diff --git a/src/Cargo.lock b/src/Cargo.lock
index 2d42903ad0a7..075a2167ea35 100644
--- a/src/Cargo.lock
+++ b/src/Cargo.lock
@@ -551,6 +551,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "xz2 0.1.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "isatty"
+version = "0.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "kernel32-sys 0.2.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "libc 0.2.24 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "winapi 0.2.8 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "itoa"
 version = "0.3.1"
@@ -1202,6 +1212,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "arena 0.0.0",
  "env_logger 0.4.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "graphviz 0.0.0",
+ "isatty 0.1.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "log 0.3.8 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "proc_macro_plugin 0.0.0",
  "rustc 0.0.0",
@@ -2056,6 +2067,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 "checksum handlebars 0.25.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "15bdf598fc3c2de40c6b340213028301c0d225eea55a2294e6cc148074e557a1"
 "checksum hex 0.2.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "d6a22814455d41612f41161581c2883c0c6a1c41852729b17d5ed88f01e153aa"
 "checksum idna 0.1.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "2233d4940b1f19f0418c158509cd7396b8d70a5db5705ce410914dc8fa603b37"
+"checksum isatty 0.1.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "fa500db770a99afe2a0f2229be2a3d09c7ed9d7e4e8440bf71253141994e240f"
 "checksum itoa 0.3.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "eb2f404fbc66fd9aac13e998248505e7ecb2ad8e44ab6388684c5fb11c6c251c"
 "checksum jobserver 0.1.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "4e28adc987f6d0521ef66ad60b055968107b164b3bb3cf3dc8474e0a380474a6"
 "checksum kernel32-sys 0.2.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "7507624b29483431c0ba2d82aece8ca6cdba9382bff4ddd0f7490560c056098d"
diff --git a/src/librustc_driver/Cargo.toml b/src/librustc_driver/Cargo.toml
index 2e949f48c175..6415dbccbfc4 100644
--- a/src/librustc_driver/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/librustc_driver/Cargo.toml
@@ -35,3 +35,4 @@ serialize = { path = "../libserialize" }
 syntax = { path = "../libsyntax" }
 syntax_ext = { path = "../libsyntax_ext" }
 syntax_pos = { path = "../libsyntax_pos" }
+isatty = "0.1"
diff --git a/src/librustc_driver/lib.rs b/src/librustc_driver/lib.rs
index 41a36141cbf7..2ecbb89361e6 100644
--- a/src/librustc_driver/lib.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_driver/lib.rs
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ extern crate log;
 extern crate syntax;
 extern crate syntax_ext;
 extern crate syntax_pos;
+extern crate isatty;
 
 use driver::CompileController;
 use pretty::{PpMode, UserIdentifiedItem};
@@ -100,6 +101,8 @@ use syntax::feature_gate::{GatedCfg, UnstableFeatures};
 use syntax::parse::{self, PResult};
 use syntax_pos::{DUMMY_SP, MultiSpan};
 
+use isatty::stdout_isatty;
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 pub mod test;
 
@@ -373,7 +376,11 @@ fn handle_explain(code: &str,
                 text.push('\n');
             }
 
-            show_content_with_pager(&text);
+            if stdout_isatty() {
+                show_content_with_pager(&text);
+            } else {
+                print!("{}", text);
+            }
         }
         None => {
             early_error(output, &format!("no extended information for {}", code));