diff --git a/src/compiler/GF/Command/CommonCommands.hs b/src/compiler/GF/Command/CommonCommands.hs
index 0b698e79c..578331e65 100644
--- a/src/compiler/GF/Command/CommonCommands.hs
+++ b/src/compiler/GF/Command/CommonCommands.hs
@@ -170,10 +170,13 @@ commonCommands = fmap (mapCommandExec liftSIO) $ Map.fromList [
        restrictedSystem $ syst ++ " <" ++ tmpi ++ " >" ++ tmpo
        fmap fromString $ restricted $ readFile tmpo,
        -}
-       fmap fromString . restricted . readShellProcess syst $ toString arg,
+       fmap (fromStrings . lines) . restricted . readShellProcess syst . unlines $ toStrings arg,
      flags = [
        ("command","the system command applied to the argument")
        ],
+     options = [
+       ("lines","preserve input lines, and return output as a list of lines")
+       ],
      examples = [
        mkEx "gt | l | ? wc  -- generate trees, linearize, and count words"
        ]