diff --git a/lib/t/cli.rb b/lib/t/cli.rb
index 4807366d..cac4fa44 100644
--- a/lib/t/cli.rb
+++ b/lib/t/cli.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 require 'twitter'
 require 't/collectable'
 require 't/delete'
+require 't/editor'
 require 't/list'
 require 't/printable'
 require 't/rcfile'
@@ -737,10 +738,11 @@ def unfollow(user, *users)
       say "Run `#{File.basename($0)} follow #{users.map{|user| "@#{user.screen_name}"}.join(' ')}` to follow again."
     end
 
-    desc "update MESSAGE", "Post a Tweet."
+    desc "update [MESSAGE]", "Post a Tweet."
     method_option "location", :aliases => "-l", :type => :string, :default => nil, :desc => "Add location information. If the optional 'latitude,longitude' parameter is not supplied, looks up location by IP address."
     method_option "file", :aliases => "-f", :type => :string, :desc => "The path to an image to attach to your tweet."
-    def update(message)
+    def update(message = nil)
+      message = T::Editor.gets(:update) if message.nil? || message.empty?
       opts = {:trim_user => true}
       opts = add_location(options, opts)
 
diff --git a/lib/t/editor.rb b/lib/t/editor.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4852ff87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/t/editor.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+require 'tempfile'
+require 'shellwords'
+
+module T
+  class Editor
+    class << self
+      PREFILLS = {
+        :update => "\n# Enter your tweet above."
+      }
+
+      def gets(operation = :update)
+        f = tempfile(PREFILLS[operation])
+        edit(f.path)
+        f.read.gsub(/(?:^#.*$\n?)+\s*\z/, '').strip
+      end
+
+      def tempfile(prefill = PREFILLS[:update])
+        f = Tempfile.new("TWEET_MESSAGE")
+        f << prefill
+        f.rewind
+        f
+      end
+
+      def edit(path)
+        system Shellwords.join([editor, path])
+      end
+
+      def editor
+        editor   = ENV['VISUAL']
+        editor ||= ENV['EDITOR']
+        editor ||= system_editor
+      end
+
+      def system_editor
+        if RbConfig::CONFIG['host_os'] =~ /mswin|mingw/
+          'notepad'
+        else
+          'vi'
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/editor_spec.rb b/spec/editor_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b90cddad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/editor_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+require 'helper'
+
+describe T::Editor do
+
+  context "when generating a tempfile" do
+    it "appends with default filler text" do
+      expect(T::Editor.tempfile.read).to eq("\n# Enter your tweet above.")
+    end
+
+    it "starts with specified filler text" do
+      expect(T::Editor.tempfile("# Oh yeah.").read).to eq("# Oh yeah.")
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "when editing a file" do
+    before(:all) do
+      T::Editor.stub(:edit) do |path|
+        File.open(path, "wb") do |f|
+          f.write("A tweet!!!!")
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "fetches your tweet content without comments" do
+      expect(T::Editor.gets(:update)).to eq("A tweet!!!!")
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "when fetching the editor to write in" do
+    context "no $VISUAL or $EDITOR set" do
+      before(:all) do
+        ENV["EDITOR"] = ENV["VISUAL"] = nil
+        RbConfig::CONFIG['host_os'] = "darwin12.2.0"
+      end
+
+      it "returns the system editor" do
+        expect(T::Editor.editor).to eq("vi")
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "$VISUAL is set" do
+      before(:all) do
+        ENV["EDITOR"] = nil
+        ENV["VISUAL"] = "/my/vim/install"
+      end
+
+      it "returns the system editor" do
+        expect(T::Editor.editor).to eq("/my/vim/install")
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "$EDITOR is set" do
+      before(:all) do
+        ENV["EDITOR"] = "/usr/bin/subl"
+        ENV["VISUAL"] = nil
+      end
+
+      it "returns the system editor" do
+        expect(T::Editor.editor).to eq("/usr/bin/subl")
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "$VISUAL and $EDITOR are set" do
+      before(:all) do
+        ENV["EDITOR"] = "/my/vastly/superior/editor"
+        ENV["VISUAL"] = "/usr/bin/emacs"
+      end
+
+      it "returns the system editor" do
+        expect(T::Editor.editor).to eq("/usr/bin/emacs")
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "when fetching system editor" do
+    context "on a mac" do
+      before(:all) do
+        RbConfig::CONFIG['host_os'] = "darwin12.2.0"
+      end
+      it "returns 'vi' on a unix machine" do
+        expect(T::Editor.system_editor).to eq("vi")
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "on a Windows POC" do
+      before(:all) do
+        RbConfig::CONFIG['host_os'] = "mswin"
+      end
+      it "returns 'notepad' on a windows box" do
+        expect(T::Editor.system_editor).to eq("notepad")
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+end