diff --git a/src/uu/base32/src/base_common.rs b/src/uu/base32/src/base_common.rs
index 2112a40ea..68c40287d 100644
--- a/src/uu/base32/src/base_common.rs
+++ b/src/uu/base32/src/base_common.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 use std::io::{stdout, Read, Write};
 
 use uucore::display::Quotable;
-use uucore::encoding::{wrap_print, Data, Format};
+use uucore::encoding::{wrap_print, Data, EncodeError, Format};
 use uucore::error::{FromIo, UResult, USimpleError, UUsageError};
 use uucore::format_usage;
 
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ pub fn handle_input<R: Read>(
                 wrap_print(&data, &s);
                 Ok(())
             }
+            Err(EncodeError::InvalidInput) => Err(USimpleError::new(1, "error: invalid input")),
             Err(_) => Err(USimpleError::new(
                 1,
                 "error: invalid input (length must be multiple of 4 characters)",
diff --git a/src/uu/expand/src/expand.rs b/src/uu/expand/src/expand.rs
index eb9766eb4..1efb36c65 100644
--- a/src/uu/expand/src/expand.rs
+++ b/src/uu/expand/src/expand.rs
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@ use std::fmt;
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::io::{stdin, stdout, BufRead, BufReader, BufWriter, Read, Write};
 use std::num::IntErrorKind;
+use std::path::Path;
 use std::str::from_utf8;
 use unicode_width::UnicodeWidthChar;
 use uucore::display::Quotable;
-use uucore::error::{FromIo, UError, UResult};
-use uucore::{format_usage, help_about, help_usage};
+use uucore::error::{set_exit_code, FromIo, UError, UResult};
+use uucore::{format_usage, help_about, help_usage, show_error};
 
 const ABOUT: &str = help_about!("expand.md");
 const USAGE: &str = help_usage!("expand.md");
@@ -465,6 +466,12 @@ fn expand(options: &Options) -> UResult<()> {
     let mut buf = Vec::new();
 
     for file in &options.files {
+        if Path::new(file).is_dir() {
+            show_error!("{}: Is a directory", file);
+            set_exit_code(1);
+            continue;
+        }
+
         let mut fh = open(file)?;
 
         while match fh.read_until(b'\n', &mut buf) {
diff --git a/src/uu/factor/src/cli.rs b/src/uu/factor/src/cli.rs
index 63a0632a3..d01ca625c 100644
--- a/src/uu/factor/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/uu/factor/src/cli.rs
@@ -73,9 +73,18 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
         let stdin = stdin();
         let lines = stdin.lock().lines();
         for line in lines {
-            for number in line.unwrap().split_whitespace() {
-                print_factors_str(number, &mut w, print_exponents)
-                    .map_err_context(|| "write error".into())?;
+            match line {
+                Ok(line) => {
+                    for number in line.split_whitespace() {
+                        print_factors_str(number, &mut w, print_exponents)
+                            .map_err_context(|| "write error".into())?;
+                    }
+                }
+                Err(e) => {
+                    set_exit_code(1);
+                    show_error!("error reading input: {}", e);
+                    return Ok(());
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/uucore/src/lib/features/encoding.rs b/src/uucore/src/lib/features/encoding.rs
index 14fdbb38e..db218d5f0 100644
--- a/src/uucore/src/lib/features/encoding.rs
+++ b/src/uucore/src/lib/features/encoding.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ pub enum DecodeError {
 
 pub enum EncodeError {
     Z85InputLenNotMultipleOf4,
+    InvalidInput,
 }
 
 pub type DecodeResult = Result<Vec<u8>, DecodeError>;
@@ -148,8 +149,10 @@ impl<R: Read> Data<R> {
 
     pub fn encode(&mut self) -> Result<String, EncodeError> {
         let mut buf: Vec<u8> = vec![];
-        self.input.read_to_end(&mut buf).unwrap();
-        encode(self.format, buf.as_slice())
+        match self.input.read_to_end(&mut buf) {
+            Ok(_) => encode(self.format, buf.as_slice()),
+            Err(_) => Err(EncodeError::InvalidInput),
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_basenc.rs b/tests/by-util/test_basenc.rs
index 6c71b63f7..c9e15ef1f 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_basenc.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_basenc.rs
@@ -18,3 +18,16 @@ fn test_z85_not_padded() {
         .fails()
         .stderr_only("basenc: error: invalid input (length must be multiple of 4 characters)\n");
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_invalid_input() {
+    let error_message = if cfg!(windows) {
+        "basenc: .: Permission denied\n"
+    } else {
+        "basenc: error: invalid input\n"
+    };
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["--base32", "."])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_only(error_message);
+}
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_expand.rs b/tests/by-util/test_expand.rs
index 1e26b3273..c420f5ad5 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_expand.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_expand.rs
@@ -409,3 +409,11 @@ int main() {
 ",
         );
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_expand_directory() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["."])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_contains("expand: .: Is a directory");
+}
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_factor.rs b/tests/by-util/test_factor.rs
index 3326a1ace..57a2dae09 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_factor.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_factor.rs
@@ -1258,3 +1258,8 @@ const PRIMES50: &[u64] = &[
     1125899906841623,
     1125899906841613,
 ];
+
+#[test]
+fn fails_on_directory() {
+    new_ucmd!().pipe_in(".").fails();
+}