diff --git a/buffer.c b/buffer.c
index ffda00fc0..e9285fe4f 100644
--- a/buffer.c
+++ b/buffer.c
@@ -182,3 +182,8 @@ char *buffer_move(Buffer *buf) {
 	buffer_init(buf);
 	return data;
 }
+
+ssize_t read_into_buffer(void *context, char *data, size_t len) {
+	buffer_append(context, data, len);
+	return len;
+}
diff --git a/buffer.h b/buffer.h
index 321d54aad..d9e2b8566 100644
--- a/buffer.h
+++ b/buffer.h
@@ -80,4 +80,7 @@ const char *buffer_content(Buffer*);
  */
 char *buffer_move(Buffer*);
 
+/** ``read(3p)`` like interface for reading into a Buffer (``context``) */
+ssize_t read_into_buffer(void *context, char *data, size_t len);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/sam.c b/sam.c
index 90d19c297..e5aead3b0 100644
--- a/sam.c
+++ b/sam.c
@@ -1743,11 +1743,6 @@ static bool cmd_write(Vis *vis, Win *win, Command *cmd, const char *argv[], Sele
 	return true;
 }
 
-static ssize_t read_buffer(void *context, char *data, size_t len) {
-	buffer_append(context, data, len);
-	return len;
-}
-
 static bool cmd_filter(Vis *vis, Win *win, Command *cmd, const char *argv[], Selection *sel, Filerange *range) {
 	if (!win)
 		return false;
@@ -1756,7 +1751,8 @@ static bool cmd_filter(Vis *vis, Win *win, Command *cmd, const char *argv[], Sel
 	buffer_init(&bufout);
 	buffer_init(&buferr);
 
-	int status = vis_pipe(vis, win->file, range, &argv[1], &bufout, read_buffer, &buferr, read_buffer, false);
+	int status = vis_pipe(vis, win->file, range, &argv[1], &bufout, read_into_buffer, &buferr,
+	                      read_into_buffer, false);
 
 	if (vis->interrupted) {
 		vis_info_show(vis, "Command cancelled");
@@ -1796,7 +1792,8 @@ static bool cmd_pipeout(Vis *vis, Win *win, Command *cmd, const char *argv[], Se
 	Buffer buferr;
 	buffer_init(&buferr);
 
-	int status = vis_pipe(vis, win->file, range, (const char*[]){ argv[1], NULL }, NULL, NULL, &buferr, read_buffer, false);
+	int status = vis_pipe(vis, win->file, range, (const char*[]){ argv[1], NULL }, NULL, NULL,
+	                      &buferr, read_into_buffer, false);
 
 	if (vis->interrupted)
 		vis_info_show(vis, "Command cancelled");
diff --git a/vis-cmds.c b/vis-cmds.c
index 4cfb3bd5d..b195013ac 100644
--- a/vis-cmds.c
+++ b/vis-cmds.c
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ static const char *file_open_dialog(Vis *vis, const char *pattern) {
 	Filerange empty = text_range_new(0,0);
 	int status = vis_pipe(vis, vis->win->file, &empty,
 		(const char*[]){ buffer_content0(&bufcmd), NULL },
-		&bufout, read_buffer, &buferr, read_buffer, false);
+		&bufout, read_into_buffer, &buferr, read_into_buffer, false);
 
 	if (status == 0)
 		strncpy(name, buffer_content0(&bufout), sizeof(name)-1);
diff --git a/vis-registers.c b/vis-registers.c
index 6e21a5840..caecbd308 100644
--- a/vis-registers.c
+++ b/vis-registers.c
@@ -21,11 +21,6 @@ static Buffer *register_buffer(Register *reg, size_t slot) {
 	return array_get(&reg->values, slot);
 }
 
-static ssize_t read_buffer(void *context, char *data, size_t len) {
-	buffer_append(context, data, len);
-	return len;
-}
-
 bool register_init(Register *reg) {
 	Buffer buf;
 	buffer_init(&buf);
@@ -83,7 +78,7 @@ const char *register_slot_get(Vis *vis, Register *reg, size_t slot, size_t *len)
 			cmd[3] = "clipboard";
 		int status = vis_pipe(vis, vis->win->file,
 			&(Filerange){ .start = 0, .end = 0 },
-			cmd, buf, read_buffer, &buferr, read_buffer, false);
+			cmd, buf, read_into_buffer, &buferr, read_into_buffer, false);
 
 		if (status != 0)
 			vis_info_show(vis, "Command failed %s", buffer_content0(&buferr));
@@ -167,7 +162,7 @@ bool register_slot_put_range(Vis *vis, Register *reg, size_t slot, Text *txt, Fi
 			cmd[3] = "clipboard";
 
 		int status = vis_pipe(vis, vis->win->file, range,
-			cmd, NULL, NULL, &buferr, read_buffer, false);
+			cmd, NULL, NULL, &buferr, read_into_buffer, false);
 
 		if (status != 0)
 			vis_info_show(vis, "Command failed %s", buffer_content0(&buferr));
diff --git a/vis.c b/vis.c
index d1c0dab08..c059a482c 100644
--- a/vis.c
+++ b/vis.c
@@ -1854,18 +1854,13 @@ int vis_pipe_buf(Vis *vis, const char* buf, const char *argv[],
 	return _vis_pipe(vis, NULL, NULL, buf, argv, stdout_context, read_stdout, stderr_context, read_stderr, fullscreen);
 }
 
-static ssize_t read_buffer(void *context, char *data, size_t len) {
-	buffer_append(context, data, len);
-	return len;
-}
-
 static int _vis_pipe_collect(Vis *vis, File *file, Filerange *range, const char* buf, const char *argv[], char **out, char **err, bool fullscreen) {
 	Buffer bufout, buferr;
 	buffer_init(&bufout);
 	buffer_init(&buferr);
 	int status = _vis_pipe(vis, file, range, buf, argv,
-	                      &bufout, out ? read_buffer : NULL,
-	                      &buferr, err ? read_buffer : NULL,
+	                      &bufout, out ? read_into_buffer : NULL,
+	                      &buferr, err ? read_into_buffer : NULL,
 	                      fullscreen);
 	buffer_terminate(&bufout);
 	buffer_terminate(&buferr);