--- src/lib/libcmd/cut.c
+++ src/lib/libcmd/cut.c	2006-07-03 18:58:50.000000000 +0000
@@ -248,10 +248,13 @@
 			inp = sfreserve(fdin,cuthdr->reclen, -1);
 		else
 			inp = sfgetr(fdin, '\n', 0);
+		if(!(len=cuthdr->reclen)) {
+			len = sfvalue(fdin);
+			if (len && !inp)	/* this lonely line does not end with newline */
+				inp = sfgetr(fdin, 0, SF_LASTR);
+		}
 		if(!inp)
 			break;
-		if(!(len=cuthdr->reclen))
-			len = sfvalue(fdin);
 		if((ncol = skip  = *(lp = cuthdr->list)) == 0)
 			ncol = *++lp;
 		while(1)