diff --git a/src/vlib/unix/cli.c b/src/vlib/unix/cli.c
index 6c98867..7b9a231 100644
--- a/src/vlib/unix/cli.c
+++ b/src/vlib/unix/cli.c
@@ -3352,6 +3352,7 @@
   char *file_name;
   int fd;
   unformat_input_t sub_input;
+  unformat_input_t _line_input, *line_input = &_line_input;
   clib_error_t *error;
   unix_cli_main_t *cm = &unix_cli_main;
   unix_cli_file_t *cf;
@@ -3435,7 +3436,11 @@
       vec_free (expanded);
     }
 
-  vlib_cli_input (vm, &sub_input, 0, 0);
+  while (unformat_user (&sub_input, unformat_line_input, line_input))
+    {
+      vlib_cli_input (vm, line_input, 0, 0);
+      unformat_free (line_input);
+    }
   unformat_free (&sub_input);
 
 done: