diff --git a/core/io/streams/c/c.factor b/core/io/streams/c/c.factor
index fe5ced95ce..61eea4ba7b 100755
--- a/core/io/streams/c/c.factor
+++ b/core/io/streams/c/c.factor
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ M: object init-io ;
 : stdout 12 getenv ;
 
 M: object init-stdio
-    stdin stdout <duplex-c-stream> stdio set ;
+    stdin stdout <duplex-c-stream> stdio set-global ;
 
 M: object io-multiplex (sleep) ;
 
diff --git a/extra/io/unix/backend/backend.factor b/extra/io/unix/backend/backend.factor
index 76eeff74a9..3522a2218b 100755
--- a/extra/io/unix/backend/backend.factor
+++ b/extra/io/unix/backend/backend.factor
@@ -187,4 +187,4 @@ M: unix-io init-io ( -- )
     ] bind ;
 
 M: unix-io init-stdio ( -- )
-    0 1 handle>duplex-stream stdio set ;
+    0 1 handle>duplex-stream stdio set-global ;
diff --git a/extra/io/windows/ce/backend/backend.factor b/extra/io/windows/ce/backend/backend.factor
index b9ad30d910..142447fe0c 100755
--- a/extra/io/windows/ce/backend/backend.factor
+++ b/extra/io/windows/ce/backend/backend.factor
@@ -42,4 +42,4 @@ M: windows-ce-io init-stdio ( -- )
             0 _getstdfilex _fileno
             1 _getstdfilex _fileno
         ] if <win32-duplex-stream>
-    ] with-variable stdio set ;
+    ] with-variable stdio set-global ;