diff --git a/src/backend/modern.lisp b/src/backend/modern.lisp
index d87bc28..b774b2e 100644
--- a/src/backend/modern.lisp
+++ b/src/backend/modern.lisp
@@ -175,10 +175,15 @@ as a fallback when a keyword is not in *named-colors*.")
                             (sb-alien:deref winsize 0))) ;; rows
                (sb-alien:free-alien winsize)))))
     (or ;; Try ioctl on fd 0 first (stdin — stty uses this)
-        (ignore-errors (ioctl-size 0))
+        (multiple-value-bind (cols rows) (ignore-errors (ioctl-size 0))
+          (when (and cols rows (> cols 0) (> rows 0))
+            (values cols rows)))
         ;; Then try the output stream's fd
-        (ignore-errors
-          (ioctl-size (sb-sys:fd-stream-fd (backend-output-stream b))))
+        (multiple-value-bind (cols rows)
+            (ignore-errors
+              (ioctl-size (sb-sys:fd-stream-fd (backend-output-stream b))))
+          (when (and cols rows (> cols 0) (> rows 0))
+            (values cols rows)))
         ;; $COLUMNS/$LINES fallback — set by every POSIX shell
         (ignore-errors
           (let* ((cstr (sb-ext:posix-getenv "COLUMNS"))
diff --git a/src/backend/simple.lisp b/src/backend/simple.lisp
index b01ffce..d5fad96 100644
--- a/src/backend/simple.lisp
+++ b/src/backend/simple.lisp
@@ -37,9 +37,14 @@
                     (values (sb-alien:deref winsize 1)
                             (sb-alien:deref winsize 0)))
                (sb-alien:free-alien winsize)))))
-    (or (ignore-errors (ioctl-size 0))
-        (ignore-errors
-          (ioctl-size (sb-sys:fd-stream-fd (backend-output-stream b))))
+    (or (multiple-value-bind (cols rows) (ignore-errors (ioctl-size 0))
+          (when (and cols rows (> cols 0) (> rows 0))
+            (values cols rows)))
+        (multiple-value-bind (cols rows)
+            (ignore-errors
+              (ioctl-size (sb-sys:fd-stream-fd (backend-output-stream b))))
+          (when (and cols rows (> cols 0) (> rows 0))
+            (values cols rows)))
         (ignore-errors
           (let* ((cstr (sb-ext:posix-getenv "COLUMNS"))
                  (rstr (sb-ext:posix-getenv "LINES"))