diff --git a/librz/bin/bin.c b/librz/bin/bin.c
index 79646958cb..113c0a9272 100644
--- a/librz/bin/bin.c
+++ b/librz/bin/bin.c
@@ -209,7 +209,6 @@ RZ_API RzBinFile *rz_bin_open(RzBin *bin, const char *file, RzBinOptions *opt) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	opt->sz = 0;
-	opt->pluginname = NULL;
 	return rz_bin_open_io(bin, opt);
 }
 
diff --git a/librz/main/rz-bin.c b/librz/main/rz-bin.c
index a4501008f6..2f01827664 100644
--- a/librz/main/rz-bin.c
+++ b/librz/main/rz-bin.c
@@ -1159,9 +1159,16 @@ RZ_API int rz_main_rz_bin(int argc, const char **argv) {
 
 	RzBinFile *bf = rz_bin_open(bin, file, &bo);
 	if (!bf) {
-		eprintf("rz-bin: Cannot open file\n");
-		result = 1;
-		goto err;
+		/* Try opening as a binary file */
+		bo.pluginname = "any";
+		RZ_LOG_INFO("Treating input file as a binary file...\n");
+
+		bf = rz_bin_open(bin, file, &bo);
+		if (!bf) {
+			RZ_LOG_ERROR("rz-bin: Cannot open file\n");
+			result = 1;
+			goto err;
+		}
 	}
 	/* required to automatically select a sub-bin when not specified */
 	(void)rz_core_bin_update_arch_bits(&core);
diff --git a/test/db/tools/rz_bin b/test/db/tools/rz_bin
index b15cad4146..317c0ec3f0 100644
--- a/test/db/tools/rz_bin
+++ b/test/db/tools/rz_bin
@@ -1213,3 +1213,12 @@ EOF
 EXPECT=<<EOF
 EOF
 RUN
+
+NAME=rz-bin broken MZ file
+FILE=bins/mz/broken.exe
+CMDS=!rz-bin -zzj ${RZ_FILE} ; echo ""
+EXPECT=<<EOF
+{}
+[{"vaddr":77,"paddr":77,"ordinal":0,"size":45,"length":44,"section":"","type":"ascii","string":"!This program cannot be run in DOS mode.\r\r\n$"},{"vaddr":155,"paddr":155,"ordinal":1,"size":6,"length":5,"section":"","type":"ascii","string":"Q\fb.Q"},{"vaddr":189,"paddr":189,"ordinal":2,"size":5,"length":4,"section":"","type":"ascii","string":"b.Q{"},{"vaddr":205,"paddr":205,"ordinal":3,"size":8,"length":7,"section":"","type":"ascii","string":"b.Q4<*P"},{"vaddr":213,"paddr":213,"ordinal":4,"size":6,"length":5,"section":"","type":"ascii","string":"b.Q4<"},{"vaddr":221,"paddr":221,"ordinal":5,"size":8,"length":7,"section":"","type":"ascii","string":"b.Q4<,P"},{"vaddr":229,"paddr":229,"ordinal":6,"size":8,"length":7,"section":"","type":"ascii","string":"b.QRich"},{"vaddr":241,"paddr":241,"ordinal":7,"size":30,"length":29,"section":"","type":"ascii","string":"https://malwarec2.com/drd.exe"}]
+EOF
+RUN