diff --git a/interpreter/cling/lib/MetaProcessor/MetaParser.cpp b/interpreter/cling/lib/MetaProcessor/MetaParser.cpp
index ae63450706fae1c35ac654629b62e38b56091d6f..c39d146bed104b0ad9df4ab418b439070b66fe5f 100644
--- a/interpreter/cling/lib/MetaProcessor/MetaParser.cpp
+++ b/interpreter/cling/lib/MetaProcessor/MetaParser.cpp
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ namespace cling {
     // Default redirect is stdout.
     MetaProcessor::RedirectionScope stream = MetaProcessor::kSTDOUT;
 
-    if (getCurTok().is(tok::constant)) {
+    if (getCurTok().is(tok::constant) && lookAhead(1).is(tok::greater)) {
       // > or 1> the redirection is for stdout stream
       // 2> redirection for stderr stream
       constant_FD = getCurTok().getConstant();
diff --git a/interpreter/cling/test/Prompt/OutputRedirect.C b/interpreter/cling/test/Prompt/OutputRedirect.C
index 816243c73eeda603a3ec19a9933f8f0e89f79a05..1ddb1f1ac80e32359934aa615e7719e2c1b09805 100644
--- a/interpreter/cling/test/Prompt/OutputRedirect.C
+++ b/interpreter/cling/test/Prompt/OutputRedirect.C
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ static void setup() {
 }
 setup();
 
+// ROOT-8696
+.5 //CHECKOUT: (double) 0.500000
+
 .2>&1
 std::cerr << "Error into stdout.\n";
 //CHECKOUT: Error into stdout.