diff --git a/src/shared/ask-password-api.c b/src/shared/ask-password-api.c
index 99d6a9b143..25cd9eee7f 100644
--- a/src/shared/ask-password-api.c
+++ b/src/shared/ask-password-api.c
@@ -373,7 +373,8 @@ int ask_password_tty(
                                 loop_write(ttyfd, "(no echo) ", 10, false);
                 } else {
                         if (p >= sizeof(passphrase)-1) {
-                                loop_write(ttyfd, "\a", 1, false);
+                                if (ttyfd >= 0)
+                                        loop_write(ttyfd, "\a", 1, false);
                                 continue;
                         }