diff --git a/changelog.d/542-repl-eof-race.md b/changelog.d/542-repl-eof-race.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..851cf491
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/542-repl-eof-race.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- **Fixed**: `orly-repl` with piped stdin (`echo '1 + 1;' | orly-repl ...`, the docker `repl` mode's shape) aborted in-flight entries on EOF and exited 0 with no output — the result never printed and the error text was truncated by `process.exit`. EOF now quits only after pending entries drain, exit lets output flush, and the smoke gains a piped-EOF regression scenario (#542).
diff --git a/clients/repl/smoke/smoke.mjs b/clients/repl/smoke/smoke.mjs
index 632bba7f..ecb58fa2 100644
--- a/clients/repl/smoke/smoke.mjs
+++ b/clients/repl/smoke/smoke.mjs
@@ -100,6 +100,28 @@ try {
   const code = await exited;
   if (code !== 0) throw new Error(`repl exited ${code}\n--- transcript ---\n${transcript}`);
 
+  // Piped-EOF regression (#542): the docker/CI shape — all input arrives at
+  // once and stdin closes immediately, while the first entry is still
+  // compiling. The entry must complete, print, and exit 0 anyway.
+  const piped = spawn(process.execPath, ["dist/index.js"], {
+    stdio: ["pipe", "pipe", "pipe"],
+  });
+  let pipedOut = "";
+  piped.stdout.on("data", (d) => { pipedOut += d; });
+  piped.stderr.on("data", (d) => { pipedOut += d; });
+  const pipedExit = new Promise((resolve) => piped.on("exit", resolve));
+  piped.stdin.end("40 + 2;\n");
+  const pipedCode = await Promise.race([
+    pipedExit,
+    new Promise((_, reject) =>
+      setTimeout(() => reject(new Error(`piped-EOF: no exit\n--- transcript ---\n${pipedOut}`)), STEP_TIMEOUT_MS),
+    ),
+  ]);
+  if (pipedCode !== 0 || !pipedOut.includes("42\n")) {
+    piped.kill("SIGKILL");
+    throw new Error(`piped-EOF: exit ${pipedCode}\n--- transcript ---\n${pipedOut}`);
+  }
+
   console.log("orly-repl smoke: all checks passed");
   process.exit(0);
 } catch (e) {
diff --git a/clients/repl/src/index.ts b/clients/repl/src/index.ts
index 1448b860..405f04d3 100644
--- a/clients/repl/src/index.ts
+++ b/clients/repl/src/index.ts
@@ -262,7 +262,10 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     } catch {
       client.close();
     }
-    process.exit(0);
+    // No process.exit(): it truncates pending pipe writes (a piped consumer
+    // would lose the last result/error, #542). With stdin, readline, and the
+    // socket all closed, the event loop drains and node exits on its own.
+    process.exitCode = 0;
   };
 
   const runCommand = async (line: string): Promise<void> => {
@@ -326,8 +329,11 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     prompt();
   });
 
+  // stdin EOF (piped input, Ctrl-D). Quitting immediately would tear down
+  // the socket and scratch dir under whatever entry is still compiling
+  // (#542) — chain it so EOF means "quit after pending entries drain".
   rl.on("close", () => {
-    void quit();
+    chain = chain.then(() => quit());
   });
 
   prompt();
@@ -335,5 +341,5 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
 
 main().catch((e) => {
   console.error(e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e));
-  process.exit(1);
+  process.exitCode = 1;
 });