diff --git a/include/usage.h b/include/usage.h
index 9bdfb3fe0..0349f6916 100644
--- a/include/usage.h
+++ b/include/usage.h
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ USE_FEATURE_DATE_ISOFMT( \
 #define hdparm_trivial_usage \
 	"[options] [device] .."
 #define hdparm_full_usage \
-	USE_FEATURE_HDPARM_GET_IDENTITY("\tIf no device name is specified read from stdin.\n") \
+	USE_FEATURE_HDPARM_GET_IDENTITY("\tIf no device name is specified try to read from stdin.\n") \
 	"\nOptions:\n" \
 	"\t-a   get/set fs readahead\n" \
 	"\t-A   set drive read-lookahead flag (0/1)\n" \
diff --git a/miscutils/hdparm.c b/miscutils/hdparm.c
index 5703eceb5..512995a4b 100644
--- a/miscutils/hdparm.c
+++ b/miscutils/hdparm.c
@@ -2185,11 +2185,11 @@ int hdparm_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	argc -= optind;
 	argv += optind;
 
-#if ENABLE_FEATURE_HDPARM_GET_IDENTITY
 	if (argc < 1) {
-		identify_from_stdin(); /* EXIT */
+		if (ENABLE_FEATURE_HDPARM_GET_IDENTITY && !isatty(STDIN_FILENO))
+			identify_from_stdin(); /* EXIT */
+		else bb_show_usage();
 	}
-#endif
 
 	while (argc--) {
 		process_dev(*argv);