diff --git a/commands/request.go b/commands/request.go
index 8cceebc46..aa5daae87 100644
--- a/commands/request.go
+++ b/commands/request.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package commands
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@ type Request interface {
 	SetContext(Context)
 	Command() *Command
 	Values() map[string]interface{}
+	Stdin() io.Reader
 
 	ConvertOptions() error
 }
@@ -91,6 +94,7 @@ type request struct {
 	ctx        Context
 	optionDefs map[string]Option
 	values     map[string]interface{}
+	stdin      io.Reader
 }
 
 // Path returns the command path of this request
@@ -214,6 +218,10 @@ func (r *request) Values() map[string]interface{} {
 	return r.values
 }
 
+func (r *request) Stdin() io.Reader {
+	return r.stdin
+}
+
 func (r *request) ConvertOptions() error {
 	for k, v := range r.options {
 		opt, ok := r.optionDefs[k]
@@ -282,7 +290,7 @@ func NewRequest(path []string, opts optMap, args []string, file files.File, cmd
 
 	ctx := Context{Context: context.TODO()}
 	values := make(map[string]interface{})
-	req := &request{path, opts, args, file, cmd, ctx, optDefs, values}
+	req := &request{path, opts, args, file, cmd, ctx, optDefs, values, os.Stdin}
 	err := req.ConvertOptions()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/commands/response.go b/commands/response.go
index 71d49b69b..a720a8214 100644
--- a/commands/response.go
+++ b/commands/response.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/xml"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 )
 
@@ -105,6 +106,10 @@ type Response interface {
 
 	// Gets a io.Reader that reads the marshalled output
 	Reader() (io.Reader, error)
+
+	// Gets Stdout and Stderr, for writing to console without using SetOutput
+	Stdout() io.Writer
+	Stderr() io.Writer
 }
 
 type response struct {
@@ -113,6 +118,8 @@ type response struct {
 	value  interface{}
 	out    io.Reader
 	length uint64
+	stdout io.Writer
+	stderr io.Writer
 }
 
 func (r *response) Request() Request {
@@ -206,7 +213,19 @@ func (r *response) Reader() (io.Reader, error) {
 	return r.out, nil
 }
 
+func (r *response) Stdout() io.Writer {
+	return r.stdout
+}
+
+func (r *response) Stderr() io.Writer {
+	return r.stderr
+}
+
 // NewResponse returns a response to match given Request
 func NewResponse(req Request) Response {
-	return &response{req: req}
+	return &response{
+		req:    req,
+		stdout: os.Stdout,
+		stderr: os.Stderr,
+	}
 }
diff --git a/core/commands/add.go b/core/commands/add.go
index c6d456187..bc157fcc3 100644
--- a/core/commands/add.go
+++ b/core/commands/add.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"os"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -139,7 +138,7 @@ remains to be implemented.
 			bar.Callback = func(line string) {
 				terminalWidth = len(line)
 				bar.Callback = nil
-				bar.Output = os.Stderr
+				bar.Output = res.Stderr()
 				log.Infof("terminal width: %v\n", terminalWidth)
 			}
 			bar.Update()
@@ -153,12 +152,12 @@ remains to be implemented.
 			if len(output.Hash) > 0 {
 				if showProgressBar {
 					// clear progress bar line before we print "added x" output
-					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "\r%s\r", strings.Repeat(" ", terminalWidth))
+					fmt.Fprintf(res.Stderr(), "\r%s\r", strings.Repeat(" ", terminalWidth))
 				}
 				if quiet {
-					fmt.Printf("%s\n", output.Hash)
+					fmt.Fprintf(res.Stdout(), "%s\n", output.Hash)
 				} else {
-					fmt.Printf("added %s %s\n", output.Hash, output.Name)
+					fmt.Fprintf(res.Stdout(), "added %s %s\n", output.Hash, output.Name)
 				}
 
 			} else {
diff --git a/core/commands/cat.go b/core/commands/cat.go
index b1f3df28c..d917b450f 100644
--- a/core/commands/cat.go
+++ b/core/commands/cat.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package commands
 
 import (
 	"io"
-	"os"
 
 	cmds "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/commands"
 	core "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/core"
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ it contains.
 		}
 
 		bar := pb.New(int(res.Length())).SetUnits(pb.U_BYTES)
-		bar.Output = os.Stderr
+		bar.Output = res.Stderr()
 		bar.Start()
 
 		reader := bar.NewProxyReader(res.Output().(io.Reader))