diff --git a/tools/zynqimage.c b/tools/zynqimage.c
index 43876e7a302499fed65ac33ef0afdbc09f2376b9..b47132b02a60f4441bcf1205213da6a08324163f 100644
--- a/tools/zynqimage.c
+++ b/tools/zynqimage.c
@@ -225,16 +225,26 @@ static int zynqimage_check_image_types(uint8_t type)
 static void zynqimage_parse_initparams(struct zynq_header *zynqhdr,
 	const char *filename)
 {
-	/* Expect a table of register-value pairs, e.g. "0x12345678 0x4321" */
-	FILE *fp = fopen(filename, "r");
+	FILE *fp;
 	struct zynq_reginit reginit;
 	unsigned int reg_count = 0;
-	int r;
+	int r, err;
+	struct stat path_stat;
 
+	/* Expect a table of register-value pairs, e.g. "0x12345678 0x4321" */
+	fp = fopen(filename, "r");
 	if (!fp) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Cannot open initparams file: %s\n", filename);
 		exit(1);
 	}
+
+	err = fstat(fileno(fp), &path_stat);
+	if (err)
+		return;
+
+	if (!S_ISREG(path_stat.st_mode))
+		return;
+
 	do {
 		r = fscanf(fp, "%x %x", &reginit.address, &reginit.data);
 		if (r == 2) {
diff --git a/tools/zynqmpimage.c b/tools/zynqmpimage.c
index 202faea07295a39efde8d5e70775aa0656917630..60d8ed23b4a1ca1eda75a261e391578e931e958e 100644
--- a/tools/zynqmpimage.c
+++ b/tools/zynqmpimage.c
@@ -240,19 +240,23 @@ static void zynqmpimage_parse_initparams(struct zynqmp_header *zynqhdr,
 	FILE *fp;
 	struct zynqmp_reginit reginit;
 	unsigned int reg_count = 0;
-	int r;
+	int r, err;
 	struct stat path_stat;
 
-	stat(filename, &path_stat);
-	if (!S_ISREG(path_stat.st_mode))
-		return;
-
 	/* Expect a table of register-value pairs, e.g. "0x12345678 0x4321" */
 	fp = fopen(filename, "r");
 	if (!fp) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Cannot open initparams file: %s\n", filename);
 		exit(1);
 	}
+
+	err = fstat(fileno(fp), &path_stat);
+	if (err)
+		return;
+
+	if (!S_ISREG(path_stat.st_mode))
+		return;
+
 	do {
 		r = fscanf(fp, "%x %x", &reginit.address, &reginit.data);
 		if (r == 2) {