diff --git a/include/yaml-cpp/emitter.h b/include/yaml-cpp/emitter.h
index 28ece0a..754192d 100644
--- a/include/yaml-cpp/emitter.h
+++ b/include/yaml-cpp/emitter.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ namespace YAML
 	{
 	public:
 		Emitter();
+        explicit Emitter(std::ostream& stream);
 		~Emitter();
 		
 		// output
@@ -114,8 +115,8 @@ namespace YAML
 		bool CanEmitNewline() const;
 		
 	private:
-		ostream_wrapper m_stream;
 		std::auto_ptr<EmitterState> m_pState;
+		ostream_wrapper m_stream;
 	};
 	
 	template <typename T>
diff --git a/include/yaml-cpp/ostream_wrapper.h b/include/yaml-cpp/ostream_wrapper.h
index 2e5deb6..f2446a5 100644
--- a/include/yaml-cpp/ostream_wrapper.h
+++ b/include/yaml-cpp/ostream_wrapper.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ namespace YAML
 	{
 	public:
 		ostream_wrapper();
+        explicit ostream_wrapper(std::ostream& stream);
 		~ostream_wrapper();
 		
         void write(const std::string& str);
@@ -23,8 +24,12 @@ namespace YAML
         void set_comment() { m_comment = true; }
 
 		const char *str() const {
-            m_buffer[m_pos] = NULL;
-            return &m_buffer[0];
+            if(m_pStream) {
+                return NULL;
+            } else {
+                m_buffer[m_pos] = NULL;
+                return &m_buffer[0];
+            }
         }
 		
 		std::size_t row() const { return m_row; }
@@ -37,6 +42,7 @@ namespace YAML
 		
 	private:
         mutable std::vector<char> m_buffer;
+        std::ostream *m_pStream;
 
 		std::size_t m_pos;
 		std::size_t m_row, m_col;
diff --git a/src/emitter.cpp b/src/emitter.cpp
index ed5993a..7e0067a 100644
--- a/src/emitter.cpp
+++ b/src/emitter.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ namespace YAML
 	{
 	}
 	
+	Emitter::Emitter(std::ostream& stream): m_pState(new EmitterState), m_stream(stream)
+	{
+	}
+
 	Emitter::~Emitter()
 	{
 	}
diff --git a/src/ostream_wrapper.cpp b/src/ostream_wrapper.cpp
index fe319e1..e30ac59 100644
--- a/src/ostream_wrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/ostream_wrapper.cpp
@@ -4,18 +4,26 @@
 
 namespace YAML
 {
-	ostream_wrapper::ostream_wrapper(): m_pos(0), m_row(0), m_col(0), m_comment(false)
+	ostream_wrapper::ostream_wrapper(): m_pStream(0), m_pos(0), m_row(0), m_col(0), m_comment(false)
 	{
 	}
 	
+	ostream_wrapper::ostream_wrapper(std::ostream& stream): m_pStream(&stream), m_pos(0), m_row(0), m_col(0), m_comment(false)
+	{
+	}
+
 	ostream_wrapper::~ostream_wrapper()
 	{
 	}
 	
     void ostream_wrapper::write(const std::string& str)
     {
-        m_buffer.resize(std::max(m_buffer.size(), m_pos + str.size() + 1));
-        std::copy(str.begin(), str.end(), &m_buffer[m_pos]);
+        if(m_pStream) {
+            m_pStream->write(str.c_str(), str.size());
+        } else {
+            m_buffer.resize(std::max(m_buffer.size(), m_pos + str.size() + 1));
+            std::copy(str.begin(), str.end(), &m_buffer[m_pos]);
+        }
         
         for(std::size_t i=0;i<str.size();i++)
             update_pos(str[i]);
@@ -23,8 +31,12 @@ namespace YAML
 
     void ostream_wrapper::write(const char *str, std::size_t size)
     {
-        m_buffer.resize(std::max(m_buffer.size(), m_pos + size + 1));
-        std::copy(str, str + size, &m_buffer[m_pos]);
+        if(m_pStream) {
+            m_pStream->write(str, size);
+        } else {
+            m_buffer.resize(std::max(m_buffer.size(), m_pos + size + 1));
+            std::copy(str, str + size, &m_buffer[m_pos]);
+        }
         
         for(std::size_t i=0;i<size;i++)
             update_pos(str[i]);
diff --git a/util/sandbox.cpp b/util/sandbox.cpp
index 63b0146..6da95d0 100644
--- a/util/sandbox.cpp
+++ b/util/sandbox.cpp
@@ -3,12 +3,10 @@
 
 int main()
 {
-    YAML::Emitter out;
+    YAML::Emitter out(std::cout);
     out << YAML::BeginSeq;
     out << "item 1";
     out << YAML::BeginSeq << "foo 1" << "bar 2" << YAML::EndSeq;
     out << YAML::EndSeq;
-    
-    std::cout << out.c_str() << "\n";
     return 0;
 }