diff --git a/cmd/micro/micro.go b/cmd/micro/micro.go
index 950e8888..966f252c 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/micro.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/micro.go
@@ -147,11 +147,16 @@ func LoadInput() []*buffer.Buffer {
 	args := flag.Args()
 	buffers := make([]*buffer.Buffer, 0, len(args))
 
+	btype := buffer.BTDefault
+	if !isatty.IsTerminal(os.Stdout.Fd()) {
+		btype = buffer.BTStdout
+	}
+
 	if len(args) > 0 {
 		// Option 1
 		// We go through each file and load it
 		for i := 0; i < len(args); i++ {
-			buf, err := buffer.NewBufferFromFile(args[i], buffer.BTDefault)
+			buf, err := buffer.NewBufferFromFile(args[i], btype)
 			if err != nil {
 				screen.TermMessage(err)
 				continue
@@ -168,17 +173,22 @@ func LoadInput() []*buffer.Buffer {
 			screen.TermMessage("Error reading from stdin: ", err)
 			input = []byte{}
 		}
-		buffers = append(buffers, buffer.NewBufferFromString(string(input), filename, buffer.BTDefault))
+		buffers = append(buffers, buffer.NewBufferFromString(string(input), filename, btype))
 	} else {
 		// Option 3, just open an empty buffer
-		buffers = append(buffers, buffer.NewBufferFromString(string(input), filename, buffer.BTDefault))
+		buffers = append(buffers, buffer.NewBufferFromString(string(input), filename, btype))
 	}
 
 	return buffers
 }
 
 func main() {
-	defer os.Exit(0)
+	defer func() {
+		if util.Stdout.Len() > 0 {
+			fmt.Fprint(os.Stdout, util.Stdout.String())
+		}
+		os.Exit(0)
+	}()
 
 	// runtime.SetCPUProfileRate(400)
 	// f, _ := os.Create("micro.prof")
diff --git a/internal/buffer/buffer.go b/internal/buffer/buffer.go
index f08f5323..2093e94b 100644
--- a/internal/buffer/buffer.go
+++ b/internal/buffer/buffer.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"crypto/md5"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
@@ -60,6 +61,9 @@ var (
 	BTRaw = BufType{4, false, true, false}
 	// BTInfo is a buffer for inputting information
 	BTInfo = BufType{5, false, true, false}
+	// BTStdout is a buffer that only writes to stdout
+	// when closed
+	BTStdout = BufType{6, false, true, true}
 
 	// ErrFileTooLarge is returned when the file is too large to hash
 	// (fastdirty is automatically enabled)
@@ -82,6 +86,8 @@ type SharedBuffer struct {
 	// Name of the buffer on the status line
 	name string
 
+	toStdout bool
+
 	// Settings customized by the user
 	Settings map[string]interface{}
 
@@ -355,6 +361,10 @@ func (b *Buffer) Fini() {
 		b.Serialize()
 	}
 	b.RemoveBackup()
+
+	if b.Type == BTStdout {
+		fmt.Fprint(util.Stdout, string(b.Bytes()))
+	}
 }
 
 // GetName returns the name that should be displayed in the statusline
diff --git a/internal/util/util.go b/internal/util/util.go
index aebe8e17..70f1fd2a 100644
--- a/internal/util/util.go
+++ b/internal/util/util.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package util
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -34,6 +35,9 @@ var (
 	// FakeCursor is used to disable the terminal cursor and have micro
 	// draw its own (enabled for windows consoles where the cursor is slow)
 	FakeCursor = false
+
+	// Stdout is a buffer that is written to stdout when micro closes
+	Stdout *bytes.Buffer
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -46,6 +50,7 @@ func init() {
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		FakeCursor = true
 	}
+	Stdout = new(bytes.Buffer)
 }
 
 // SliceEnd returns a byte slice where the index is a rune index