diff --git a/src/unix/core.c b/src/unix/core.c
index 73027cbc5..c2d333237 100644
--- a/src/unix/core.c
+++ b/src/unix/core.c
@@ -643,7 +643,8 @@ int uv__close_nocheckstdio(int fd) {
 
 
 int uv__close(int fd) {
-  assert(fd > STDERR_FILENO);  /* Catch stdio close bugs. */
+  if (!uv__low_fd_flag)
+    assert(fd > STDERR_FILENO);  /* Catch stdio close bugs. */
 #if defined(__MVS__)
   SAVE_ERRNO(epoll_file_close(fd));
 #endif
diff --git a/src/unix/internal.h b/src/unix/internal.h
index 80fe41f8e..125f10bdb 100644
--- a/src/unix/internal.h
+++ b/src/unix/internal.h
@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@ struct uv__statx {
 #define uv__nonblock uv__nonblock_fcntl
 #endif
 
+extern int uv__low_fd_flag;
+
 /* core */
 int uv__cloexec(int fd, int set);
 int uv__nonblock_ioctl(int fd, int set);
diff --git a/src/unix/linux.c b/src/unix/linux.c
index 0e5c424ab..da682cbfc 100644
--- a/src/unix/linux.c
+++ b/src/unix/linux.c
@@ -275,6 +275,8 @@ struct watcher_root {
   struct watcher_list* rbh_root;
 };
 
+int uv__low_fd_flag = 0;
+
 static int uv__inotify_fork(uv_loop_t* loop, struct watcher_list* root);
 static int compare_watchers(const struct watcher_list* a,
                             const struct watcher_list* b);
@@ -657,6 +659,9 @@ int uv__platform_loop_init(uv_loop_t* loop) {
   if (loop->backend_fd == -1)
     return UV__ERR(errno);
 
+  if (loop->backend_fd <= STDERR_FILENO)
+    uv__low_fd_flag = 1;
+
   uv__iou_init(loop->backend_fd, &lfields->ctl, 256, 0);
 
   return 0;