diff --git a/src/builtins/read.rs b/src/builtins/read.rs
index 9f7f4e74d..cfeec69b8 100644
--- a/src/builtins/read.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/read.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ struct Options {
     prompt: Option<WString>,
     prompt_str: Option<WString>,
     right_prompt: WString,
-    commandline: WString,
+    commandline: Option<WString>,
     // If a delimiter was given. Used to distinguish between the default
     // empty string and a given empty delimiter.
     delimiter: Option<WString>,
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ fn parse_cmd_opts(
                 opts.array = true;
             }
             'c' => {
-                opts.commandline = w.woptarg.unwrap().to_owned();
+                opts.commandline = Some(w.woptarg.unwrap().to_owned());
             }
             'd' => {
                 opts.delimiter = Some(w.woptarg.unwrap().to_owned());
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ fn read_interactive(
     silent: bool,
     prompt: &wstr,
     right_prompt: &wstr,
-    commandline: &wstr,
+    commandline: &Option<WString>,
     inputfd: RawFd,
 ) -> BuiltinResult {
     let mut exit_res = Ok(SUCCESS);
@@ -238,7 +238,9 @@ fn read_interactive(
             s.readonly_commandline = false;
         })
     });
-    commandline_set_buffer(parser, Some(commandline.to_owned()), None);
+    if let Some(commandline) = commandline {
+        commandline_set_buffer(parser, Some(commandline.clone()), None);
+    }
 
     let mline = {
         let _interactive = parser.push_scope(|s| s.is_interactive = true);
diff --git a/src/reader.rs b/src/reader.rs
index b9eeaac94..00b44b703 100644
--- a/src/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader.rs
@@ -317,11 +317,12 @@ pub fn reader_push<'a>(parser: &'a Parser, history_name: &wstr, conf: ReaderConf
     assert_is_main_thread();
     let hist = History::with_name(history_name);
     hist.resolve_pending();
-    let data = ReaderData::new(hist, conf);
+    let is_top_level = reader_data_stack().is_empty();
+    let data = ReaderData::new(hist, conf, is_top_level);
     reader_data_stack().push(data);
     let data = current_data().unwrap();
     data.command_line_changed(EditableLineTag::Commandline, AutosuggestionUpdate::Remove);
-    if reader_data_stack().len() == 1 {
+    if is_top_level {
         reader_interactive_init(parser);
     }
     Reader { data, parser }
@@ -1201,12 +1202,18 @@ fn reader_received_sighup() -> bool {
 }
 
 impl ReaderData {
-    fn new(history: Arc<History>, conf: ReaderConfig) -> Pin<Box<Self>> {
+    fn new(history: Arc<History>, conf: ReaderConfig, is_top_level: bool) -> Pin<Box<Self>> {
         let input_data = InputData::new(conf.inputfd);
+        let mut command_line = EditableLine::default();
+        if is_top_level {
+            let state = commandline_state_snapshot();
+            command_line.push_edit(Edit::new(0..0, state.text.clone()), false);
+            command_line.set_position(state.cursor_pos);
+        }
         Pin::new(Box::new(Self {
             canary: Rc::new(()),
             conf,
-            command_line: Default::default(),
+            command_line,
             command_line_transient_edit: None,
             rendered_layout: Default::default(),
             autosuggestion: Default::default(),
diff --git a/tests/pexpects/commandline.py b/tests/pexpects/commandline.py
index a3ccec121..8e0956b9d 100644
--- a/tests/pexpects/commandline.py
+++ b/tests/pexpects/commandline.py
@@ -102,6 +102,18 @@ send(control("k"))
 sendline('echo "process extent is [$tmp]"')
 expect_str("process extent is [echo process # comment]")
 
+sendline(
+    """$fish -C 'commandline "sq 2; exit"; commandline --cursor 1; commandline -i e'"""
+)
+expect_str("seq 2")
+send("\r")
+expect_str("1\r\n2\r\n")
+
+sendline("""$fish -C 'commandline 123; read'""")
+expect_str("read> 123")
+sendline("456; exit")
+expect_str("123456")
+
 # DISABLED because it keeps failing under ASAN
 # sendline(r"bind ctrl-b 'set tmp (commandline --current-process | count)'")
 # sendline(r'commandline "echo line1 \\" "# comment" "line2"')