diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 47c2d61c6..d33954091 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -35,3 +35,7 @@ version 0.4.0 [future]
 - Allow combining multiple independent actions into a single shortcut
 
 - Add a new shortcut to pass the current selection to an external program
+
+- Allow creating shortcuts to open new windows running arbitrary commands. You
+  can also pass the current selection to the command as an arguments and the
+  contents of the screen + scrollback buffer as stdin to the command.
diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index 390b57c23..6a82b8310 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -293,8 +293,45 @@ class Boss:
     def previous_tab(self):
         self.tab_manager.next_tab(-1)
 
-    def new_tab(self):
-        self.tab_manager.new_tab()
+    def args_to_special_window(self, args):
+        args = list(args)
+        stdin = None
+        w = self.active_window
+
+        def data_for_at(arg):
+            if arg == '@selection':
+                return w.text_for_selection()
+            if arg == '@ansi':
+                return w.buffer_as_ansi()
+            elif arg == '@text':
+                return w.buffer_as_text()
+
+        if args[0].startswith('@'):
+            stdin = data_for_at(args[0]).encode('utf-8')
+            del args[0]
+
+        cmd = []
+        for arg in args:
+            if arg == '@selection':
+                arg = data_for_at(arg)
+                if not arg:
+                    continue
+            cmd.append(arg)
+        return SpecialWindow(cmd, stdin)
+
+    def new_tab(self, *args):
+        special_window = None
+        if args:
+            special_window = self.args_to_special_window(args)
+        self.tab_manager.new_tab(special_window=special_window)
+
+    def new_window(self, *args):
+        tab = self.active_tab
+        if tab is not None:
+            if args:
+                tab.new_special_window(self.args_to_special_window(args))
+            else:
+                tab.new_window()
 
     def move_tab_forward(self):
         self.tab_manager.move_tab(1)
diff --git a/kitty/config.py b/kitty/config.py
index 040a657bb..97d76c018 100644
--- a/kitty/config.py
+++ b/kitty/config.py
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ def parse_shortcut(sc):
 
 
 KeyAction = namedtuple('KeyAction', 'func args')
-shlex_actions = {'pass_selection_to_program'}
+shlex_actions = {'pass_selection_to_program', 'new_window', 'new_tab'}
 
 
 def parse_key_action(action):
diff --git a/kitty/kitty.conf b/kitty/kitty.conf
index 0581de3e0..4e0bcb83a 100644
--- a/kitty/kitty.conf
+++ b/kitty/kitty.conf
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ map ctrl+shift+end       scroll_end
 map ctrl+shift+h         show_scrollback
 
 # Window management
-map ctrl+shift+enter    new_window
+map ctrl+shift+enter    new_window 
 map ctrl+shift+w        close_window
 map ctrl+shift+]        next_window
 map ctrl+shift+[        previous_window
@@ -253,6 +253,15 @@ map ctrl+shift+7        seventh_window
 map ctrl+shift+8        eighth_window
 map ctrl+shift+9        ninth_window
 map ctrl+shift+0        tenth_window
+# You can also open a new window running an arbitrary program, for example:
+# map ctrl+shift+y      new_window mutt
+# You can also pass the current selection to the new program by using the @selection placeholder
+# map ctrl+shift+y      new_window less @selection
+# Finally, you can even send the contents of the current screen + history buffer as stdin using
+# the placeholders @text (which is the plain text) and @ansi (which includes text styling escape codes)
+# For example, the following command opens the scrollback buffer in less in a new window.
+# map ctrl+shift+y      new_window @ansi less +G -R
+
 
 # Tab management
 map ctrl+shift+right    next_tab
@@ -262,6 +271,9 @@ map ctrl+shift+q        close_tab
 map ctrl+shift+l        next_layout
 map ctrl+shift+.        move_tab_forward
 map ctrl+shift+,        move_tab_backward
+# Just as with new_window above, you can also pass the name of arbitrary
+# commands to run when using new_tab.
+
 
 # Miscellaneous
 map ctrl+shift+equal    increase_font_size
diff --git a/kitty/window.py b/kitty/window.py
index 094249ec4..625eceda5 100644
--- a/kitty/window.py
+++ b/kitty/window.py
@@ -234,14 +234,19 @@ class Window:
             remove_vao(self.gvao_id)
             self.vao_id = self.gvao_id = None
 
-    # actions {{{
-
-    def show_scrollback(self):
+    def buffer_as_ansi(self):
         data = []
         self.screen.historybuf.as_ansi(data.append)
         self.screen.linebuf.as_ansi(data.append)
-        data = ''.join(data).encode('utf-8')
-        get_boss().display_scrollback(data)
+        return ''.join(data)
+
+    def buffer_as_text(self):
+        return str(self.screen.historybuf) + '\n' + str(self.screen.linebuf)
+
+    # actions {{{
+
+    def show_scrollback(self):
+        get_boss().display_scrollback(self.buffer_as_ansi().encode('utf-8'))
 
     def paste(self, text):
         if text and not self.destroyed: