diff --git a/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.c b/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.c
index e597b836..6aee6627 100644
--- a/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.c
+++ b/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.c
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ static void          activate_history_item  (MooEditor      *editor,
 
 
 struct _MooEditorPrivate {
+    WindowInfo      *windowless;
     GSList          *windows; /* WindowInfo* */
     GHashTable      *loaders;
     GHashTable      *savers;
@@ -222,6 +223,7 @@ static void     moo_editor_init        (MooEditor  *editor)
                               G_CALLBACK (activate_history_item), editor);
 
     editor->priv->windows = NULL;
+    editor->priv->windowless = window_info_new (NULL);
 
     editor->priv->loaders =
             g_hash_table_new_full (g_direct_hash, g_direct_equal,
@@ -341,6 +343,8 @@ static void moo_editor_finalize       (GObject      *object)
         window_list_free (editor);
     }
 
+    window_info_free (editor->priv->windowless);
+
     g_hash_table_destroy (editor->priv->loaders);
     g_hash_table_destroy (editor->priv->savers);
 
@@ -622,10 +626,14 @@ window_list_find_doc (MooEditor      *editor,
 {
     GSList *l = g_slist_find_custom (editor->priv->windows, edit,
                                      (GCompareFunc) doc_cmp);
+
     if (l)
         return l->data;
-    else
-        return NULL;
+
+    if (g_slist_find (editor->priv->windowless->docs, edit))
+        return editor->priv->windowless;
+
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 
@@ -661,10 +669,11 @@ window_list_find_filename (MooEditor   *editor,
         if (edit) *edit = data.edit;
         return l->data;
     }
-    else
-    {
-        return NULL;
-    }
+
+    if (window_info_find (editor->priv->windowless, filename))
+        return editor->priv->windowless;
+
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 
@@ -735,9 +744,18 @@ moo_editor_add_doc (MooEditor      *editor,
                     MooEditLoader  *loader,
                     MooEditSaver   *saver)
 {
-    WindowInfo *info = window_list_find (editor, window);
+    WindowInfo *info;
+
+    if (window)
+    {
+        info = window_list_find (editor, window);
+        g_return_if_fail (info != NULL);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        info = editor->priv->windowless;
+    }
 
-    g_return_if_fail (info != NULL);
     g_return_if_fail (g_slist_find (info->docs, doc) == NULL);
 
     window_info_add (info, doc);
@@ -779,6 +797,25 @@ moo_editor_new_window (MooEditor *editor)
 }
 
 
+/* this creates MooEdit instance which can not be put into a window */
+MooEdit*
+moo_editor_create_doc (MooEditor *editor)
+{
+    MooEdit *doc;
+
+    g_return_val_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDITOR (editor), NULL);
+
+    doc = g_object_new (get_doc_type (editor), "editor", editor, NULL);
+
+    moo_editor_add_doc (editor, NULL, doc,
+                        moo_edit_loader_get_default (),
+                        moo_edit_saver_get_default ());
+    _moo_doc_attach_plugins (NULL, doc);
+
+    return doc;
+}
+
+
 MooEdit*
 moo_editor_new_doc (MooEditor      *editor,
                     MooEditWindow  *window)
@@ -980,6 +1017,7 @@ moo_editor_set_active_doc (MooEditor      *editor,
 
     info = window_list_find_doc (editor, doc);
     g_return_if_fail (info != NULL);
+    g_return_if_fail (info->window != NULL);
 
     gtk_window_present (GTK_WINDOW (info->window));
     moo_edit_window_set_active_doc (info->window, doc);
@@ -1009,7 +1047,9 @@ moo_editor_close_window (MooEditor      *editor,
     }
     else if (!modified->next)
     {
-        moo_edit_window_set_active_doc (info->window, modified->data);
+        if (info->window)
+            moo_edit_window_set_active_doc (info->window, modified->data);
+
         response = moo_edit_save_changes_dialog (modified->data);
 
         switch (response)
@@ -1101,7 +1141,12 @@ do_close_doc (MooEditor      *editor,
     WindowInfo *info = window_list_find_doc (editor, doc);
     g_return_if_fail (info != NULL);
     window_info_remove (info, doc);
-    _moo_edit_window_remove_doc (info->window, doc);
+
+    if (info->window)
+        _moo_edit_window_remove_doc (info->window, doc);
+    else
+        _moo_doc_detach_plugins (NULL, doc);
+
     g_hash_table_remove (editor->priv->loaders, doc);
     g_hash_table_remove (editor->priv->savers, doc);
 }
@@ -1145,7 +1190,8 @@ moo_editor_close_docs (MooEditor      *editor,
 
     if (close_docs_real (editor, list))
     {
-        if (!moo_edit_window_num_docs (info->window) &&
+        if (info->window &&
+            !moo_edit_window_num_docs (info->window) &&
              !editor->priv->allow_empty_window)
         {
             MooEdit *doc = g_object_new (get_doc_type (editor),
@@ -1184,7 +1230,9 @@ close_docs_real (MooEditor      *editor,
         WindowInfo *info = window_list_find_doc (editor, modified->data);
         g_return_val_if_fail (info != NULL, FALSE);
 
-        moo_edit_window_set_active_doc (info->window, modified->data);
+        if (info->window)
+            moo_edit_window_set_active_doc (info->window, modified->data);
+
         response = moo_edit_save_changes_dialog (modified->data);
 
         switch (response)
diff --git a/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.h b/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.h
index e17ff32f..7beb151b 100644
--- a/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.h
+++ b/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.h
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ GType            moo_editor_get_type        (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
 MooEditor       *moo_editor_instance        (void);
 
+/* this creates 'windowless' MooEdit instance */
+MooEdit         *moo_editor_create_doc      (MooEditor      *editor);
+
 MooEditWindow   *moo_editor_new_window      (MooEditor      *editor);
 MooEdit         *moo_editor_new_doc         (MooEditor      *editor,
                                              MooEditWindow  *window);
diff --git a/moo/mooedit/mooplugin.c b/moo/mooedit/mooplugin.c
index b0ab1062..94a567b1 100644
--- a/moo/mooedit/mooplugin.c
+++ b/moo/mooedit/mooplugin.c
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ plugin_attach_doc (MooPlugin      *plugin,
     MooDocPlugin *doc_plugin;
     GType dtype;
 
-    g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
+    g_return_if_fail (!window || MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
     g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT (doc));
     g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_PLUGIN (plugin));
 
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ plugin_detach_doc (MooPlugin      *plugin,
     MooDocPlugin *doc_plugin;
 
     g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_PLUGIN (plugin));
-    g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
+    g_return_if_fail (!window || MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
     g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT (doc));
 
     if (!moo_plugin_enabled (plugin))
@@ -871,7 +871,7 @@ _moo_doc_attach_plugins (MooEditWindow *window,
 {
     GSList *l;
 
-    g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
+    g_return_if_fail (!window || MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
     g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT (doc));
 
     plugin_store_init ();
diff --git a/moo/moopython/mooeditor.defs b/moo/moopython/mooeditor.defs
index d1bddd9b..154dac52 100644
--- a/moo/moopython/mooeditor.defs
+++ b/moo/moopython/mooeditor.defs
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@
   )
 )
 
+(define-method create_doc
+  (of-object "MooEditor")
+  (c-name "moo_editor_create_doc")
+  (return-type "MooEdit*")
+)
+
 (define-method open
   (of-object "MooEditor")
   (c-name "moo_editor_open")
diff --git a/moo/moopython/mooplugin-python.c b/moo/moopython/mooplugin-python.c
index deb90ef0..67fde548 100644
--- a/moo/moopython/mooplugin-python.c
+++ b/moo/moopython/mooplugin-python.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ call_hooks (MooPythonPlugin *plugin,
     GSList *l;
     PyObject *py_win, *py_doc;
 
-    g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
+    g_return_if_fail (!window || MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
     g_return_if_fail (!doc || MOO_IS_EDIT (doc));
     g_return_if_fail (type < HOOK_LAST);
 
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ void
 _moo_python_attach_doc (MooEditWindow   *window,
                         MooEdit         *doc)
 {
-    g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
+    g_return_if_fail (!window || MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
     g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT (doc));
     call_hooks (&python_plugin, window, doc, HOOK_NEW_DOC);
 }
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ void
 _moo_python_detach_doc (MooEditWindow   *window,
                         MooEdit         *doc)
 {
-    g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
+    g_return_if_fail (!window || MOO_IS_EDIT_WINDOW (window));
     g_return_if_fail (MOO_IS_EDIT (doc));
     call_hooks (&python_plugin, window, doc, HOOK_CLOSE_DOC);
 }