diff --git a/base/exports.jl b/base/exports.jl
index 2f87c86d5976a..bcb70cba15886 100644
--- a/base/exports.jl
+++ b/base/exports.jl
@@ -1195,6 +1195,7 @@ export
     readline,
     readlines,
     readuntil,
+    redirect,
     redirect_stderr,
     redirect_stdin,
     redirect_stdout,
diff --git a/base/interactiveutil.jl b/base/interactiveutil.jl
index 9f5b2e661087d..bfda1bc066bfd 100644
--- a/base/interactiveutil.jl
+++ b/base/interactiveutil.jl
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ end
         global _clipboardcmd
         _clipboardcmd !== nothing && return _clipboardcmd
         for cmd in (:xclip, :xsel)
-            success(`which $cmd` |> DevNull) && return _clipboardcmd = cmd
+            success(`which $cmd` |> redirect(DevNull)) && return _clipboardcmd = cmd
         end
         error("no clipboard command found, please install xsel or xclip")
     end
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ function versioninfo(io::IO=STDOUT, verbose::Bool=false)
     println(io,             "  WORD_SIZE: ", Sys.WORD_SIZE)
     if verbose
         lsb = ""
-        @linux_only try lsb = readchomp(`lsb_release -ds` .> DevNull) end
+        @linux_only try lsb = readchomp(`lsb_release -ds` |> redirect(stderr=DevNull)) end
         @windows_only try lsb = strip(readall(`$(ENV["COMSPEC"]) /c ver`)) end
         if lsb != ""
             println(io,     "           ", lsb)
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ downloadcmd = nothing
     global downloadcmd
     if downloadcmd === nothing
         for checkcmd in (:curl, :wget, :fetch)
-            if success(`which $checkcmd` |> DevNull)
+            if success(`which $checkcmd` |> redirect(DevNull))
                 downloadcmd = checkcmd
                 break
             end
diff --git a/base/pkg/entry.jl b/base/pkg/entry.jl
index 9b79d9a119095..eae8b285192cc 100644
--- a/base/pkg/entry.jl
+++ b/base/pkg/entry.jl
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ function add(pkg::AbstractString, vers::VersionSet)
                 outdated = :yes
             else
                 try
-                    run(Git.cmd(`fetch -q --all`, dir="METADATA") |>DevNull .>DevNull)
+                    run(Git.cmd(`fetch -q --all`, dir="METADATA") |> redirect(DevNull,stderr=DevNull))
                     outdated = Git.success(`diff --quiet origin/$branch`, dir="METADATA") ?
                         (:no) : (:yes)
                 end
diff --git a/base/pkg/generate.jl b/base/pkg/generate.jl
index 1907db42e8cd8..ffbfebb5e9c57 100644
--- a/base/pkg/generate.jl
+++ b/base/pkg/generate.jl
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ github_user() = readchomp(ignorestatus(`git config --global --get github.user`))
 function git_contributors(dir::AbstractString, n::Int=typemax(Int))
     contrib = Dict()
     tty = @windows? "CON:" : "/dev/tty"
-    for line in eachline(tty |> Git.cmd(`shortlog -nes`, dir=dir))
+    for line in eachline(tty |> redirect(Git.cmd(`shortlog -nes`, dir=dir)))
         m = match(r"\s*(\d+)\s+(.+?)\s+\<(.+?)\>\s*$", line)
         m == nothing && continue
         commits, name, email = m.captures
diff --git a/base/pkg/git.jl b/base/pkg/git.jl
index 5ec3555279b67..aac15d44e2163 100644
--- a/base/pkg/git.jl
+++ b/base/pkg/git.jl
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ function git(d)
 end
 
 cmd(args::Cmd; dir="") = `$(git(dir)) $args`
-run(args::Cmd; dir="", out=STDOUT) = Base.run(cmd(args,dir=dir) |> out)
+run(args::Cmd; dir="", out=STDOUT) = Base.run(cmd(args,dir=dir) |> redirect(out))
 readall(args::Cmd; dir="") = Base.readall(cmd(args,dir=dir))
 readchomp(args::Cmd; dir="") = Base.readchomp(cmd(args,dir=dir))
 
diff --git a/base/process.jl b/base/process.jl
index 6b9ed3d451858..a9965245c8836 100644
--- a/base/process.jl
+++ b/base/process.jl
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ function show(io::IO, cmd::Cmd)
     (print_dir || print_env) && print(io, ")")
 end
 
-function show(io::IO, cmds::OrCmds)
+function show(io::IO, cmds::Union(OrCmds,ErrOrCmds))
     if isa(cmds.a, AndCmds) || isa(cmds.a, CmdRedirect)
         print(io, "(")
         show(io, cmds.a)
@@ -55,18 +55,14 @@ function show(io::IO, cmds::OrCmds)
     else
         show(io, cmds.a)
     end
-    print(io, " |> ")
-    if isa(cmds.b, AndCmds) || isa(cmds.b, CmdRedirect)
-        print(io, "(")
-        show(io, cmds.b)
-        print(io, ")")
-    else
-        show(io, cmds.b)
-    end
+    print(io, " |> redirect(")
+    isa(cmds, ErrOrCmds) && print(io, "stderr=")
+    show(io, cmds.b)
+    print(io, ")")
 end
 
 function show(io::IO, cmds::AndCmds)
-    if isa(cmds.a, OrCmds) || isa(cmds.a, CmdRedirect)
+    if isa(cmds.a, OrCmds) || isa(cmds.a, ErrOrCmds) || isa(cmds.a, CmdRedirect)
         print(io, "(")
         show(io, cmds.a)
         print(io, ")")
@@ -74,7 +70,7 @@ function show(io::IO, cmds::AndCmds)
         show(io, cmds.a)
     end
     print(io, " & ")
-    if isa(cmds.b, OrCmds) || isa(cmds.b, CmdRedirect)
+    if isa(cmds.a, OrCmds) || isa(cmds.a, ErrOrCmds) || isa(cmds.a, CmdRedirect)
         print(io, "(")
         show(io, cmds.b)
         print(io, ")")
@@ -122,16 +118,19 @@ end
 function show(io::IO, cr::CmdRedirect)
     if cr.stream_no == STDOUT_NO
         show(io, cr.cmd)
-        print(io, " |> ")
+        print(io, " |> redirect(")
         show(io, cr.handle)
+        print(io, ")")
     elseif cr.stream_no == STDERR_NO
         show(io, cr.cmd)
-        print(io, " .> ")
+        print(io, " |> redirect(stderr=")
         show(io, cr.handle)
+        print(io, ")")
     elseif cr.stream_no == STDIN_NO
         show(io, cr.handle)
-        print(io, " |> ")
+        print(io, " |> redirect(")
         show(io, cr.cmd)
+        print(io, ")")
     end
 end
 
@@ -145,21 +144,36 @@ setenv(cmd::Cmd, env::Associative; dir="") = (cmd.env = ByteString[string(k)*"="
 setenv(cmd::Cmd; dir="") = (cmd.dir = dir; cmd)
 
 (&)(left::AbstractCmd, right::AbstractCmd) = AndCmds(left, right)
-(|>)(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractCmd) = OrCmds(src, dest)
-(.>)(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractCmd) = ErrOrCmds(src, dest)
+redir_out(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractCmd) = OrCmds(src, dest)
+redir_err(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractCmd) = ErrOrCmds(src, dest)
 
 # Stream Redirects
-(|>)(dest::Redirectable, src::AbstractCmd) = CmdRedirect(src, dest, STDIN_NO)
-(|>)(src::AbstractCmd, dest::Redirectable) = CmdRedirect(src, dest, STDOUT_NO)
-(.>)(src::AbstractCmd, dest::Redirectable) = CmdRedirect(src, dest, STDERR_NO)
+redir_out(dest::Redirectable, src::AbstractCmd) = CmdRedirect(src, dest, STDIN_NO)
+redir_out(src::AbstractCmd, dest::Redirectable) = CmdRedirect(src, dest, STDOUT_NO)
+redir_err(src::AbstractCmd, dest::Redirectable) = CmdRedirect(src, dest, STDERR_NO)
 
 # File redirects
-(|>)(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractString) = CmdRedirect(src, FileRedirect(dest, false), STDOUT_NO)
-(|>)(src::AbstractString, dest::AbstractCmd) = CmdRedirect(dest, FileRedirect(src, false), STDIN_NO)
-(.>)(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractString) = CmdRedirect(src, FileRedirect(dest, false), STDERR_NO)
-(>>)(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractString) = CmdRedirect(src, FileRedirect(dest, true), STDOUT_NO)
-(.>>)(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractString) = CmdRedirect(src, FileRedirect(dest, true), STDERR_NO)
+redir_out(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractString) = CmdRedirect(src, FileRedirect(dest, false), STDOUT_NO)
+redir_out(src::AbstractString, dest::AbstractCmd) = CmdRedirect(dest, FileRedirect(src, false), STDIN_NO)
+redir_err(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractString) = CmdRedirect(src, FileRedirect(dest, false), STDERR_NO)
+redir_out_append(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractString) = CmdRedirect(src, FileRedirect(dest, true), STDOUT_NO)
+redir_err_append(src::AbstractCmd, dest::AbstractString) = CmdRedirect(src, FileRedirect(dest, true), STDERR_NO)
+
+function redirect(stdout; stderr=nothing, append=false)
+    if stderr !== nothing
+        if append
+            cmd->redir_err_append(redir_out_append(cmd, stdout), stderr)
+        else
+            cmd->redir_err(redir_out(cmd, stdout), stderr)
+        end
+    else
+        append ? cmd->redir_out_append(cmd, stdout) : cmd->redir_out(cmd, stdout)
+    end
+end
 
+function redirect(; stderr=error("must specify something to redirect to"), append=false)
+    append ? cmd->redir_err_append(cmd, stderr) : cmd->redir_err(cmd, stderr)
+end
 
 typealias RawOrBoxedHandle Union(UVHandle,UVStream,Redirectable,IOStream)
 typealias StdIOSet NTuple{3,RawOrBoxedHandle}
diff --git a/base/random.jl b/base/random.jl
index eb0e3bddd1003..01017d7177a0d 100644
--- a/base/random.jl
+++ b/base/random.jl
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ function make_seed()
         seed = reinterpret(UInt64, time())
         seed = hash(seed, uint64(getpid()))
         try
-        seed = hash(seed, parseint(UInt64, readall(`ifconfig` |> `sha1sum`)[1:40], 16))
+        seed = hash(seed, parseint(UInt64, readall(`ifconfig` |> redirect(`sha1sum`))[1:40], 16))
         end
         return make_seed(seed)
     end
diff --git a/test/spawn.jl b/test/spawn.jl
index 43a15ec662e58..beafc410abb4e 100644
--- a/test/spawn.jl
+++ b/test/spawn.jl
@@ -14,23 +14,23 @@ yes = `perl -le 'while (1) {print STDOUT "y"}'`
 #### Examples used in the manual ####
 
 @test readall(`echo hello | sort`) == "hello | sort\n"
-@test readall(`echo hello` |> `sort`) == "hello\n"
-@test length(spawn(`echo hello` |> `sort`).processes) == 2
+@test readall(`echo hello` |> redirect(`sort`)) == "hello\n"
+@test length(spawn(`echo hello` |> redirect(`sort`)).processes) == 2
 
 out = readall(`echo hello` & `echo world`)
 @test search(out,"world") != (0,0)
 @test search(out,"hello") != (0,0)
-@test readall((`echo hello` & `echo world`) |> `sort`)=="hello\nworld\n"
+@test readall((`echo hello` & `echo world`) |> redirect(`sort`))=="hello\nworld\n"
 
 @test (run(`printf "       \033[34m[stdio passthrough ok]\033[0m\n"`); true)
 
 # Test for SIGPIPE being treated as normal termination (throws an error if broken)
-@unix_only @test (run(yes|>`head`|>DevNull); true)
+@unix_only @test (run(yes|>redirect(`head`)|>redirect(DevNull)); true)
 
 begin
     a = Base.Condition()
     @schedule begin
-        p = spawn(yes|>DevNull)
+        p = spawn(yes|>redirect(DevNull))
         Base.notify(a,p)
         @test !success(p)
     end
@@ -43,29 +43,29 @@ end
 if false
     prefixer(prefix, sleep) = `perl -nle '$|=1; print "'$prefix' ", $_; sleep '$sleep';'`
     @test success(`perl -le '$|=1; for(0..2){ print; sleep 1 }'` |>
-                  prefixer("A",2) & prefixer("B",2))
+                  redirect(prefixer("A",2) & prefixer("B",2)))
     @test success(`perl -le '$|=1; for(0..2){ print; sleep 1 }'` |>
-                  prefixer("X",3) & prefixer("Y",3) & prefixer("Z",3) |>
-                  prefixer("A",2) & prefixer("B",2))
+                  redirect(prefixer("X",3) & prefixer("Y",3) & prefixer("Z",3)) |>
+                  redirect(prefixer("A",2) & prefixer("B",2)))
 end
 
 @test  success(`true`)
 @test !success(`false`)
-@test success(`true` |> `true`)
+@test success(`true` |> redirect(`true`))
 if false
     @test  success(ignorestatus(`false`))
-    @test  success(ignorestatus(`false`) |> `true`)
-    @test !success(ignorestatus(`false`) |> `false`)
+    @test  success(ignorestatus(`false`) |> redirect(`true`))
+    @test !success(ignorestatus(`false`) |> redirect(`false`))
     @test !success(ignorestatus(`false`) & `false`)
-    @test  success(ignorestatus(`false` |> `false`))
+    @test  success(ignorestatus(`false` |> redirect(`false`)))
     @test  success(ignorestatus(`false` & `false`))
 end
 
 # STDIN Redirection
 file = tempname()
-run(`echo hello world` |> file)
-@test readall(file |> `cat`) == "hello world\n"
-@test open(readall, file |> `cat`, "r") == "hello world\n"
+run(`echo hello world` |> redirect(file))
+@test readall(file |> redirect(`cat`)) == "hello world\n"
+@test open(readall, file |> redirect(`cat`), "r") == "hello world\n"
 rm(file)
 
 # Stream Redirection
@@ -75,12 +75,12 @@ rm(file)
         port, server = listenany(2326)
         put!(r,port)
         client = accept(server)
-        @test readall(client |> `cat`) == "hello world\n"
+        @test readall(client |> redirect(`cat`)) == "hello world\n"
         close(server)
     end
     @async begin
         sock = connect(fetch(r))
-        run(`echo hello world` |> sock)
+        run(`echo hello world` |> redirect(sock))
         close(sock)
     end
 end
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ str2 = readall(stdout)
 
 # This test hangs if the end of run walk across uv streams calls shutdown on a stream that is shutting down.
 file = tempname()
-open(`cat -` |> file, "w") do io
+open(`cat -` |> redirect(file), "w") do io
     write(io, str)
 end
 rm(file)
@@ -154,13 +154,13 @@ close(sock)
 
 # issue #4535
 exename=joinpath(JULIA_HOME,(ccall(:jl_is_debugbuild,Cint,())==0?"julia":"julia-debug"))
-@test readall(`$exename -f -e 'println(STDERR,"Hello World")'` .> `cat`) == "Hello World\n"
+@test readall(`$exename -f -e 'println(STDERR,"Hello World")'` |> redirect(stderr=`cat`)) == "Hello World\n"
 
 # issue #6310
-@test readall(`echo "2+2"` |> `$exename -f`) == "4\n"
+@test readall(`echo "2+2"` |> redirect(`$exename -f`)) == "4\n"
 
 # issue #5904
-@test run(ignorestatus(`false`) |> `true`) === nothing
+@test run(ignorestatus(`false`) |> redirect(`true`)) === nothing
 
 
 # issue #6010
diff --git a/test/unicode.jl b/test/unicode.jl
index 72658ed349d41..4ab1fe2ed3cdf 100644
--- a/test/unicode.jl
+++ b/test/unicode.jl
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ else
     for encoding in ["UTF-32LE", "UTF-16BE", "UTF-16LE", "UTF-8"]
         output_path = joinpath(unicodedir, encoding*".unicode")
         f = Base.FS.open(output_path,Base.JL_O_WRONLY|Base.JL_O_CREAT,Base.S_IRUSR | Base.S_IWUSR | Base.S_IRGRP | Base.S_IROTH)
-        run(`iconv -f $primary_encoding -t $encoding $primary_path` |> f)
+        run(`iconv -f $primary_encoding -t $encoding $primary_path` |> redirect(f))
         Base.FS.close(f)
     end