diff --git a/src/eval.c b/src/eval.c
index 1422dc2..31c5ea2 100644
--- a/src/eval.c
+++ b/src/eval.c
@@ -10285,7 +10285,7 @@
  * Returns NULL if the handle is invalid.
  */
     static channel_T *
-get_channel_arg(typval_T *tv)
+get_channel_arg(typval_T *tv, int check_open)
 {
     channel_T *channel = NULL;
 
@@ -10304,7 +10304,7 @@
 	return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (channel == NULL || !channel_is_open(channel))
+    if (check_open && (channel == NULL || !channel_is_open(channel)))
     {
 	EMSG(_("E906: not an open channel"));
 	return NULL;
@@ -10318,7 +10318,7 @@
     static void
 f_ch_close(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv UNUSED)
 {
-    channel_T *channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0]);
+    channel_T *channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0], TRUE);
 
     if (channel != NULL)
     {
@@ -10333,7 +10333,7 @@
     static void
 f_ch_getbufnr(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
 {
-    channel_T *channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0]);
+    channel_T *channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0], TRUE);
 
     rettv->vval.v_number = -1;
     if (channel != NULL)
@@ -10361,7 +10361,7 @@
     static void
 f_ch_getjob(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
 {
-    channel_T *channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0]);
+    channel_T *channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0], TRUE);
 
     if (channel != NULL)
     {
@@ -10383,7 +10383,7 @@
     channel_T	*channel = NULL;
 
     if (argvars[1].v_type != VAR_UNKNOWN)
-	channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[1]);
+	channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[1], TRUE);
 
     ch_log(channel, (char *)msg);
 }
@@ -10500,7 +10500,7 @@
 								      == FAIL)
 	return;
 
-    channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0]);
+    channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0], TRUE);
     if (channel != NULL)
     {
 	if (opt.jo_set & JO_PART)
@@ -10570,7 +10570,7 @@
     channel_T	*channel;
     int		part_send;
 
-    channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0]);
+    channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0], TRUE);
     if (channel == NULL)
 	return NULL;
     part_send = channel_part_send(channel);
@@ -10619,7 +10619,7 @@
     rettv->v_type = VAR_STRING;
     rettv->vval.v_string = NULL;
 
-    channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0]);
+    channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0], TRUE);
     if (channel == NULL)
 	return;
     part_send = channel_part_send(channel);
@@ -10736,7 +10736,7 @@
     channel_T	*channel;
     jobopt_T	opt;
 
-    channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0]);
+    channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0], TRUE);
     if (channel == NULL)
 	return;
     clear_job_options(&opt);
@@ -10752,17 +10752,14 @@
     static void
 f_ch_status(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
 {
+    channel_T	*channel;
+
     /* return an empty string by default */
     rettv->v_type = VAR_STRING;
+    rettv->vval.v_string = NULL;
 
-    if (argvars[0].v_type != VAR_CHANNEL)
-    {
-	EMSG2(_(e_invarg2), get_tv_string(&argvars[0]));
-	rettv->vval.v_string = NULL;
-    }
-    else
-	rettv->vval.v_string = vim_strsave(
-			 (char_u *)channel_status(argvars[0].vval.v_channel));
+    channel = get_channel_arg(&argvars[0], FALSE);
+    rettv->vval.v_string = vim_strsave((char_u *)channel_status(channel));
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/os_unix.c b/src/os_unix.c
index b4921e3..7eb4e71 100644
--- a/src/os_unix.c
+++ b/src/os_unix.c
@@ -5045,11 +5045,17 @@
     int		fd_out[2];	/* for stdout */
     int		fd_err[2];	/* for stderr */
     channel_T	*channel = NULL;
+    int		use_null_for_in = options->jo_io[PART_IN] == JIO_NULL;
+    int		use_null_for_out = options->jo_io[PART_OUT] == JIO_NULL;
+    int		use_null_for_err = options->jo_io[PART_ERR] == JIO_NULL;
     int		use_file_for_in = options->jo_io[PART_IN] == JIO_FILE;
     int		use_file_for_out = options->jo_io[PART_OUT] == JIO_FILE;
     int		use_file_for_err = options->jo_io[PART_ERR] == JIO_FILE;
     int		use_out_for_err = options->jo_io[PART_ERR] == JIO_OUT;
 
+    if (use_out_for_err && use_null_for_out)
+	use_null_for_err = TRUE;
+
     /* default is to fail */
     job->jv_status = JOB_FAILED;
     fd_in[0] = -1;
@@ -5072,7 +5078,7 @@
 	    goto failed;
 	}
     }
-    else if (pipe(fd_in) < 0)
+    else if (!use_null_for_in && pipe(fd_in) < 0)
 	goto failed;
 
     if (use_file_for_out)
@@ -5086,7 +5092,7 @@
 	    goto failed;
 	}
     }
-    else if (pipe(fd_out) < 0)
+    else if (!use_null_for_out && pipe(fd_out) < 0)
 	goto failed;
 
     if (use_file_for_err)
@@ -5100,12 +5106,15 @@
 	    goto failed;
 	}
     }
-    else if (!use_out_for_err && pipe(fd_err) < 0)
+    else if (!use_out_for_err && !use_null_for_err && pipe(fd_err) < 0)
 	goto failed;
 
-    channel = add_channel();
-    if (channel == NULL)
-	goto failed;
+    if (!use_null_for_in || !use_null_for_out || !use_null_for_err)
+    {
+	channel = add_channel();
+	if (channel == NULL)
+	    goto failed;
+    }
 # endif
 
     pid = fork();	/* maybe we should use vfork() */
@@ -5117,6 +5126,10 @@
 
     if (pid == 0)
     {
+# ifdef FEAT_CHANNEL
+	int		null_fd = -1;
+# endif
+
 	/* child */
 	reset_signals();		/* handle signals normally */
 
@@ -5131,15 +5144,31 @@
 
 	/* TODO: re-enable this when pipes connect without a channel */
 # ifdef FEAT_CHANNEL
+	if (use_null_for_in || use_null_for_out || use_null_for_err)
+	    null_fd = open("/dev/null", O_RDWR | O_EXTRA, 0);
+
 	/* set up stdin for the child */
-	if (!use_file_for_in)
-	    close(fd_in[1]);
-	close(0);
-	ignored = dup(fd_in[0]);
-	close(fd_in[0]);
+	if (use_null_for_in)
+	{
+	    close(0);
+	    ignored = dup(null_fd);
+	}
+	else
+	{
+	    if (!use_file_for_in)
+		close(fd_in[1]);
+	    close(0);
+	    ignored = dup(fd_in[0]);
+	    close(fd_in[0]);
+	}
 
 	/* set up stderr for the child */
-	if (use_out_for_err)
+	if (use_null_for_err)
+	{
+	    close(2);
+	    ignored = dup(null_fd);
+	}
+	else if (use_out_for_err)
 	{
 	    close(2);
 	    ignored = dup(fd_out[1]);
@@ -5154,11 +5183,21 @@
 	}
 
 	/* set up stdout for the child */
-	if (!use_file_for_out)
-	    close(fd_out[0]);
-	close(1);
-	ignored = dup(fd_out[1]);
-	close(fd_out[1]);
+	if (use_null_for_out)
+	{
+	    close(0);
+	    ignored = dup(null_fd);
+	}
+	else
+	{
+	    if (!use_file_for_out)
+		close(fd_out[0]);
+	    close(1);
+	    ignored = dup(fd_out[1]);
+	    close(fd_out[1]);
+	}
+	if (null_fd >= 0)
+	    close(null_fd);
 # endif
 
 	/* See above for type of argv. */
@@ -5183,17 +5222,23 @@
 	close(fd_out[1]);
     if (!use_out_for_err && !use_file_for_err)
 	close(fd_err[1]);
-    channel_set_pipes(channel,
-		      use_file_for_in ? INVALID_FD : fd_in[1],
-		      use_file_for_out ? INVALID_FD : fd_out[0],
-		      use_out_for_err || use_file_for_err
+    if (channel != NULL)
+    {
+	channel_set_pipes(channel,
+		      use_file_for_in || use_null_for_in
+						      ? INVALID_FD : fd_in[1],
+		      use_file_for_out || use_null_for_out
+						     ? INVALID_FD : fd_out[0],
+		      use_out_for_err || use_file_for_err || use_null_for_err
 						    ? INVALID_FD : fd_err[0]);
-    channel_set_job(channel, job, options);
+	channel_set_job(channel, job, options);
 #  ifdef FEAT_GUI
-    channel_gui_register(channel);
+	channel_gui_register(channel);
 #  endif
+    }
 # endif
 
+    /* success! */
     return;
 
 failed: ;
diff --git a/src/structs.h b/src/structs.h
index d70c024..7115ede 100644
--- a/src/structs.h
+++ b/src/structs.h
@@ -1417,8 +1417,8 @@
 #define JO_TIMEOUT_ALL	(JO_TIMEOUT + JO_OUT_TIMEOUT + JO_ERR_TIMEOUT)
 
 typedef enum {
+    JIO_PIPE,	    /* default */
     JIO_NULL,
-    JIO_PIPE,
     JIO_FILE,
     JIO_BUFFER,
     JIO_OUT
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_channel.vim b/src/testdir/test_channel.vim
index fa494d3..0f2b542 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_channel.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_channel.vim
@@ -784,6 +784,58 @@
   endtry
 endfunc
 
+func Test_pipe_null()
+  if !has('job')
+    return
+  endif
+  " TODO: implement this for MS-Windows
+  if !has('unix')
+    return
+  endif
+  call ch_log('Test_pipe_null()')
+
+  " We cannot check that no I/O works, we only check that the job starts
+  " properly.
+  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py something",
+	\ {'in-io': 'null'})
+  call assert_equal("run", job_status(job))
+  try
+    call assert_equal('something', ch_read(job))
+  finally
+    call job_stop(job)
+  endtry
+
+  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py err-out",
+	\ {'out-io': 'null'})
+  call assert_equal("run", job_status(job))
+  try
+    call assert_equal('err-out', ch_read(job, {"part": "err"}))
+  finally
+    call job_stop(job)
+  endtry
+
+  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py something",
+	\ {'err-io': 'null'})
+  call assert_equal("run", job_status(job))
+  try
+    call assert_equal('something', ch_read(job))
+  finally
+    call job_stop(job)
+  endtry
+
+  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py something",
+	\ {'out-io': 'null', 'err-io': 'out'})
+  call assert_equal("run", job_status(job))
+  call job_stop(job)
+
+  let job = job_start(s:python . " test_channel_pipe.py something",
+	\ {'in-io': 'null', 'out-io': 'null', 'err-io': 'null'})
+  call assert_equal("run", job_status(job))
+  call assert_equal('channel fail', string(job_getchannel(job)))
+  call assert_equal('fail', ch_status(job))
+  call job_stop(job)
+endfunc
+
 """"""""""
 
 let s:unletResponse = ''
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_channel_pipe.py b/src/testdir/test_channel_pipe.py
index d5da687..fa1a40f 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_channel_pipe.py
+++ b/src/testdir/test_channel_pipe.py
@@ -10,7 +10,12 @@
 if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     if len(sys.argv) > 1:
-        print(sys.argv[1])
+        if sys.argv[1].startswith("err"):
+            print(sys.argv[1], file=sys.stderr)
+            sys.stderr.flush()
+        else:
+            print(sys.argv[1])
+            sys.stdout.flush()
 
     while True:
         typed = sys.stdin.readline()
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 8c82f67..380c224 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -744,6 +744,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    1518,
+/**/
     1517,
 /**/
     1516,