diff --git a/basis/base64/base64-docs.factor b/basis/base64/base64-docs.factor
index ed92a19577..530caab8bd 100644
--- a/basis/base64/base64-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/base64/base64-docs.factor
@@ -7,7 +7,13 @@ HELP: >base64
 { $examples
     { $example "USING: prettyprint base64 strings ;" "\"The monorail is a free service.\" >base64 >string ." "\"VGhlIG1vbm9yYWlsIGlzIGEgZnJlZSBzZXJ2aWNlLg==\"" }
 }
-{ $see-also base64> } ;
+{ $see-also base64> >base64-lines } ;
+
+HELP: >base64-lines
+{ $values { "seq" sequence } { "base64" "a string of base64 characters" } }
+{ $description "Converts a sequence to its base64 representation by taking six bits at a time as an index into a lookup table containing alphanumerics, '+', and '/'.  The result is padded with '=' if the input was not a multiple of six bits. A crlf is inserted for every 76 characters of output." }
+{ $see-also base64> >base64-lines } ;
+
 
 HELP: base64>
 { $values { "base64" "a string of base64 characters" } { "seq" sequence } }
@@ -16,13 +22,26 @@ HELP: base64>
     { $example "USING: prettyprint base64 strings ;" "\"VGhlIG1vbm9yYWlsIGlzIGEgZnJlZSBzZXJ2aWNlLg==\" base64> >string ." "\"The monorail is a free service.\"" }
 }
 { $notes "This word will throw if the input string contains characters other than those allowed in base64 encodings." }
-{ $see-also >base64 } ;
+{ $see-also >base64 >base64-lines } ;
+
+HELP: encode-base64
+{ $description "Reads the standard input and writes it to standard output encoded in base64." } ;
+
+HELP: decode-base64
+{ $description "Reads the standard input and decodes it, writing to standard output." } ;
+
+HELP: encode-base64-lines
+{ $description "Reads the standard input and writes it to standard output encoded in base64 with a crlf every 76 characters." } ;
 
 ARTICLE: "base64" "Base 64 conversions"
 "The " { $vocab-link "base64" } " vocabulary implements conversions of sequences to printable characters in base 64. These plain-text representations of binary data may be passed around and converted back to binary data later." $nl
-"Converting to base 64:"
+"Converting to and from base64 as strings:"
 { $subsection >base64 }
-"Converting back to binary:"
-{ $subsection base64> } ;
+{ $subsection >base64-lines }
+{ $subsection base64> }
+"Using base64 from streams:"
+{ $subsection encode-base64 }
+{ $subsection encode-base64-lines }
+{ $subsection decode-base64 } ;
 
 ABOUT: "base64"
diff --git a/basis/base64/base64.factor b/basis/base64/base64.factor
index ce35419cbf..e5972991e5 100644
--- a/basis/base64/base64.factor
+++ b/basis/base64/base64.factor
@@ -74,11 +74,11 @@ PRIVATE>
         [ malformed-base64 ]
     } case ;
 
-: >base64 ( str -- base64 )
+: >base64 ( seq -- base64 )
     binary [ [ encode-base64 ] with-string-reader ] with-byte-writer ;
 
-: base64> ( base64 -- str )
+: base64> ( base64 -- seq )
     [ binary [ decode-base64 ] with-byte-reader ] with-string-writer ;
 
-: >base64-lines ( str -- base64 )
-    binary [ [ encode-base64-lines ] with-string-reader ] with-byte-writer ;
\ No newline at end of file
+: >base64-lines ( seq -- base64 )
+    binary [ [ encode-base64-lines ] with-string-reader ] with-byte-writer ;