diff --git a/apps/wolfssh/wolfssh.c b/apps/wolfssh/wolfssh.c
index c22f5046b..8a749c6c2 100644
--- a/apps/wolfssh/wolfssh.c
+++ b/apps/wolfssh/wolfssh.c
@@ -406,11 +406,10 @@ static THREAD_RET readPeer(void* in)
     if (args->rawMode == 0) {
         DWORD wrd;
 
-        if (GetConsoleMode(stdoutHandle, &wrd) == FALSE) {
-            err_sys("Unable to get stdout handle");
-        }
-
-        /* depend on the terminal to process VT characters */
+        /* get console mode will fail on handles that are not a console,
+         * i.e. if the stdout is being redirected to a file */
+        if (GetConsoleMode(stdoutHandle, &wrd) != FALSE) {
+            /* depend on the terminal to process VT characters */
         #ifndef _WIN32_WINNT_WIN10
             /* support for virtual terminal processing was introduced in windows 10 */
             #define _WIN32_WINNT_WIN10 0x0A00
@@ -418,8 +417,9 @@ static THREAD_RET readPeer(void* in)
         #if defined(WINVER) && (WINVER >= _WIN32_WINNT_WIN10)
             wrd |= (ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING | ENABLE_PROCESSED_OUTPUT);
         #endif
-        if (SetConsoleMode(stdoutHandle, wrd) == FALSE) {
-            err_sys("Unable to set console mode");
+            if (SetConsoleMode(stdoutHandle, wrd) == FALSE) {
+                err_sys("Unable to set console mode");
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/examples/client/client.c b/examples/client/client.c
index d375b21d9..e37468c6f 100644
--- a/examples/client/client.c
+++ b/examples/client/client.c
@@ -370,20 +370,20 @@ static THREAD_RET readPeer(void* in)
     if (args->rawMode == 0) {
         DWORD wrd;
 
-        if (GetConsoleMode(stdoutHandle, &wrd) == FALSE) {
-            err_sys("Unable to get stdout handle");
-        }
-
-        /* depend on the terminal to process VT characters */
-        #ifndef _WIN32_WINNT_WIN10
-            /* support for virtual terminal processing was introduced in windows 10 */
-            #define _WIN32_WINNT_WIN10 0x0A00
-        #endif
-        #if defined(WINVER) && (WINVER >= _WIN32_WINNT_WIN10)
-            wrd |= (ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING | ENABLE_PROCESSED_OUTPUT);
-        #endif
-        if (SetConsoleMode(stdoutHandle, wrd) == FALSE) {
-            err_sys("Unable to set console mode");
+        /* get console mode will fail on handles that are not a console,
+         * i.e. if the stdout is being redirected to a file */
+        if (GetConsoleMode(stdoutHandle, &wrd) != FALSE) {
+            /* depend on the terminal to process VT characters */
+            #ifndef _WIN32_WINNT_WIN10
+                /* support for virtual terminal processing was introduced in windows 10 */
+                #define _WIN32_WINNT_WIN10 0x0A00
+            #endif
+            #if defined(WINVER) && (WINVER >= _WIN32_WINNT_WIN10)
+                wrd |= (ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING | ENABLE_PROCESSED_OUTPUT);
+            #endif
+            if (SetConsoleMode(stdoutHandle, wrd) == FALSE) {
+                err_sys("Unable to set console mode");
+            }
         }
     }