diff --git a/src/cmd/cat.rs b/src/cmd/cat.rs
index 34b3a374c..b730d8eb4 100644
--- a/src/cmd/cat.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/cat.rs
@@ -97,8 +97,13 @@ pub fn run(argv: &[&str]) -> CliResult<()> {
 impl Args {
     #[inline]
     fn configs(&self) -> CliResult<Vec<Config>> {
-        util::many_configs(&self.arg_input, self.flag_delimiter, self.flag_no_headers)
-            .map_err(From::from)
+        util::many_configs(
+            &self.arg_input,
+            self.flag_delimiter,
+            self.flag_no_headers,
+            self.flag_flexible,
+        )
+        .map_err(From::from)
     }
 
     fn cat_rows(&self) -> CliResult<()> {
diff --git a/src/cmd/headers.rs b/src/cmd/headers.rs
index 0fa784468..65e4ea9c0 100644
--- a/src/cmd/headers.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/headers.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ struct Args {
 
 pub fn run(argv: &[&str]) -> CliResult<()> {
     let args: Args = util::get_args(USAGE, argv)?;
-    let configs = util::many_configs(&args.arg_input, args.flag_delimiter, true)?;
+    let configs = util::many_configs(&args.arg_input, args.flag_delimiter, true, false)?;
 
     let num_inputs = configs.len();
     let mut headers: Vec<Vec<u8>> = vec![];
diff --git a/src/util.rs b/src/util.rs
index c1c353f83..52ac81b17 100644
--- a/src/util.rs
+++ b/src/util.rs
@@ -410,6 +410,7 @@ pub fn many_configs(
     inps: &[String],
     delim: Option<Delimiter>,
     no_headers: bool,
+    flexible: bool,
 ) -> Result<Vec<Config>, String> {
     let mut inps = inps.to_vec();
     if inps.is_empty() {
@@ -421,6 +422,7 @@ pub fn many_configs(
             Config::new(&Some(p))
                 .delimiter(delim)
                 .no_headers(no_headers)
+                .flexible(flexible)
         })
         .collect::<Vec<_>>();
     errif_greater_one_stdin(&confs)?;