diff --git a/python/paddle/v2/reader/decorator.py b/python/paddle/v2/reader/decorator.py
index 7e457f987d..27c82c95f7 100644
--- a/python/paddle/v2/reader/decorator.py
+++ b/python/paddle/v2/reader/decorator.py
@@ -390,8 +390,6 @@ def pipe_reader(left_cmd,
     if not callable(parser):
         raise TypeError("parser must be a callable object")
 
-    process = subprocess.Popen(
-        left_cmd.split(" "), bufsize=bufsize, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
     # TODO(typhoonzero): add a thread to read stderr
 
     # Always init a decompress object is better than
@@ -400,6 +398,8 @@ def pipe_reader(left_cmd,
         32 + zlib.MAX_WBITS)  # offset 32 to skip the header
 
     def reader():
+        process = subprocess.Popen(
+            left_cmd.split(" "), bufsize=bufsize, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
         remained = ""
         while True:
             buff = process.stdout.read(bufsize)
diff --git a/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/decorator_test.py b/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/decorator_test.py
index 5a92951b10..06e14796da 100644
--- a/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/decorator_test.py
+++ b/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/decorator_test.py
@@ -145,5 +145,35 @@ class TestXmap(unittest.TestCase):
                             self.assertEqual(e, mapper(idx))
 
 
+class TestPipeReader(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_pipe_reader(self):
+        def simple_parser(lines):
+            return lines
+
+        import tempfile
+
+        records = [str(i) for i in xrange(5)]
+        temp = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile()
+        try:
+            with open(temp.name, 'w') as f:
+                for r in records:
+                    f.write('%s\n' % r)
+
+            cmd = "cat %s" % temp.name
+            reader = paddle.v2.reader.pipe_reader(
+                cmd, simple_parser, bufsize=128)
+            for i in xrange(4):
+                result = []
+                for r in reader():
+                    result.append(r)
+
+                for idx, e in enumerate(records):
+                    print e, result[idx]
+                    self.assertEqual(e, result[idx])
+        finally:
+            # delete the temporary file
+            temp.close()
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()