diff --git a/src/files.c b/src/files.c
index c32fce1b..c4d1f764 100644
--- a/src/files.c
+++ b/src/files.c
@@ -1110,6 +1110,23 @@ void do_insertfile(void)
 				i = 0;
 			}
 #endif
+			if (func == flip_pipe) {
+				/* Remove or add the pipe character at the answer's head. */
+				if (answer[0] == '|') {
+					charmove(answer, answer + 1, strlen(answer) + 1);
+					if (statusbar_x > 0)
+						statusbar_x--;
+				} else {
+					answer = charealloc(answer, strlen(answer) + 2);
+					charmove(answer + 1, answer, strlen(answer) + 1);
+					answer[0] = '|';
+					statusbar_x++;
+				}
+
+				given = mallocstrcpy(given, answer);
+				continue;
+			}
+
 			/* If we don't have a file yet, go back to the prompt. */
 			if (i != 0 && (!ISSET(MULTIBUFFER) || i != -2))
 				continue;
diff --git a/src/global.c b/src/global.c
index f5e6c0e7..4befbc4b 100644
--- a/src/global.c
+++ b/src/global.c
@@ -152,6 +152,8 @@ char *word_chars = NULL;
 
 char *answer = NULL;
 		/* The answer string used by the statusbar prompt. */
+size_t statusbar_x = HIGHEST_POSITIVE;
+		/* The cursor position in answer. */
 
 ssize_t tabsize = -1;
 		/* The width of a tab in spaces.  The default is set in main(). */
@@ -311,6 +313,9 @@ void backup_file_void(void)
 void flip_execute(void)
 {
 }
+void flip_pipe(void)
+{
+}
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_MULTIBUFFER
 void flip_newbuffer(void)
@@ -524,6 +529,8 @@ void shortcut_init(void)
 		N_("Write the current buffer (or the marked region) to disk");
 	const char *readfile_gist =
 		N_("Insert another file into current buffer (or into new buffer)");
+	const char *pipe_gist =
+		N_("Pipe the current buffer (or marked region) to the command");
 	const char *whereis_gist =
 		N_("Search forward for a string or a regular expression");
 	const char *wherewas_gist =
@@ -1034,6 +1041,9 @@ void shortcut_init(void)
 		add_to_funcs(flip_newbuffer, MINSERTFILE|MEXTCMD,
 			N_("New Buffer"), WITHORSANS(newbuffer_gist), TOGETHER, NOVIEW);
 #endif
+	if (!ISSET(RESTRICTED))
+		add_to_funcs(flip_pipe, MEXTCMD,
+			N_("Pipe Text"), WITHORSANS(pipe_gist), TOGETHER, NOVIEW);
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_BROWSER
 	/* The file browser is only available when not in restricted mode. */
@@ -1329,8 +1339,10 @@ void shortcut_init(void)
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_MULTIBUFFER
 	/* Only when not in restricted mode, allow multiple buffers. */
-	if (!ISSET(RESTRICTED))
+	if (!ISSET(RESTRICTED)) {
 		add_to_sclist(MINSERTFILE|MEXTCMD, "M-F", 0, flip_newbuffer, 0);
+		add_to_sclist(MEXTCMD, "M-\\", 0, flip_pipe, 0);
+	}
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_BROWSER
 	/* Only when not in restricted mode, allow entering the file browser. */
diff --git a/src/prompt.c b/src/prompt.c
index 47d3131b..07130568 100644
--- a/src/prompt.c
+++ b/src/prompt.c
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@
 
 static char *prompt = NULL;
 		/* The prompt string used for statusbar questions. */
-static size_t statusbar_x = HIGHEST_POSITIVE;
-		/* The cursor position in answer. */
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_MOUSE
 /* Handle a mouse click on the statusbar prompt or the shortcut list. */
diff --git a/src/proto.h b/src/proto.h
index 8cc8d14f..1100a91a 100644
--- a/src/proto.h
+++ b/src/proto.h
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ extern char *quoteerr;
 extern char *word_chars;
 
 extern char *answer;
+extern size_t statusbar_x;
 
 extern ssize_t tabsize;
 
@@ -709,6 +710,7 @@ void append_void(void);
 void prepend_void(void);
 void backup_file_void(void);
 void flip_execute(void);
+void flip_pipe(void);
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_MULTIBUFFER
 void flip_newbuffer(void);
diff --git a/src/text.c b/src/text.c
index 80fd7aad..86857446 100644
--- a/src/text.c
+++ b/src/text.c
@@ -1079,10 +1079,30 @@ RETSIGTYPE cancel_command(int signal)
 		nperror("kill");
 }
 
+/* Send the text that starts at the given line to file descriptor fd. */
+void send_data(const filestruct *line, int fd)
+{
+	FILE *tube = fdopen(fd, "w");
+
+	if (tube == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	/* Send each line, except a final empty line. */
+	while (line != NULL && (line->next != NULL || line->data[0] != '\0')) {
+		fprintf(tube, "%s%s", line->data, line->next == NULL ? "" : "\n");
+		line = line->next;
+	}
+
+	fclose(tube);
+}
+
 /* Execute command in a shell.  Return TRUE on success. */
 bool execute_command(const char *command)
 {
-	int fd[2];
+	int fd[2], to_fd[2];
+		/* The pipes through which text will written and read. */
+	const bool has_selection = ISSET(MULTIBUFFER) ? openfile->prev->mark : openfile->mark;
+	const bool should_pipe = (command[0] == '|');
 	FILE *stream;
 	const char *shellenv;
 	struct sigaction oldaction, newaction;
@@ -1090,8 +1110,9 @@ bool execute_command(const char *command)
 	bool setup_failed = FALSE;
 		/* Whether setting up the temporary SIGINT handler failed. */
 
-	/* Create a pipe to read the command's output from. */
-	if (pipe(fd) == -1) {
+	/* Create a pipe to read the command's output from, and, if needed,
+	 * a pipe to feed the command's input through. */
+	if (pipe(fd) == -1 || (should_pipe && pipe(to_fd) == -1)) {
 		statusbar(_("Could not create pipe"));
 		return FALSE;
 	}
@@ -1110,8 +1131,15 @@ bool execute_command(const char *command)
 		dup2(fd[1], fileno(stdout));
 		dup2(fd[1], fileno(stderr));
 
+		/* If the parent sends text, connect the read end of the
+		 * feeding pipe to the child's input stream. */
+		if (should_pipe) {
+			dup2(to_fd[0], fileno(stdin));
+			close(to_fd[1]);
+		}
+
 		/* Run the given command inside the preferred shell. */
-		execl(shellenv, tail(shellenv), "-c", command, NULL);
+		execl(shellenv, tail(shellenv), "-c", should_pipe ? &command[1] : command, NULL);
 
 		/* If the exec call returns, there was an error. */
 		exit(1);
@@ -1126,6 +1154,41 @@ bool execute_command(const char *command)
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
+	/* If the command starts with "|", pipe buffer or region to the command. */
+	if (should_pipe) {
+		filestruct *was_cutbuffer = cutbuffer;
+		cutbuffer = NULL;
+
+		if (ISSET(MULTIBUFFER))
+			switch_to_prev_buffer();
+
+		if (has_selection || !ISSET(MULTIBUFFER)) {
+			if (!has_selection) {
+				openfile->current = openfile->fileage;
+				openfile->current_x = 0;
+			}
+			add_undo(CUT);
+			do_cut_text(ISSET(MULTIBUFFER), !has_selection);
+			update_undo(CUT);
+		}
+
+		if (fork() == 0) {
+			close(to_fd[0]);
+			send_data(cutbuffer != NULL ? cutbuffer : openfile->fileage, to_fd[1]);
+			close(to_fd[1]);
+			exit(0);
+		}
+
+		close(to_fd[0]);
+		close(to_fd[1]);
+
+		if (ISSET(MULTIBUFFER))
+			switch_to_next_buffer();
+
+		free_filestruct(cutbuffer);
+		cutbuffer = was_cutbuffer;
+	}
+
 	/* Re-enable interpretation of the special control keys so that we get
 	 * SIGINT when Ctrl-C is pressed. */
 	enable_signals();