diff --git a/src/XrdCl/XrdClCopyProcess.cc b/src/XrdCl/XrdClCopyProcess.cc
index a7b20fea495..b2d2b5d6b27 100644
--- a/src/XrdCl/XrdClCopyProcess.cc
+++ b/src/XrdCl/XrdClCopyProcess.cc
@@ -291,47 +291,50 @@ namespace XrdCl
       if( !target.IsValid() )
         return XRootDStatus( stError, errInvalidArgs, 0, "invalid target" );
 
-      // handle directories
-      FileSystem fs( target );
-      StatInfo *infoptr = 0;
-      XRootDStatus st = fs.Stat( target.GetPath(), infoptr );
-
-      if( !st.IsOK() )
-      {
-        if( st.code != errNotFound && st.errNo != kXR_NotFound )
-          return st;
-      }
-      else
+      if( target.GetProtocol() != "stdio" )
       {
-        std::unique_ptr<StatInfo> info( infoptr );
-        if( info->TestFlags( StatInfo::IsDir) )
-        {
-          std::string path = target.GetPath() + '/';
-          std::string fn;
+        // handle directories
+        FileSystem fs( target );
+        StatInfo *infoptr = 0;
+        XRootDStatus st = fs.Stat( target.GetPath(), infoptr );
 
-          bool isZip = false;
-          props.Get( "zipArchive", isZip );
-          if( isZip )
-          {
-            props.Get( "zipSource", fn );
-          }
-          else if( source.IsMetalink() )
-          {
-            RedirectorRegistry &registry = XrdCl::RedirectorRegistry::Instance();
-            VirtualRedirector *redirector = registry.Get( source );
-            fn = redirector->GetTargetName();
-          }
-          else
+        if( !st.IsOK() )
+        {
+          if( st.code != errNotFound && st.errNo != kXR_NotFound )
+            return st;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+          std::unique_ptr<StatInfo> info( infoptr );
+          if( info->TestFlags( StatInfo::IsDir) )
           {
-            fn = source.GetPath();
+            std::string path = target.GetPath() + '/';
+            std::string fn;
+
+            bool isZip = false;
+            props.Get( "zipArchive", isZip );
+            if( isZip )
+            {
+              props.Get( "zipSource", fn );
+            }
+            else if( source.IsMetalink() )
+            {
+              RedirectorRegistry &registry = XrdCl::RedirectorRegistry::Instance();
+              VirtualRedirector *redirector = registry.Get( source );
+              fn = redirector->GetTargetName();
+            }
+            else
+            {
+              fn = source.GetPath();
+            }
+
+            size_t pos = fn.rfind( '/' );
+            if( pos != std::string::npos )
+              fn = fn.substr( pos + 1 );
+            path += fn;
+            target.SetPath( path );
+            props.Set( "target", target.GetURL() );
           }
-
-          size_t pos = fn.rfind( '/' );
-          if( pos != std::string::npos )
-            fn = fn.substr( pos + 1 );
-          path += fn;
-          target.SetPath( path );
-          props.Set( "target", target.GetURL() );
         }
       }