diff --git a/include/utils/file.hpp b/include/utils/file.hpp
index bfe30de4..3b90d87b 100644
--- a/include/utils/file.hpp
+++ b/include/utils/file.hpp
@@ -10,14 +10,16 @@ class file_ptr {
   explicit file_ptr(const string& path, const string& mode = "a+");
   ~file_ptr();
 
-  file_ptr(const file_ptr& o) = delete;
-  file_ptr& operator=(const file_ptr& o) = delete;
+  explicit operator bool();
+  operator bool() const;
 
-  operator bool();
+  explicit operator FILE*();
+  operator FILE*() const;
 
-  FILE* operator()();
+  explicit operator int();
+  operator int() const;
 
- protected:
+ private:
   FILE* m_ptr = nullptr;
   string m_path;
   string m_mode;
@@ -28,10 +30,65 @@ class file_descriptor {
   explicit file_descriptor(const string& path, int flags = 0);
   explicit file_descriptor(int fd);
   ~file_descriptor();
-  operator int();
+
+  file_descriptor& operator=(const int);
+
+  explicit operator bool();
+  operator bool() const;
+
+  explicit operator int();
+  operator int() const;
 
  protected:
-  int m_fd{0};
+  void close();
+
+ private:
+  int m_fd{-1};
+};
+
+class fd_streambuf : public std::streambuf {
+ public:
+  using traits_type = std::streambuf::traits_type;
+
+  explicit fd_streambuf(int fd);
+  ~fd_streambuf();
+
+  explicit operator int();
+  operator int() const;
+
+  void open(int fd);
+  void close();
+
+ protected:
+  int sync();
+  int overflow(int c);
+  int underflow();
+
+ private:
+  file_descriptor m_fd;
+  char m_out[BUFSIZ];
+  char m_in[BUFSIZ - 1];
+};
+
+template <typename StreamType = std::ostream>
+class fd_stream : public StreamType {
+ public:
+  using type = fd_stream<StreamType>;
+
+  explicit fd_stream(int fd) : m_buf(fd) {
+    StreamType::rdbuf(&m_buf);
+  }
+
+  explicit operator int() {
+    return static_cast<const type&>(*this);
+  }
+
+  operator int() const {
+    return m_buf;
+  }
+
+ protected:
+  fd_streambuf m_buf;
 };
 
 namespace file_util {
diff --git a/src/utils/file.cpp b/src/utils/file.cpp
index 99549a21..0387ab62 100644
--- a/src/utils/file.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/file.cpp
@@ -2,72 +2,164 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <fstream>
+#include <streambuf>
 
 #include "errors.hpp"
 #include "utils/file.hpp"
 
 POLYBAR_NS
 
-/**
- * Deconstruct file wrapper
- */
+// implementation of file_ptr {{{
+
 file_ptr::file_ptr(const string& path, const string& mode) : m_path(string(path)), m_mode(string(mode)) {
   m_ptr = fopen(m_path.c_str(), m_mode.c_str());
 }
 
-/**
- * Deconstruct file wrapper
- */
 file_ptr::~file_ptr() {
   if (m_ptr != nullptr) {
     fclose(m_ptr);
   }
 }
 
-/**
- * Logical operator testing if the file handler was created
- */
 file_ptr::operator bool() {
+  return static_cast<const file_ptr&>(*this);
+}
+file_ptr::operator bool() const {
   return m_ptr != nullptr;
 }
 
-/**
- * Call operator returning a pointer to the file handler
- */
-FILE* file_ptr::operator()() {
+file_ptr::operator FILE*() {
+  return static_cast<const file_ptr&>(*this);
+}
+file_ptr::operator FILE*() const {
   return m_ptr;
 }
 
-/**
- * Construct file descriptor wrapper
- */
+file_ptr::operator int() {
+  return static_cast<const file_ptr&>(*this);
+}
+file_ptr::operator int() const {
+  return fileno(*this);
+}
+
+// }}}
+// implementation of file_descriptor {{{
+
 file_descriptor::file_descriptor(const string& path, int flags) {
   if ((m_fd = open(path.c_str(), flags)) == -1) {
     throw system_error("Failed to open file descriptor");
   }
 }
 
-/**
- * Construct file descriptor wrapper from an existing handle
- */
-file_descriptor::file_descriptor(int fd) : m_fd(fd) {}
-
-/**
- * Deconstruct file descriptor wrapper
- */
-file_descriptor::~file_descriptor() {
-  if (m_fd > 0) {
-    close(m_fd);
+file_descriptor::file_descriptor(int fd) : m_fd(fd) {
+  if (!*this) {
+    throw system_error("Given file descriptor is not valid");
   }
 }
 
-/**
- * Conversion operator returning the fd handle
- */
+file_descriptor::~file_descriptor() {
+  close();
+}
+
+file_descriptor& file_descriptor::operator=(const int fd) {
+  close();
+  m_fd = fd;
+  return *this;
+}
+
 file_descriptor::operator int() {
+  return static_cast<const file_descriptor&>(*this);
+}
+file_descriptor::operator int() const {
   return m_fd;
 }
 
+file_descriptor::operator bool() {
+  return static_cast<const file_descriptor&>(*this);
+}
+file_descriptor::operator bool() const {
+  errno = 0;  // reset since fcntl only changes it on error
+  if ((fcntl(m_fd, F_GETFD) == -1) || errno == EBADF) {
+    errno = EBADF;
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+void file_descriptor::close() {
+  if (m_fd == -1) {
+    return;
+  } else if (::close(m_fd) == -1) {
+    throw system_error("Failed to close file descriptor");
+  }
+  m_fd = -1;
+}
+
+// }}}
+// implementation of file_streambuf {{{
+
+fd_streambuf::fd_streambuf(int fd) : m_fd(fd) {}
+
+fd_streambuf::~fd_streambuf() {
+  sync();
+}
+
+fd_streambuf::operator int() {
+  return static_cast<const fd_streambuf&>(*this);
+}
+fd_streambuf::operator int() const {
+  return m_fd;
+}
+
+void fd_streambuf::open(int fd) {
+  if (m_fd) {
+    sync();
+  }
+  m_fd = fd;
+  setg(m_in, m_in, m_in);
+  setp(m_out, m_out + sizeof(m_in));
+}
+
+void fd_streambuf::close() {
+  if (m_fd) {
+    sync();
+    m_fd = -1;
+  }
+}
+
+int fd_streambuf::sync() {
+  if (pbase() != pptr()) {
+    auto size = pptr() - pbase();
+    auto bytes = ::write(m_fd, m_out, size);
+    if (bytes > 0) {
+      std::copy(pbase() + bytes, pptr(), pbase());
+      setp(pbase(), epptr());
+      pbump(size - bytes);
+    }
+  }
+  return pptr() != epptr() ? 0 : -1;
+}
+
+int fd_streambuf::overflow(int c) {
+  if (!traits_type::eq_int_type(c, traits_type::eof())) {
+    *pptr() = traits_type::to_char_type(c);
+    pbump(1);
+  }
+  return sync() == -1 ? traits_type::eof() : traits_type::not_eof(c);
+}
+
+int fd_streambuf::underflow() {
+  if (gptr() == egptr()) {
+    auto pback = std::min(gptr() - eback(), std::ptrdiff_t(m_in));
+    std::copy(egptr() - pback, egptr(), eback());
+    auto bytes = ::read(m_fd, eback() + pback, BUFSIZ);
+    setg(eback(), eback() + pback, eback() + pback + std::max(0L, bytes));
+  }
+  return gptr() == egptr() ? traits_type::eof() : traits_type::to_int_type(*gptr());
+}
+
+// }}}
+
 namespace file_util {
   /**
    * Checks if the given file exist
@@ -86,7 +178,7 @@ namespace file_util {
       string contents((std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(ifs)), (std::istreambuf_iterator<char>()));
       return contents;
     } catch (std::ios_base::failure& e) {
-      return string{""};
+      return "";
     }
   }
 
@@ -95,7 +187,7 @@ namespace file_util {
    */
   bool is_fifo(string filename) {
     auto fileptr = factory_util::unique<file_ptr>(filename);
-    int fd = fileno((*fileptr)());
+    int fd = fileno(*fileptr);
     struct stat statbuf {};
     fstat(fd, &statbuf);
     return S_ISFIFO(statbuf.st_mode);