diff --git a/src/operator/buffer.ts b/src/operator/buffer.ts
index ca43bec9f2..42e6da93e5 100644
--- a/src/operator/buffer.ts
+++ b/src/operator/buffer.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
-import { Operator } from '../Operator';
-import { Subscriber } from '../Subscriber';
-import { Observable } from '../Observable';
 
-import { OuterSubscriber } from '../OuterSubscriber';
-import { InnerSubscriber } from '../InnerSubscriber';
-import { subscribeToResult } from '../util/subscribeToResult';
+import { Observable } from '../Observable';
+import { buffer as higherOrder } from '../operators';
 
 /**
  * Buffers the source Observable values until `closingNotifier` emits.
@@ -39,41 +35,5 @@ import { subscribeToResult } from '../util/subscribeToResult';
  * @owner Observable
  */
 export function buffer<T>(this: Observable<T>, closingNotifier: Observable<any>): Observable<T[]> {
-  return this.lift(new BufferOperator<T>(closingNotifier));
-}
-
-class BufferOperator<T> implements Operator<T, T[]> {
-
-  constructor(private closingNotifier: Observable<any>) {
-  }
-
-  call(subscriber: Subscriber<T[]>, source: any): any {
-    return source.subscribe(new BufferSubscriber(subscriber, this.closingNotifier));
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * We need this JSDoc comment for affecting ESDoc.
- * @ignore
- * @extends {Ignored}
- */
-class BufferSubscriber<T> extends OuterSubscriber<T, any> {
-  private buffer: T[] = [];
-
-  constructor(destination: Subscriber<T[]>, closingNotifier: Observable<any>) {
-    super(destination);
-    this.add(subscribeToResult(this, closingNotifier));
-  }
-
-  protected _next(value: T) {
-    this.buffer.push(value);
-  }
-
-  notifyNext(outerValue: T, innerValue: any,
-             outerIndex: number, innerIndex: number,
-             innerSub: InnerSubscriber<T, any>): void {
-    const buffer = this.buffer;
-    this.buffer = [];
-    this.destination.next(buffer);
-  }
+  return higherOrder(closingNotifier)(this);
 }
diff --git a/src/operators/buffer.ts b/src/operators/buffer.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..255894d390
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/operators/buffer.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import { Operator } from '../Operator';
+import { Subscriber } from '../Subscriber';
+import { Observable } from '../Observable';
+import { OuterSubscriber } from '../OuterSubscriber';
+import { InnerSubscriber } from '../InnerSubscriber';
+import { subscribeToResult } from '../util/subscribeToResult';
+import { OperatorFunction } from '../interfaces';
+
+/**
+ * Buffers the source Observable values until `closingNotifier` emits.
+ *
+ * <span class="informal">Collects values from the past as an array, and emits
+ * that array only when another Observable emits.</span>
+ *
+ * <img src="./img/buffer.png" width="100%">
+ *
+ * Buffers the incoming Observable values until the given `closingNotifier`
+ * Observable emits a value, at which point it emits the buffer on the output
+ * Observable and starts a new buffer internally, awaiting the next time
+ * `closingNotifier` emits.
+ *
+ * @example <caption>On every click, emit array of most recent interval events</caption>
+ * var clicks = Rx.Observable.fromEvent(document, 'click');
+ * var interval = Rx.Observable.interval(1000);
+ * var buffered = interval.buffer(clicks);
+ * buffered.subscribe(x => console.log(x));
+ *
+ * @see {@link bufferCount}
+ * @see {@link bufferTime}
+ * @see {@link bufferToggle}
+ * @see {@link bufferWhen}
+ * @see {@link window}
+ *
+ * @param {Observable<any>} closingNotifier An Observable that signals the
+ * buffer to be emitted on the output Observable.
+ * @return {Observable<T[]>} An Observable of buffers, which are arrays of
+ * values.
+ * @method buffer
+ * @owner Observable
+ */
+export function buffer<T>(closingNotifier: Observable<any>): OperatorFunction<T, T[]> {
+  return function bufferOperatorFunction(source: Observable<T>) {
+    return source.lift(new BufferOperator<T>(closingNotifier));
+  };
+}
+
+class BufferOperator<T> implements Operator<T, T[]> {
+
+  constructor(private closingNotifier: Observable<any>) {
+  }
+
+  call(subscriber: Subscriber<T[]>, source: any): any {
+    return source.subscribe(new BufferSubscriber(subscriber, this.closingNotifier));
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * We need this JSDoc comment for affecting ESDoc.
+ * @ignore
+ * @extends {Ignored}
+ */
+class BufferSubscriber<T> extends OuterSubscriber<T, any> {
+  private buffer: T[] = [];
+
+  constructor(destination: Subscriber<T[]>, closingNotifier: Observable<any>) {
+    super(destination);
+    this.add(subscribeToResult(this, closingNotifier));
+  }
+
+  protected _next(value: T) {
+    this.buffer.push(value);
+  }
+
+  notifyNext(outerValue: T, innerValue: any,
+             outerIndex: number, innerIndex: number,
+             innerSub: InnerSubscriber<T, any>): void {
+    const buffer = this.buffer;
+    this.buffer = [];
+    this.destination.next(buffer);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/operators/index.ts b/src/operators/index.ts
index d243518afd..62e79b7b26 100644
--- a/src/operators/index.ts
+++ b/src/operators/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 export { audit } from './audit';
 export { auditTime } from './auditTime';
+export { buffer } from './buffer';
 export { catchError } from './catchError';
 export { concat } from './concat';
 export { concatAll } from './concatAll';