diff --git a/programs/util.c b/programs/util.c
index ffda7866509..8d190c62c46 100644
--- a/programs/util.c
+++ b/programs/util.c
@@ -323,9 +323,7 @@ U64 UTIL_getTotalFileSize(const char* const * fileNamesTable, unsigned nbFiles)
 static size_t readLineFromFile(char* buf, size_t len, FILE* file)
 {
     assert(!feof(file));
-    /* Work around Cygwin problem when len == 1 it returns NULL. */
-    if (len <= 1) return 0;
-    CONTROL( fgets(buf, (int) len, file) );
+    if ( fgets(buf, (int) len, file) == NULL ) return 0;
     {   size_t linelen = strlen(buf);
         if (strlen(buf)==0) return 0;
         if (buf[linelen-1] == '\n') linelen--;