diff --git a/util/stream.js b/util/stream.js
index b02752cf..d61df9aa 100644
--- a/util/stream.js
+++ b/util/stream.js
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@
 var guid = 0, noop = function() {}, HALT = {}
 function createStream() {
 	function stream() {
-		if (arguments.length > 0) updateStream(stream, arguments[0], undefined)
+		if (arguments.length > 0 && arguments[0] !== HALT) updateStream(stream, arguments[0], undefined)
 		return stream._state.value
 	}
 	initStream(stream, arguments)
 
-	if (arguments.length > 0) updateStream(stream, arguments[0], undefined)
+	if (arguments.length > 0 && arguments[0] !== HALT) updateStream(stream, arguments[0], undefined)
 
 	return stream
 }
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ function initStream(stream, args) {
 		error: {get: function() {
 			if (!stream._state.errorStream) {
 				var errorStream = function() {
-					if (arguments.length > 0) updateStream(stream, undefined, arguments[0])
+					if (arguments.length > 0 && arguments[0] !== HALT) updateStream(stream, undefined, arguments[0])
 					return stream._state.error
 				}
 				initStream(errorStream, [])
diff --git a/util/tests/test-stream.js b/util/tests/test-stream.js
index 22e0488c..e0ca9260 100644
--- a/util/tests/test-stream.js
+++ b/util/tests/test-stream.js
@@ -458,6 +458,20 @@ o.spec("stream", function() {
 
 			o(mapped()).equals("undefined")
 		})
+		o("does not run when initialized w/ HALT", function() {
+			var stream = Stream.stream(Stream.HALT)
+			var mapped = stream.run(function(value) {return 123})
+
+			o(mapped()).equals(undefined)
+		})
+		o("does not run when set to HALT", function() {
+			var stream = Stream.stream()
+			var mapped = stream.run(function(value) {return 123})
+
+			stream(Stream.HALT)
+			
+			o(mapped()).equals(undefined)
+		})
 		o("works with default undefined value", function() {
 			var stream = Stream.stream(undefined)
 			var mapped = stream.run(function(value) {return String(value)})