diff --git a/sop-java-picocli/src/main/java/sop/cli/picocli/commands/AbstractSopCmd.java b/sop-java-picocli/src/main/java/sop/cli/picocli/commands/AbstractSopCmd.java
index c64922f..176d97b 100644
--- a/sop-java-picocli/src/main/java/sop/cli/picocli/commands/AbstractSopCmd.java
+++ b/sop-java-picocli/src/main/java/sop/cli/picocli/commands/AbstractSopCmd.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public interface EnvironmentVariableResolver {
     public static final Date BEGINNING_OF_TIME = new Date(0);
     public static final Date END_OF_TIME = new Date(8640000000000000L);
 
-    public static final Pattern PATTERN_FD = Pattern.compile("^\\d{1,3}$");
+    public static final Pattern PATTERN_FD = Pattern.compile("^\\d{1,20}$");
 
     protected final ResourceBundle messages;
     protected EnvironmentVariableResolver envResolver = System::getenv;
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ public File fileDescriptorFromString(String fdString) {
         }
         String fdNumber = fdString.substring(PRFX_FD.length());
         if (!PATTERN_FD.matcher(fdNumber).matches()) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("File descriptor must be a 1-3 digit, positive number.");
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("File descriptor must be a positive number.");
         }
         File descriptor = new File(fdDir, fdNumber);
         return descriptor;