diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index a58cffa..20b974a 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ var form = {
     , _prompt: ''
     , _input: []
     , _inputIndex: 0
+    , isTTY: rws.isTTY
     , cursorTo: function (x, y) {
         if ('number' !== typeof x || (0 !== x && !x)) {
           throw new Error('cursorTo(x[, y]): x is not optional and must be a number');
@@ -169,15 +170,6 @@ var form = {
 
     return new PromiseA(function (resolve) {
       var ch;
-
-      rrs.setRawMode(true);
-      rrs.setEncoding('utf8');
-      rrs.resume();
-
-      ws.cursorTo(0);
-      ws.write(ws._prompt);
-      //ws.cursorTo(0, ws._prompt.length);
-
       var debouncer = {
         set: function () {
           if (!(cbs.onDebounceAsync||cbs.onDebounce)) {
@@ -224,10 +216,12 @@ var form = {
         rrs.pause();
 
         form.PromiseA.resolve((cbs.onReturnAsync||cbs.onReturn)(rrs, ws, ws._input.join(''), ch)).then(function (normalInput) {
-          ws.write('\n');
-          ws.clearLine(); // person just hit enter, they are on the next line
-                          // (and this will clear the status, if any)
-                          // TODO count lines used below and clear all of them
+          if (!cbs.value) {
+            ws.write('\n');
+            ws.clearLine(); // person just hit enter, they are on the next line
+                            // (and this will clear the status, if any)
+                            // TODO count lines used below and clear all of them
+          }
           rrs.setRawMode(false);
 
           var input = ws._input.join('');
@@ -235,11 +229,14 @@ var form = {
           ws._inputIndex = 0;
           resolve({ input: input, result: normalInput });
         }, function (err) {
-          rrs.on('data', onData);
-
           var errmsg = colors.red(err.message);
           form.setStatus(rrs, ws, errmsg);
+          if (!rrs.isTTY) {
+            return PromiseA.reject(err);
+          }
 
+          rrs.on('data', onData);
+          rrs.setRawMode(true);
           rrs.resume();
         });
       }
@@ -249,8 +246,6 @@ var form = {
         var x;
 
         if (CTRL_C === ch) {
-          console.log("");
-          console.log("received CTRL+C and quit");
           process.exit(0);
           callback(new Error("cancelled"));
         }
@@ -315,6 +310,26 @@ var form = {
         // will come in and we have to figure out what to do about that
       }
 
+      if (cbs.value) {
+        ws._input = require('spliddit')(cbs.value);
+        ws._inputIndex = ws._input.length;
+        callback();
+        return;
+      }
+
+      if (!rrs.isTTY) {
+        return PromiseA.reject("User input is required but stdio is not a TTY");
+      }
+
+      rrs.setRawMode(true);
+      rrs.setEncoding('utf8');
+      rrs.resume();
+
+      if (ws.isTTY) {
+        ws.cursorTo(0);
+        ws.write(ws._prompt);
+        //ws.cursorTo(0, ws._prompt.length);
+      }
       rrs.on('data', onData);
     });
   }
@@ -326,13 +341,17 @@ var form = {
     // TODO write newline?
     //ws.moveCursor(0, 1);
     ws.write('\n');
-    ws.clearLine();
-    ws.cursorTo(0);
+    if (ws.isTTY) {
+      ws.clearLine();
+      ws.cursorTo(0);
+    }
     // write from beginning of line
     ws.write(msg);
     // restore position
-    ws.cursorTo(x);
-    ws.moveCursor(0, -1);
+    if (ws.isTTY) {
+      ws.cursorTo(x);
+      ws.moveCursor(0, -1);
+    }
   }
 
 , println: function (rrs, ws, msg) {