diff --git a/src/converters/dasel.ts b/src/converters/dasel.ts
index 741d325..c895d3e 100644
--- a/src/converters/dasel.ts
+++ b/src/converters/dasel.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ export const properties = {
   },
 };
 
+export function buildDaselArgs(filePath: string, fileType: string, convertTo: string): string[] {
+  return ["--var", `data=${fileType}:file:${filePath}`, "--out", convertTo, "$data"];
+}
+
 export async function convert(
   filePath: string,
   fileType: string,
@@ -19,14 +23,10 @@ export async function convert(
   options?: unknown,
   execFile: ExecFileFn = execFileOriginal, // to make it mockable
 ): Promise<string> {
-  const args: string[] = [];
-
-  args.push("--file", filePath);
-  args.push("--read", fileType);
-  args.push("--write", convertTo);
+  const args = buildDaselArgs(filePath, fileType, convertTo);
 
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    execFile("dasel", args, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
+    const childProcess = execFile("dasel", args, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
       if (error) {
         reject(`error: ${error}`);
         return;
@@ -44,5 +44,7 @@ export async function convert(
         }
       });
     });
+
+    childProcess?.stdin?.end();
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/converters/types.ts b/src/converters/types.ts
index 1bfe36c..9e5b048 100644
--- a/src/converters/types.ts
+++ b/src/converters/types.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-import { ExecFileOptions } from "child_process";
+import type { ChildProcess, ExecFileOptions } from "child_process";
 
 export type ExecFileFn = (
   cmd: string,
   args: string[],
   callback: (err: Error | null, stdout: string, stderr: string) => void,
   options?: ExecFileOptions,
-) => void;
+) => ChildProcess | void;
 
 export type ConvertFnWithExecFile = (
   filePath: string,
diff --git a/tests/converters/dasel.test.ts b/tests/converters/dasel.test.ts
index b08bed9..9e5a86a 100644
--- a/tests/converters/dasel.test.ts
+++ b/tests/converters/dasel.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import fs from "fs";
 import { beforeEach, afterEach, expect, test, describe } from "bun:test";
-import { convert } from "../../src/converters/dasel";
+import { buildDaselArgs, convert } from "../../src/converters/dasel";
 import type { ExecFileFn } from "../../src/converters/types";
 
 const originalWriteFile = fs.writeFile;
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ describe("convert", () => {
     fs.writeFile = originalWriteFile;
   });
 
+  test("should build dasel v3 arguments", () => {
+    expect(buildDaselArgs("input.yaml", "yaml", "json")).toEqual([
+      "--var",
+      "data=yaml:file:input.yaml",
+      "--out",
+      "json",
+      "$data",
+    ]);
+  });
+
   test("should call dasel with correct arguments and write output", async () => {
     let calledArgs: Parameters<ExecFileFn> = ["", [], () => {}];
     mockExecFile = (cmd, args, callback) => {
@@ -48,11 +58,23 @@ describe("convert", () => {
     );
 
     expect(calledArgs[0]).toBe("dasel");
-    expect(calledArgs[1]).toEqual(["--file", "input.yaml", "--read", "yaml", "--write", "json"]);
+    expect(calledArgs[1]).toEqual(["--var", "data=yaml:file:input.yaml", "--out", "json", "$data"]);
     expect(writeFileCalled).toBe(true);
     expect(result).toBe("Done");
   });
 
+  test("should close dasel stdin so v3 does not wait for input", async () => {
+    let stdinEnded = false;
+    mockExecFile = (cmd, args, callback) => {
+      callback(null, "output-data", "");
+      return { stdin: { end: () => (stdinEnded = true) } } as ReturnType<ExecFileFn>;
+    };
+
+    await convert("input.yaml", "yaml", "json", "output.json", undefined, mockExecFile);
+
+    expect(stdinEnded).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   test("should reject if execFile returns an error", async () => {
     mockExecFile = (cmd, args, callback) => callback(new Error("fail"), "", "");
     await expect(