diff --git a/src/lib-fs/istream-metawrap.c b/src/lib-fs/istream-metawrap.c
index fc96245425..54e2aa025d 100644
--- a/src/lib-fs/istream-metawrap.c
+++ b/src/lib-fs/istream-metawrap.c
@@ -132,9 +132,7 @@ i_stream_create_metawrap(struct istream *input,
 	mstream->istream.seek = i_stream_metawrap_seek;
 	mstream->istream.stat = input->seekable ? i_stream_metawrap_stat : NULL;
 
-	/* we can't set abs_start_offset early enough so that it would get
-	   passed to our child istreams. */
-	mstream->istream.istream.readable_fd = FALSE;
+	mstream->istream.istream.readable_fd = input->readable_fd;
 	mstream->istream.istream.blocking = input->blocking;
 	mstream->istream.istream.seekable = input->seekable;
 	mstream->in_metadata = TRUE;