diff --git a/common.c b/common.c
index a3d536671..228e061f7 100644
--- a/common.c
+++ b/common.c
@@ -641,12 +641,6 @@ int read_blocked(int fd, void *buf, size_t count)
 	return res;	
 }
 
-int writeb( tputs_arg_t b )
-{
-	write( 1, &b, 1 );
-//	putc( b, stdout );
-	return 0;
-}
 
 void die_mem()
 {
diff --git a/common.h b/common.h
index 9c688947d..895f33134 100644
--- a/common.h
+++ b/common.h
@@ -223,13 +223,6 @@ int contains_str( const wchar_t *needle, ... );
 */
 int read_blocked(int fd, void *buf, size_t count);
 
-/**
-   This is for writing process notification messages. Has to write to
-   stdout, so clr_eol and such functions will work correctly. Not an
-   issue since this function is only used in interactive mode anyway.
-*/
-int writeb( tputs_arg_t b );
-
 /**
    Exit program at once, leaving an error message about running out of memory
 */
diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index bbb4a8c42..0352766a9 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ implementation in fish is as of yet incomplete.
 #include "event.h"
 #include "signal.h"
 #include "translate.h"
+#include "output.h"
 
 static void input_read_inputrc( wchar_t *fn );
 
diff --git a/output.c b/output.c
index 42669d65f..0825aa7c8 100644
--- a/output.c
+++ b/output.c
@@ -102,11 +102,22 @@ static size_t writestr_buff_sz=0;
 */
 static char *writestr_buff = 0;
 
+/**
+   The function used for output
+*/
+
+static int (*out)(char *str) = &writembs;
+
 static void output_destroy()
 {
 	free( writestr_buff );
 }
 
+void output_set_writer( int (*writer)(char *) )
+{
+	out = writer;
+}
+
 
 void set_color( int c, int c2 )
 {
@@ -130,8 +141,8 @@ void set_color( int c, int c2 )
 	{
 		c = c2 = FISH_COLOR_NORMAL;
 		if( fg )
-			writembs( tparm( fg, 0 ) );
-		writembs( exit_attribute_mode );
+			out( tparm( fg, 0 ) );
+		out( exit_attribute_mode );
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -164,7 +175,7 @@ void set_color( int c, int c2 )
 			  Background color changed and is set, so we enter bold
 			  mode to make reading easier
 			*/
-			writembs( enter_bold_mode );
+			out( enter_bold_mode );
 		}
 		if(!bg_set && last_bg_set)
 		{
@@ -172,14 +183,14 @@ void set_color( int c, int c2 )
 			  Background color changed and is no longer set, so we
 			  exit bold mode
 			*/
-			writembs( exit_attribute_mode );
+			out( exit_attribute_mode );
 			/*
 			  We don't know if exit_attribute_mode resets colors, so
 			  we set it to something known.
 			*/
 			if( fg )
 			{
-				writembs( tparm( fg, 0 ) );
+				out( tparm( fg, 0 ) );
 				last_color=0;
 			}
 		}
@@ -190,8 +201,8 @@ void set_color( int c, int c2 )
 		if( c==FISH_COLOR_NORMAL )
 		{
 			if( fg )
-				writembs( tparm( fg, 0 ) );
-			writembs( exit_attribute_mode );
+				out( tparm( fg, 0 ) );
+			out( exit_attribute_mode );
 
 			last_color2 = FISH_COLOR_NORMAL;
 		}
@@ -199,7 +210,7 @@ void set_color( int c, int c2 )
 		{
 			if( fg )
 			{
-				writembs( tparm( fg, c ) );
+				out( tparm( fg, c ) );
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -212,13 +223,13 @@ void set_color( int c, int c2 )
 		{
 			if( bg )
 			{
-				writembs( tparm( bg, 0 ) );
+				out( tparm( bg, 0 ) );
 			}
 
-			writembs(exit_attribute_mode);
+			out(exit_attribute_mode);
 			if(( last_color != FISH_COLOR_NORMAL ) && fg )
 			{
-				writembs(tparm( fg, last_color ));
+				out(tparm( fg, last_color ));
 			}
 
 			last_color2 = c2;
@@ -227,13 +238,46 @@ void set_color( int c, int c2 )
 		{
 			if( bg )
 			{
-				writembs( tparm( bg, c2 ) );
+				out( tparm( bg, c2 ) );
 			}
 			last_color2 = c2;
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+   perm_left_cursor and parm_right_cursor don't seem to be properly
+   emulated by many terminal emulators, so we only use plain
+   curor_left, curor_right...
+*/
+void move_cursor( int steps )
+{
+	int i;
+	
+	if( !steps )
+		return;
+	
+	if( steps < 0 ){
+		for( i=0; i>steps; i--)
+		{
+			out(cursor_left);
+		}
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		for( i=0; i<steps; i++)
+		{
+			out(cursor_right);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+int writeb( tputs_arg_t b )
+{
+	write( 1, &b, 1 );
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int writembs( char *str )
 {
 #ifdef TPUTS_KLUDGE
@@ -385,7 +429,7 @@ int writespace( int c )
 {
 	if( repeat_char && strlen(repeat_char) )
 	{
-		writembs( tparm( repeat_char, ' ', c ) );
+		out( tparm( repeat_char, ' ', c ) );
 	}
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/output.h b/output.h
index ec008adc8..932640371 100644
--- a/output.h
+++ b/output.h
@@ -80,7 +80,9 @@ void set_color( int c, int c2 );
 
 /**
    Write a char * narrow string to FD 1, needed for the terminfo
-   strings.
+   strings. This is usually just a wrapper aound tputs, using writeb
+   as the sending function. But a weird bug on PPC Linux means that on
+   this platform, write is instead used directly.
 */
 int writembs( char *str );
 
@@ -116,4 +118,24 @@ int writespace( int c );
 */
 int output_color_code( const wchar_t *val );
 
+/**
+   perm_left_cursor and parm_right_cursor don't seem to be defined
+   very often so we use cursor_left and cursor_right as a fallback.
+*/
+void move_cursor( int steps );
+
+/**
+   This is for writing process notification messages. Has to write to
+   stdout, so clr_eol and such functions will work correctly. Not an
+   issue since this function is only used in interactive mode anyway.
+*/
+int writeb( tputs_arg_t b );
+
+/**
+   Set the function used for writing in move_cursor, writespace and
+   set_color. By default, writembs is used.
+*/
+void output_set_writer( int (*writer)(char *) );
+
+
 #endif
diff --git a/reader.c b/reader.c
index 47f23d042..8e7b413d3 100644
--- a/reader.c
+++ b/reader.c
@@ -834,25 +834,6 @@ static void write_cmdline()
 	}
 }
 
-/**
-   perm_left_cursor and parm_right_cursor don't seem to be defined as
-   often as cursor_left and cursor_right, so we use this workalike.
-*/
-static void move_cursor( int steps )
-{
-	int i;
-
-	if( steps < 0 ){
-		for( i=0; i>steps; i--)
-		{
-			writembs(cursor_left);
-		}
-	}
-	else
-		for( i=0; i<steps; i++)
-			writembs(cursor_right);
-}
-
 
 void reader_init()
 {
@@ -1462,7 +1443,7 @@ static void run_pager( wchar_t *prefix, int is_quoted, array_list_t *comp )
 
 /**
    Handle the list of completions. This means the following:
-
+   
    - If the list is empty, flash the terminal.
    - If the list contains one element, write the whole element, and if
    the element does not end on a '/', '@', ':', or a '=', also write a trailing
@@ -2792,8 +2773,8 @@ wchar_t *reader_readline()
 
 			case R_CLEAR_SCREEN:
 			{
-				writembs( clear_screen );
-
+				if( clear_screen )
+					writembs( clear_screen );
 				repaint();
 				break;
 			}