21 @@ bool StdFile::openRead() {
 }
 
 bool StdFile::openWrite() {
+  // if file is a fifo, temporarily open it for read
+  int fd = -1;
+  struct stat st;
+  int s = stat(filename.c_str(), &st);
+  if (s != -1 && S_ISFIFO(st.st_mode))
+    fd = ::open(filename.c_str(), O_RDONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
+
   // open file for write in append mode
   ios_base::openmode mode = fstream::out | fstream::app;
-  return open(mode);
+  bool r = open(mode);
+
+  // close fifo
+  if (fd != -1)
+    ::close(fd);
+  return r;
 }
 
 bool StdFile::openTruncate() {

--- src/scribe_server.cpp
+++ src/scribe_server.cpp
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     if (-1 == setrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, &r_fd)) {
       LOG_OPER("setrlimit error (setting max fd size)");
     }
+    
+    signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 
     int next_option;
     const char* const short_options = "hp:c:";