diff --git a/src/channel.c b/src/channel.c
index 094b58f..e7cee19 100644
--- a/src/channel.c
+++ b/src/channel.c
@@ -987,7 +987,11 @@
 	/* writing output to a buffer. Default mode is NL. */
 	if (!(opt->jo_set & JO_OUT_MODE))
 	    channel->ch_part[PART_OUT].ch_mode = MODE_NL;
-	channel->ch_part[PART_OUT].ch_buffer =
+	if (opt->jo_set & JO_OUT_BUF)
+	    channel->ch_part[PART_OUT].ch_buffer =
+				     buflist_findnr(opt->jo_io_buf[PART_OUT]);
+	else
+	    channel->ch_part[PART_OUT].ch_buffer =
 				find_buffer(opt->jo_io_name[PART_OUT], FALSE);
 	ch_logs(channel, "writing out to buffer '%s'",
 		      (char *)channel->ch_part[PART_OUT].ch_buffer->b_ffname);
@@ -1003,6 +1007,9 @@
 	if (opt->jo_io[PART_ERR] == JIO_OUT)
 	    channel->ch_part[PART_ERR].ch_buffer =
 					 channel->ch_part[PART_OUT].ch_buffer;
+	else if (opt->jo_set & JO_ERR_BUF)
+	    channel->ch_part[PART_ERR].ch_buffer =
+				     buflist_findnr(opt->jo_io_buf[PART_ERR]);
 	else
 	    channel->ch_part[PART_ERR].ch_buffer =
 				 find_buffer(opt->jo_io_name[PART_ERR], TRUE);
diff --git a/src/eval.c b/src/eval.c
index 31c5ea2..825a606 100644
--- a/src/eval.c
+++ b/src/eval.c
@@ -10119,6 +10119,27 @@
 		opt->jo_io_name[part] =
 		       get_tv_string_buf_chk(item, opt->jo_io_name_buf[part]);
 	    }
+	    else if (STRCMP(hi->hi_key, "in-buf") == 0
+		    || STRCMP(hi->hi_key, "out-buf") == 0
+		    || STRCMP(hi->hi_key, "err-buf") == 0)
+	    {
+		part = part_from_char(*hi->hi_key);
+
+		if (!(supported & JO_OUT_IO))
+		    break;
+		opt->jo_set |= JO_OUT_BUF << (part - PART_OUT);
+		opt->jo_io_buf[part] = get_tv_number(item);
+		if (opt->jo_io_buf[part] <= 0)
+		{
+		    EMSG2(_(e_invarg2), get_tv_string(item));
+		    return FAIL;
+		}
+		if (buflist_findnr(opt->jo_io_buf[part]) == NULL)
+		{
+		    EMSGN(_(e_nobufnr), (long)opt->jo_io_buf[part]);
+		    return FAIL;
+		}
+	    }
 	    else if (STRCMP(hi->hi_key, "in-top") == 0
 		    || STRCMP(hi->hi_key, "in-bot") == 0)
 	    {
@@ -15156,21 +15177,36 @@
 
     if ((opt.jo_set & JO_IN_IO) && opt.jo_io[PART_IN] == JIO_BUFFER)
     {
-	buf_T *buf;
+	buf_T *buf = NULL;
 
 	/* check that we can find the buffer before starting the job */
-	if (!(opt.jo_set & JO_IN_NAME))
+	if (opt.jo_set & JO_IN_BUF)
 	{
-	    EMSG(_("E915: in-io buffer requires in-name to be set"));
-	    return;
+	    buf = buflist_findnr(opt.jo_io_buf[PART_IN]);
+	    if (buf == NULL)
+		EMSGN(_(e_nobufnr), (long)opt.jo_io_buf[PART_IN]);
 	}
-	buf = buflist_find_by_name(opt.jo_io_name[PART_IN], FALSE);
+	else if (!(opt.jo_set & JO_IN_NAME))
+	{
+	    EMSG(_("E915: in-io buffer requires in-buf or in-name to be set"));
+	}
+	else
+	    buf = buflist_find_by_name(opt.jo_io_name[PART_IN], FALSE);
 	if (buf == NULL)
 	    return;
 	if (buf->b_ml.ml_mfp == NULL)
 	{
-	    EMSG2(_("E918: buffer must be loaded: %s"),
-						     opt.jo_io_name[PART_IN]);
+	    char_u	buf[NUMBUFLEN];
+	    char_u	*s;
+
+	    if (opt.jo_set & JO_IN_BUF)
+	    {
+		sprintf((char *)buf, "%d", opt.jo_io_buf[PART_IN]);
+		s = buf;
+	    }
+	    else
+		s = opt.jo_io_name[PART_IN];
+	    EMSG2(_("E918: buffer must be loaded: %s"), s);
 	    return;
 	}
 	job->jv_in_buf = buf;
diff --git a/src/structs.h b/src/structs.h
index 7115ede..373405c 100644
--- a/src/structs.h
+++ b/src/structs.h
@@ -1409,7 +1409,10 @@
 #define JO_IN_NAME	    0x200000	/* "in-name" (JO_OUT_NAME << 2) */
 #define JO_IN_TOP	    0x400000	/* "in-top" */
 #define JO_IN_BOT	    0x800000	/* "in-bot" */
-#define JO_ALL		    0xffffff
+#define JO_OUT_BUF	    0x1000000	/* "out-buf" */
+#define JO_ERR_BUF	    0x2000000	/* "err-buf" (JO_OUT_BUF << 1) */
+#define JO_IN_BUF	    0x4000000	/* "in-buf" (JO_OUT_BUF << 2) */
+#define JO_ALL		    0xfffffff
 
 #define JO_MODE_ALL	(JO_MODE + JO_IN_MODE + JO_OUT_MODE + JO_ERR_MODE)
 #define JO_CB_ALL \
@@ -1439,6 +1442,7 @@
     job_io_T	jo_io[4];	/* PART_OUT, PART_ERR, PART_IN */
     char_u	jo_io_name_buf[4][NUMBUFLEN];
     char_u	*jo_io_name[4];	/* not allocated! */
+    int		jo_io_buf[4];
 
     linenr_T	jo_in_top;
     linenr_T	jo_in_bot;
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_channel.vim b/src/testdir/test_channel.vim
index 12a101e..909afea 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_channel.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_channel.vim
@@ -610,13 +610,22 @@
   endtry
 endfunc
 
-func Test_pipe_to_buffer()
+func Run_test_pipe_to_buffer(use_name)
   if !has('job')
     return
   endif
   call ch_log('Test_pipe_to_buffer()')
-  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py",
-	\ {'out-io': 'buffer', 'out-name': 'pipe-output'})
+  let options = {'out-io': 'buffer'}
+  if a:use_name
+    let options['out-name'] = 'pipe-output'
+    let firstline = 'Reading from channel output...'
+  else
+    sp pipe-output
+    let options['out-buf'] = bufnr('%')
+    quit
+    let firstline = ''
+  endif
+  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py", options)
   call assert_equal("run", job_status(job))
   try
     let handle = job_getchannel(job)
@@ -626,20 +635,37 @@
     call ch_sendraw(handle, "quit\n")
     sp pipe-output
     call s:waitFor('line("$") >= 6')
-    call assert_equal(['Reading from channel output...', 'line one', 'line two', 'this', 'AND this', 'Goodbye!'], getline(1, '$'))
+    call assert_equal([firstline, 'line one', 'line two', 'this', 'AND this', 'Goodbye!'], getline(1, '$'))
     bwipe!
   finally
     call job_stop(job)
   endtry
 endfunc
 
-func Test_pipe_err_to_buffer()
+func Test_pipe_to_buffer_name()
+  call Run_test_pipe_to_buffer(1)
+endfunc
+
+func Test_pipe_to_buffer_nr()
+  call Run_test_pipe_to_buffer(0)
+endfunc
+
+func Run_test_pipe_err_to_buffer(use_name)
   if !has('job')
     return
   endif
   call ch_log('Test_pipe_err_to_buffer()')
-  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py",
-	\ {'err-io': 'buffer', 'err-name': 'pipe-err'})
+  let options = {'err-io': 'buffer'}
+  if a:use_name
+    let options['err-name'] = 'pipe-err'
+    let firstline = 'Reading from channel error...'
+  else
+    sp pipe-err
+    let options['err-buf'] = bufnr('%')
+    quit
+    let firstline = ''
+  endif
+  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py", options)
   call assert_equal("run", job_status(job))
   try
     let handle = job_getchannel(job)
@@ -649,13 +675,21 @@
     call ch_sendraw(handle, "quit\n")
     sp pipe-err
     call s:waitFor('line("$") >= 5')
-    call assert_equal(['Reading from channel error...', 'line one', 'line two', 'this', 'AND this'], getline(1, '$'))
+    call assert_equal([firstline, 'line one', 'line two', 'this', 'AND this'], getline(1, '$'))
     bwipe!
   finally
     call job_stop(job)
   endtry
 endfunc
 
+func Test_pipe_err_to_buffer_name()
+  call Run_test_pipe_err_to_buffer(1)
+endfunc
+  
+func Test_pipe_err_to_buffer_nr()
+  call Run_test_pipe_err_to_buffer(0)
+endfunc
+  
 func Test_pipe_both_to_buffer()
   if !has('job')
     return
@@ -680,7 +714,7 @@
   endtry
 endfunc
 
-func Test_pipe_from_buffer()
+func Run_test_pipe_from_buffer(use_name)
   if !has('job')
     return
   endif
@@ -688,9 +722,14 @@
 
   sp pipe-input
   call setline(1, ['echo one', 'echo two', 'echo three'])
+  let options = {'in-io': 'buffer'}
+  if a:use_name
+    let options['in-name'] = 'pipe-input'
+  else
+    let options['in-buf'] = bufnr('%')
+  endif
 
-  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py",
-	\ {'in-io': 'buffer', 'in-name': 'pipe-input'})
+  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py", options)
   call assert_equal("run", job_status(job))
   try
     let handle = job_getchannel(job)
@@ -703,6 +742,14 @@
   endtry
 endfunc
 
+func Test_pipe_from_buffer_name()
+  call Run_test_pipe_from_buffer(1)
+endfunc
+
+func Test_pipe_from_buffer_nr()
+  call Run_test_pipe_from_buffer(0)
+endfunc
+
 func Test_pipe_to_nameless_buffer()
   if !has('job')
     return
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 16855d4..c71133e 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -744,6 +744,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    1529,
+/**/
     1528,
 /**/
     1527,