diff --git a/matlab/missing/isfile/isfile.m b/matlab/missing/isfile/isfile.m
index ece12f43fd54debb37ed3066ad848eceaa33cd25..5676e763395bd6fb417a229b30b9f0eb63e49e6d 100644
--- a/matlab/missing/isfile/isfile.m
+++ b/matlab/missing/isfile/isfile.m
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ cellofstringflag = false;
 n = 1;
 a = false;
 
-if isstring(b) && length(b)>1 && isvector(b)
+if ~isoctave() && isstring(b) && length(b)>1 && isvector(b)
     n = length(b);
     stringarrayflag = true;
     a = false(size(b));