diff --git a/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/common.go b/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/common.go
index 378f8fb2aa2..26a011f21aa 100644
--- a/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/common.go
+++ b/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/common.go
@@ -278,24 +278,34 @@ func ExportEntity(signerBackend, entityDir string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-// GetUserConfirmation scans the input for user's confirmation.
+// GetUserConfirmation displays the prompt, and scans the input for
+// the user's confirmation, until the user either explicitly confirms
+// or rejects the prompt.
 //
-// If the user's response is not recognized, it prompts the user again.
-func GetUserConfirmation() bool {
-	var response string
-
-	_, err := fmt.Scanln(&response)
-	if err != nil && err.Error() != "unexpected newline" {
-		rootLog.Error("Error reading from line", "err", err)
+// Note: If standard input is not a tty, this will omit displaying
+// the prompt, and assume the user entered yes.
+func GetUserConfirmation(prompt string) bool {
+	if !Isatty(os.Stdin.Fd()) {
+		return true
 	}
 
-	switch strings.ToLower(response) {
-	case "y", "yes":
-		return true
-	case "n", "no":
-		return false
-	default:
-		fmt.Printf("Unrecognized response: '%s'. Please, type (y)es or (n)o: ", response)
-		return GetUserConfirmation()
+	fmt.Printf("%s", prompt)
+
+	var response string
+	for {
+		_, err := fmt.Scanln(&response)
+		if err != nil && err.Error() != "unexpected newline" {
+			rootLog.Error("Error reading from line", "err", err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		switch strings.ToLower(response) {
+		case "y", "yes":
+			return true
+		case "n", "no":
+			return false
+		default:
+			fmt.Printf("Unrecognized response: '%s'. Please, type (y)es or (n)o: ", response)
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/consensus/consensus.go b/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/consensus/consensus.go
index 7608195836e..2201f146d67 100644
--- a/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/consensus/consensus.go
+++ b/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/consensus/consensus.go
@@ -124,8 +124,7 @@ func SignAndSaveTx(ctx context.Context, tx *transaction.Transaction) {
 	tx.PrettyPrint(ctx, "  ", os.Stdout)
 
 	if !cmdFlags.AssumeYes() && cmdSigner.Backend() == signerFile.SignerName {
-		fmt.Printf("\nAre you sure you want to continue? (y)es/(n)o ")
-		if !cmdCommon.GetUserConfirmation() {
+		if !cmdCommon.GetUserConfirmation("\nAre you sure you want to continue? (y)es/(n)o: ") {
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/isatty.go b/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/isatty.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c043be72d4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/oasis-node/cmd/common/isatty.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package common
+
+import (
+	"syscall"
+	"unsafe"
+)
+
+// Isatty returns true iff the provided file descriptor is a terminal.
+func Isatty(fd uintptr) bool {
+	var attrs syscall.Termios
+
+	// This could examine the error more specifically to see if
+	// something really strange is going on since we expect it
+	// to return 0 or ENOTTY all the time, but, "the messed up
+	// thing the user passed in that makes it complain" also
+	// is not a tty.
+	//
+	// And yes, this is the standard way of doing this, see your
+	// libc implementation of choice.
+	_, _, errno := syscall.Syscall6(
+		syscall.SYS_IOCTL,
+		fd,
+		syscall.TCGETS,
+		uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&attrs)),
+		0,
+		0,
+		0,
+	)
+
+	return errno == 0
+}