diff --git a/plugins/gitfast/git-prompt.sh b/plugins/gitfast/git-prompt.sh
index 7b732d2ae..54489080f 100644
--- a/plugins/gitfast/git-prompt.sh
+++ b/plugins/gitfast/git-prompt.sh
@@ -259,6 +259,13 @@ __git_ps1_colorize_gitstring ()
 	r="$c_clear$r"
 }
 
+eread ()
+{
+	f="$1"
+	shift
+	test -r "$f" && read "$@" <"$f"
+}
+
 # __git_ps1 accepts 0 or 1 arguments (i.e., format string)
 # when called from PS1 using command substitution
 # in this mode it prints text to add to bash PS1 prompt (includes branch name)
@@ -321,9 +328,9 @@ __git_ps1 ()
 	local step=""
 	local total=""
 	if [ -d "$g/rebase-merge" ]; then
-		read b 2>/dev/null <"$g/rebase-merge/head-name"
-		read step 2>/dev/null <"$g/rebase-merge/msgnum"
-		read total 2>/dev/null <"$g/rebase-merge/end"
+		eread "$g/rebase-merge/head-name" b
+		eread "$g/rebase-merge/msgnum" step
+		eread "$g/rebase-merge/end" total
 		if [ -f "$g/rebase-merge/interactive" ]; then
 			r="|REBASE-i"
 		else
@@ -331,10 +338,10 @@ __git_ps1 ()
 		fi
 	else
 		if [ -d "$g/rebase-apply" ]; then
-			read step 2>/dev/null <"$g/rebase-apply/next"
-			read total 2>/dev/null <"$g/rebase-apply/last"
+			eread "$g/rebase-apply/next" step
+			eread "$g/rebase-apply/last" total
 			if [ -f "$g/rebase-apply/rebasing" ]; then
-				read b 2>/dev/null <"$g/rebase-apply/head-name"
+				eread "$g/rebase-apply/head-name" b
 				r="|REBASE"
 			elif [ -f "$g/rebase-apply/applying" ]; then
 				r="|AM"
@@ -358,7 +365,7 @@ __git_ps1 ()
 			b="$(git symbolic-ref HEAD 2>/dev/null)"
 		else
 			local head=""
-			if ! read head 2>/dev/null <"$g/HEAD"; then
+			if ! eread "$g/HEAD" head; then
 				if [ $pcmode = yes ]; then
 					PS1="$ps1pc_start$ps1pc_end"
 				fi