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/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..13a896703 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"
+    } else {
+        "basenc: error: invalid input\n"
+    };
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["--base32", "."])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_only(error_message);
+}