diff --git a/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
index 41709892e44..0a3c6832094 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
@@ -506,6 +506,7 @@ https://github.com/elastic/beats/compare/v7.0.0-alpha2...master[Check the HEAD d
 - Add support for additional fields and FirewallMatchEvent type events in CrowdStrike module {pull}20138[20138]
 - Add event.ingested for Suricata module {pull}20220[20220]
 - Add event.ingested to all Filebeat modules. {pull}20386[20386]
+- Return error when log harvester tries to open a named pipe. {issue}18682[18682] {pull}20450[20450]
 
 *Heartbeat*
 
diff --git a/filebeat/input/log/harvester.go b/filebeat/input/log/harvester.go
index 9dc93202951..5afcf6e799a 100644
--- a/filebeat/input/log/harvester.go
+++ b/filebeat/input/log/harvester.go
@@ -505,6 +505,14 @@ func (h *Harvester) shouldExportLine(line string) bool {
 // is returned and the harvester is closed. The file will be picked up again the next time
 // the file system is scanned
 func (h *Harvester) openFile() error {
+	fi, err := os.Stat(h.state.Source)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to stat source file %s: %v", h.state.Source, err)
+	}
+	if fi.Mode()&os.ModeNamedPipe != 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to open file %s, named pipes are not supported", h.state.Source)
+	}
+
 	f, err := file_helper.ReadOpen(h.state.Source)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed opening %s: %s", h.state.Source, err)