diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 962db6f..dde6295 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ otherwise returns string explaining the error
 
 Examples:
 
-```
+```javascript
 var foo = ShellString('hello world');
 ```
 
@@ -627,10 +627,25 @@ Turns a regular string into a string-like object similar to what each
 command returns. This has special methods, like `.to()` and `.toEnd()`
 
 
+### Pipes
+
+Examples:
+
+```javascript
+grep('foo', 'file1.txt', 'file2.txt').sed(/o/g, 'a').to('output.txt');
+echo('files with o\'s in the name:\n' + ls().grep('o'));
+cat('test.js').exec('node'); // pipe to exec() call
+```
+
+Commands can send their output to another command in a pipe-like fashion.
+`sed`, `grep`, `cat`, `exec`, `to`, and `toEnd` can appear on the right-hand
+side of a pipe. Pipes can be chained.
+
 ## Configuration
 
 
 ### config.silent
+
 Example:
 
 ```javascript
@@ -645,6 +660,7 @@ Suppresses all command output if `true`, except for `echo()` calls.
 Default is `false`.
 
 ### config.fatal
+
 Example:
 
 ```javascript
@@ -659,6 +675,7 @@ command encounters an error. Default is `false`. This is analogous to
 Bash's `set -e`
 
 ### config.verbose
+
 Example:
 
 ```javascript
diff --git a/shell.js b/shell.js
index 76fd189..51ff397 100644
--- a/shell.js
+++ b/shell.js
@@ -128,6 +128,20 @@ exports.error = _error;
 //@include ./src/common
 exports.ShellString = common.ShellString;
 
+//@
+//@ ### Pipes
+//@
+//@ Examples:
+//@
+//@ ```javascript
+//@ grep('foo', 'file1.txt', 'file2.txt').sed(/o/g, 'a').to('output.txt');
+//@ echo('files with o\'s in the name:\n' + ls().grep('o'));
+//@ cat('test.js').exec('node'); // pipe to exec() call
+//@ ```
+//@
+//@ Commands can send their output to another command in a pipe-like fashion.
+//@ `sed`, `grep`, `cat`, `exec`, `to`, and `toEnd` can appear on the right-hand
+//@ side of a pipe. Pipes can be chained.
 
 //@
 //@ ## Configuration
@@ -137,6 +151,7 @@ exports.config = common.config;
 
 //@
 //@ ### config.silent
+//@
 //@ Example:
 //@
 //@ ```javascript
@@ -152,6 +167,7 @@ exports.config = common.config;
 
 //@
 //@ ### config.fatal
+//@
 //@ Example:
 //@
 //@ ```javascript
@@ -167,6 +183,7 @@ exports.config = common.config;
 
 //@
 //@ ### config.verbose
+//@
 //@ Example:
 //@
 //@ ```javascript
diff --git a/src/cat.js b/src/cat.js
index 8257b72..27889b7 100644
--- a/src/cat.js
+++ b/src/cat.js
@@ -17,14 +17,12 @@ var fs = require('fs');
 //@ containing the files if more than one file is given (a new line character is
 //@ introduced between each file). Wildcard `*` accepted.
 function _cat(options, files) {
-  var cat = '';
+  var cat = common.readFromPipe(this);
 
-  if (!files)
+  if (!files && !cat)
     common.error('no paths given');
 
-  if (typeof files === 'string')
-    files = [].slice.call(arguments, 1);
-  // if it's array leave it as it is
+  files = [].slice.call(arguments, 1);
 
   files.forEach(function(file) {
     if (!fs.existsSync(file))
diff --git a/src/common.js b/src/common.js
index 4464a3a..1ac42f4 100644
--- a/src/common.js
+++ b/src/common.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 var os = require('os');
 var fs = require('fs');
 var glob = require('glob');
+var shell = require('..');
 var _to = require('./to');
 var _toEnd = require('./toEnd');
 
@@ -57,18 +58,27 @@ exports.error = error;
 //@
 //@ Examples:
 //@
-//@ ```
+//@ ```javascript
 //@ var foo = ShellString('hello world');
 //@ ```
 //@
 //@ Turns a regular string into a string-like object similar to what each
 //@ command returns. This has special methods, like `.to()` and `.toEnd()`
-var ShellString = function (str, stderr) {
-  var that = new String(str);
-  that.to = wrap('to', _to, {idx: 1});
-  that.toEnd = wrap('toEnd', _toEnd, {idx: 1});
-  that.stdout = str;
+var ShellString = function (stdout, stderr) {
+  var that;
+  if (stdout instanceof Array) {
+    that = stdout;
+    that.stdout = stdout.join('\n')+'\n';
+  } else {
+    that = new String(stdout);
+    that.stdout = stdout;
+  }
   that.stderr = stderr;
+  that.to    = function() {wrap('to', _to, {idx: 1}).apply(that.stdout, arguments); return that;};
+  that.toEnd = function() {wrap('toEnd', _toEnd, {idx: 1}).apply(that.stdout, arguments); return that;};
+  ['cat', 'sed', 'grep', 'exec'].forEach(function (cmd) {
+    that[cmd] = function() {return shell[cmd].apply(that.stdout, arguments);};
+  });
   return that;
 };
 
@@ -281,3 +291,8 @@ function wrap(cmd, fn, options) {
   };
 } // wrap
 exports.wrap = wrap;
+
+function _readFromPipe(that) {
+  return that instanceof String ? that.toString() : '';
+}
+exports.readFromPipe = _readFromPipe;
diff --git a/src/exec.js b/src/exec.js
index 9d50b54..5af5c31 100644
--- a/src/exec.js
+++ b/src/exec.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ var DEFAULT_MAXBUFFER_SIZE = 20*1024*1024;
 // (Can't do a wait loop that checks for internal Node variables/messages as
 // Node is single-threaded; callbacks and other internal state changes are done in the
 // event loop).
-function execSync(cmd, opts) {
+function execSync(cmd, opts, pipe) {
   var tempDir = _tempDir();
   var stdoutFile = path.resolve(tempDir+'/'+common.randomFileName()),
       stderrFile = path.resolve(tempDir+'/'+common.randomFileName()),
@@ -53,10 +53,6 @@ function execSync(cmd, opts) {
     previousStreamContent = streamContent;
   }
 
-  function escape(str) {
-    return (str+'').replace(/([\\"'])/g, "\\$1").replace(/\0/g, "\\0");
-  }
-
   if (fs.existsSync(scriptFile)) common.unlinkSync(scriptFile);
   if (fs.existsSync(stdoutFile)) common.unlinkSync(stdoutFile);
   if (fs.existsSync(stderrFile)) common.unlinkSync(stderrFile);
@@ -74,23 +70,26 @@ function execSync(cmd, opts) {
 
   if (typeof child.execSync === 'function') {
     script = [
-      "var child = require('child_process')",
-      "  , fs = require('fs');",
-      "var childProcess = child.exec('"+escape(cmd)+"', "+optString+", function(err) {",
-      "  fs.writeFileSync('"+escape(codeFile)+"', err ? err.code.toString() : '0');",
-      "});",
-      "var stdoutStream = fs.createWriteStream('"+escape(stdoutFile)+"');",
-      "var stderrStream = fs.createWriteStream('"+escape(stderrFile)+"');",
-      "childProcess.stdout.pipe(stdoutStream, {end: false});",
-      "childProcess.stderr.pipe(stderrStream, {end: false});",
-      "childProcess.stdout.pipe(process.stdout);",
-      "childProcess.stderr.pipe(process.stderr);",
-      "var stdoutEnded = false, stderrEnded = false;",
-      "function tryClosingStdout(){ if(stdoutEnded){ stdoutStream.end(); } }",
-      "function tryClosingStderr(){ if(stderrEnded){ stderrStream.end(); } }",
-      "childProcess.stdout.on('end', function(){ stdoutEnded = true; tryClosingStdout(); });",
-      "childProcess.stderr.on('end', function(){ stderrEnded = true; tryClosingStderr(); });"
-    ].join('\n');
+        "var child = require('child_process')",
+        "  , fs = require('fs');",
+        "var childProcess = child.exec("+JSON.stringify(cmd)+", "+optString+", function(err) {",
+        "  fs.writeFileSync("+JSON.stringify(codeFile)+", err ? err.code.toString() : '0');",
+        "});",
+        "var stdoutStream = fs.createWriteStream("+JSON.stringify(stdoutFile)+");",
+        "var stderrStream = fs.createWriteStream("+JSON.stringify(stderrFile)+");",
+        "childProcess.stdout.pipe(stdoutStream, {end: false});",
+        "childProcess.stderr.pipe(stderrStream, {end: false});",
+        "childProcess.stdout.pipe(process.stdout);",
+        "childProcess.stderr.pipe(process.stderr);"
+      ].join('\n') +
+      (pipe ? "\nchildProcess.stdin.end("+JSON.stringify(pipe)+");\n" : '\n') +
+      [
+        "var stdoutEnded = false, stderrEnded = false;",
+        "function tryClosingStdout(){ if(stdoutEnded){ stdoutStream.end(); } }",
+        "function tryClosingStderr(){ if(stderrEnded){ stderrStream.end(); } }",
+        "childProcess.stdout.on('end', function(){ stdoutEnded = true; tryClosingStdout(); });",
+        "childProcess.stderr.on('end', function(){ stderrEnded = true; tryClosingStderr(); });"
+      ].join('\n');
 
     fs.writeFileSync(scriptFile, script);
 
@@ -115,12 +114,13 @@ function execSync(cmd, opts) {
     cmd += ' > '+stdoutFile+' 2> '+stderrFile; // works on both win/unix
 
     script = [
-      "var child = require('child_process')",
-      "  , fs = require('fs');",
-      "var childProcess = child.exec('"+escape(cmd)+"', "+optString+", function(err) {",
-      "  fs.writeFileSync('"+escape(codeFile)+"', err ? err.code.toString() : '0');",
-      "});"
-    ].join('\n');
+        "var child = require('child_process')",
+        "  , fs = require('fs');",
+        "var childProcess = child.exec("+JSON.stringify(cmd)+", "+optString+", function(err) {",
+        "  fs.writeFileSync("+JSON.stringify(codeFile)+", err ? err.code.toString() : '0');",
+        "});"
+      ].join('\n') +
+      (pipe ? "\nchildProcess.stdin.end("+JSON.stringify(pipe)+");\n" : '\n');
 
     fs.writeFileSync(scriptFile, script);
 
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ function execSync(cmd, opts) {
 } // execSync()
 
 // Wrapper around exec() to enable echoing output to console in real time
-function execAsync(cmd, opts, callback) {
+function execAsync(cmd, opts, pipe, callback) {
   var stdout = '';
   var stderr = '';
 
@@ -179,6 +179,9 @@ function execAsync(cmd, opts, callback) {
       callback(err ? err.code : 0, stdout, stderr);
   });
 
+  if (pipe)
+    c.stdin.end(pipe);
+
   c.stdout.on('data', function(data) {
     stdout += data;
     if (!opts.silent)
@@ -233,6 +236,8 @@ function _exec(command, options, callback) {
   if (!command)
     common.error('must specify command');
 
+  var pipe = common.readFromPipe(this);
+
   // Callback is defined instead of options.
   if (typeof options === 'function') {
     callback = options;
@@ -251,9 +256,9 @@ function _exec(command, options, callback) {
 
   try {
     if (options.async)
-      return execAsync(command, options, callback);
+      return execAsync(command, options, pipe, callback);
     else
-      return execSync(command, options);
+      return execSync(command, options, pipe);
   } catch (e) {
     common.error('internal error');
   }
diff --git a/src/grep.js b/src/grep.js
index 8ef7d90..3c0106a 100644
--- a/src/grep.js
+++ b/src/grep.js
@@ -24,21 +24,26 @@ function _grep(options, regex, files) {
     'l': 'nameOnly'
   });
 
-  if (!files)
+  // Check if this is coming from a pipe
+  var pipe = common.readFromPipe(this);
+
+  if (!files && !pipe)
     common.error('no paths given');
 
-  if (typeof files === 'string')
-    files = [].slice.call(arguments, 2);
+  files = [].slice.call(arguments, 2);
+
+  if (pipe)
+    files.unshift('-');
 
   var grep = [];
   files.forEach(function(file) {
-    if (!fs.existsSync(file)) {
+    if (!fs.existsSync(file) && file !== '-') {
       common.error('no such file or directory: ' + file, true);
       return;
     }
 
-    var contents = fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf8'),
-        lines = contents.split(/\r*\n/);
+    var contents = file === '-' ? pipe : fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf8');
+    var lines = contents.split(/\r*\n/);
     if (options.nameOnly) {
       if (contents.match(regex))
         grep.push(file);
diff --git a/src/ls.js b/src/ls.js
index 482a388..71953b4 100644
--- a/src/ls.js
+++ b/src/ls.js
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ var fs = require('fs');
 var common = require('./common');
 var _cd = require('./cd');
 var _pwd = require('./pwd');
-var _to = require('./to');
-var _toEnd = require('./toEnd');
 
 //@
 //@ ### ls([options,] [path, ...])
@@ -154,15 +152,7 @@ function _ls(options, paths) {
   });
 
   // Add methods, to make this more compatible with ShellStrings
-  list.stdout = list.join('\n') + '\n';
-  list.stderr = common.state.error;
-  list.to = function (file) {
-    common.wrap('to', _to, {idx: 1}).call(this.stdout, file);
-  };
-  list.toEnd = function(file) {
-    common.wrap('toEnd', _toEnd, {idx: 1}).call(this.stdout, file);
-  };
-  return list;
+  return new common.ShellString(list, common.state.error);
 }
 module.exports = _ls;
 
diff --git a/src/sed.js b/src/sed.js
index 7477403..a9c675a 100644
--- a/src/sed.js
+++ b/src/sed.js
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ function _sed(options, regex, replacement, files) {
     'i': 'inplace'
   });
 
+  // Check if this is coming from a pipe
+  var pipe = common.readFromPipe(this);
+
   if (typeof replacement === 'string' || typeof replacement === 'function')
     replacement = replacement; // no-op
   else if (typeof replacement === 'number')
@@ -33,21 +36,24 @@ function _sed(options, regex, replacement, files) {
   if (typeof regex === 'string')
     regex = RegExp(regex);
 
-  if (!files)
+  if (!files && !pipe)
     common.error('no files given');
 
-  if (typeof files === 'string')
-    files = [].slice.call(arguments, 3);
-  // if it's array leave it as it is
+  files = [].slice.call(arguments, 3);
+
+  if (pipe)
+    files.unshift('-');
 
   var sed = [];
   files.forEach(function(file) {
-    if (!fs.existsSync(file)) {
+    if (!fs.existsSync(file) && file !== '-') {
       common.error('no such file or directory: ' + file, true);
       return;
     }
 
-    var result = fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf8').split('\n').map(function (line) {
+    var contents = file === '-' ? pipe : fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf8');
+    var lines = contents.split(/\r*\n/);
+    var result = lines.map(function (line) {
       return line.replace(regex, replacement);
     }).join('\n');
 
diff --git a/test/pipe.js b/test/pipe.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e877ec5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/pipe.js
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+var shell = require('..');
+
+var assert = require('assert');
+
+shell.config.silent = true;
+
+shell.rm('-rf', 'tmp');
+shell.mkdir('tmp');
+
+//
+// Invalids
+//
+
+// no piped methods for commands that don't return anything
+assert.throws(function() {
+  shell.cp('resources/file1', 'tmp/');
+  assert.ok(!shell.error());
+  shell.cp('resources/file1', 'tmp/').cat();
+});
+
+// commands like `rm` can't be on the right side of pipes
+assert.equal(typeof shell.ls('.').rm, 'undefined');
+assert.equal(typeof shell.cat('resources/file1.txt').rm, 'undefined');
+
+//
+// Valids
+//
+
+// piping to cat() should return roughly the same thing
+assert.strictEqual(shell.cat('resources/file1.txt').cat().toString(),
+    shell.cat('resources/file1.txt').toString());
+
+// piping ls() into cat() converts to a string
+assert.strictEqual(shell.ls('resources/').cat().toString(),
+    shell.ls('resources/').stdout);
+
+var result;
+result = shell.ls('resources/').grep('file1');
+assert.equal(result + '', 'file1\nfile1.js\nfile1.txt\n');
+
+result = shell.ls('resources/').cat().grep('file1');
+assert.equal(result + '', 'file1\nfile1.js\nfile1.txt\n');
+
+// Equivalent to a simple grep() test case
+result = shell.cat('resources/grep/file').grep(/alpha*beta/);
+assert.equal(shell.error(), null);
+assert.equal(result.toString(), 'alphaaaaaaabeta\nalphbeta\n');
+
+// Equivalent to a simple sed() test case
+var result = shell.cat('resources/grep/file').sed(/l*\.js/, '');
+assert.ok(!shell.error());
+assert.equal(result.toString(), 'alphaaaaaaabeta\nhowareyou\nalphbeta\nthis line ends in\n\n');
+
+// Synchronous exec
+// TODO: add windows tests
+if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
+  // unix-specific
+  if (shell.which('grep').stdout) {
+    result = shell.cat('resources/grep/file').exec("grep 'alpha*beta'");
+    assert.equal(shell.error(), null);
+    assert.equal(result, 'alphaaaaaaabeta\nalphbeta\n');
+  } else {
+    console.error('Warning: Cannot verify piped exec');
+  }
+} else {
+  console.error('Warning: Cannot verify piped exec');
+}
+
+// Async exec
+// TODO: add windows tests
+if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
+  // unix-specific
+  if (shell.which('grep').stdout) {
+    shell.cat('resources/grep/file').exec("grep 'alpha*beta'", function(code, stdout) {
+      assert.equal(code, 0);
+      assert.equal(stdout, 'alphaaaaaaabeta\nalphbeta\n');
+      shell.exit(123);
+    });
+  } else {
+    console.error('Warning: Cannot verify piped exec');
+  }
+} else {
+  console.error('Warning: Cannot verify piped exec');
+  shell.exit(123);
+}