diff --git a/invoke/terminals.py b/invoke/terminals.py
index 4151ba5e..1c98b10e 100644
--- a/invoke/terminals.py
+++ b/invoke/terminals.py
@@ -243,6 +243,12 @@ def bytes_to_read(input_: IO) -> int:
     # it's not a tty but has a fileno, or vice versa; neither is typically
     # going to work re: ioctl().
     if not WINDOWS and isatty(input_) and has_fileno(input_):
-        fionread = fcntl.ioctl(input_, termios.FIONREAD, b"  ")
-        return int(struct.unpack("h", fionread)[0])
+        # FIONREAD writes a C int (typically 4 bytes). Pass a 4-byte buffer
+        # and unpack as a signed int. The previous 2-byte buffer ("h")
+        # happened to work on <=3.13 thanks to CPython's internal 1024-byte
+        # static copy buffer, but CPython 3.14 tightened buffer-size checks
+        # (cpython#144206) so undersized mutable buffers now raise
+        # SystemError: buffer overflow. See pyinvoke/invoke#1070.
+        fionread = fcntl.ioctl(input_, termios.FIONREAD, b"\x00\x00\x00\x00")
+        return int(struct.unpack("i", fionread)[0])
     return 1
diff --git a/tests/terminals/test_bytes_to_read.py b/tests/terminals/test_bytes_to_read.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1f568c93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/terminals/test_bytes_to_read.py
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+"""Regression test for pyinvoke/invoke#1070: bytes_to_read on Python 3.14
+
+On Python 3.14, fcntl.ioctl rejects undersized mutable buffers
+(cpython#144206). bytes_to_read passed a 2-byte buffer to FIONREAD, which
+writes a C int (4 bytes). Worked by accident on <=3.13 due to a 1024-byte
+static copy buffer that masked the size mismatch.
+
+The fix matches the buffer size to the C int (4 bytes) and updates the
+struct format from 'h' (signed short, 2 bytes) to 'i' (signed int, 4 bytes).
+"""
+
+import struct
+from unittest import mock
+
+import pytest
+
+from invoke.terminals import bytes_to_read
+
+
+def test_bytes_to_read_uses_4byte_buffer(monkeypatch):
+    """fcntl.ioctl must be called with a 4-byte buffer for FIONREAD, not 2."""
+    captured = {}
+
+    def fake_ioctl(fd, request, buf, *args, **kwargs):
+        captured["buf"] = buf
+        captured["len"] = len(buf) if hasattr(buf, "__len__") else None
+        # Return a 4-byte buffer that decodes to a sensible int when parsed
+        # as 'i' (4-byte signed int)
+        return struct.pack("i", 42)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.fcntl", mock.Mock(ioctl=fake_ioctl))
+
+    # Pretend we are a TTY with a fileno, on a non-Windows platform
+    fake_input = mock.Mock()
+    fake_input.fileno.return_value = 7
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.isatty", lambda x: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.has_fileno", lambda x: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.WINDOWS", False)
+
+    result = bytes_to_read(fake_input)
+
+    # Buffer must be 4 bytes (sizeof C int) — not 2 — for Python 3.14
+    assert captured.get("len") == 4, (
+        f"FIONREAD buffer must be 4 bytes (C int size), got {captured.get('len')}"
+    )
+    # Result must be a valid int parsed from the 4-byte C int
+    assert result == 42
+
+
+def test_bytes_to_read_falls_back_to_1_when_not_tty(monkeypatch):
+    """When input_ is not a TTY, return 1 (the documented fallback)."""
+    fake_input = mock.Mock()
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.isatty", lambda x: False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.has_fileno", lambda x: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.WINDOWS", False)
+    assert bytes_to_read(fake_input) == 1
+
+
+def test_bytes_to_read_handles_zero_bytes(monkeypatch):
+    """FIONREAD may return 0 (nothing to read). bytes_to_read should return 0."""
+
+    def fake_ioctl(fd, request, buf, *args, **kwargs):
+        return struct.pack("i", 0)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.fcntl", mock.Mock(ioctl=fake_ioctl))
+    fake_input = mock.Mock()
+    fake_input.fileno.return_value = 7
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.isatty", lambda x: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.has_fileno", lambda x: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("invoke.terminals.WINDOWS", False)
+    assert bytes_to_read(fake_input) == 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    pytest.main([__file__, "-v"])