diff --git a/.bin/upload b/.bin/upload
index f9fc52b..2fd3f57 100755
--- a/.bin/upload
+++ b/.bin/upload
@@ -37,6 +37,24 @@ remote_list() {
             && ls -1tr"
 }
 
+copy_and_print() {
+    echo "$_weburi/$(basename "$1")" \
+        | sed 's/ /%20/g' \
+        | xclip -f -r
+    echo
+}
+
+# handle stdin
+if [[ ! -t 0 ]]
+then
+    fname="$1"
+    [ -z "$fname" ] \
+        && fname="$(date +"%Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S").txt"
+    cat - | ssh $_sshhost "cat - > \"$_rpath/$fname\""
+    copy_and_print "$fname"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 if [ -n "$_ls" ]
 then
     remote_list \
@@ -97,75 +115,92 @@ then
     exit 0
 fi
 
-copy_and_print() {
-    echo "$_weburi/$(basename "$1")" \
-        | sed 's/ /%20/g' \
-        | xclip -f -r
-    echo
-}
 
 if [ $# -gt 0 ]
 then
-    for file in "$@"
+    for item in "$@"
     do
-        [ ! -e "$file" ] \
-            && echo "File or directory not found: $file" \
+    # the whole handling shall run in a subshell so all variables
+    # are reset when we leave the scope
+    # note, that this requires us to return, instead fo continue
+    # to leave the loop iteration
+    (
+
+        [ ! -e "$item" ] \
+            && echo "File or directory not found: $item" \
             && exit 1
 
+        # target filename
+        file="$(basename "$item")$_ext"
+
         # handle file (plain), no archive mode
-        if [ -f "$file" ] && [ -z "$_tgz" ] && [ -z "$_gz" ]
+        if [ -f "$item" ] && [ -z "$_tgz" ] && [ -z "$_gz" ]
         then
             # make sure the file is least owner rw and group r
             # the sticky bit in the destiation folder will assign user+group
-            chmod u+rw,g+r "$file"
-            echo "Uploading $file"
-            scp -q "$file" "$_sshhost:$_rpath/${file}${_ext}"
-            copy_and_print "${file}${_ext}"
-            continue
+            chmod u+rw,g+r "$item"
+            echo "Uploading $item as $file"
+            scp -q "$item" "$_sshhost:\"$_rpath/$file\""
+            copy_and_print "$file"
+            return
         fi
 
         # directories can only be handled as tgz archive
-        [ -d "$file" ] && _tgz=1
+        [ -d "$item" ] && _tgz=1
 
         # handle file or directory (tgz mode)
         if [ -n "$_tgz" ]
         then
-            echo "Uploading $file as ${file}${_ext}"
-            _ext="$_ext.tgz"
-            tar czf - "$file" \
-                | ssh $_sshhost "pv - > $_rpath/${file}${_ext}"
-            copy_and_print "${file}${_ext}"
-            continue
+            file="$file.tgz"
+            echo "Uploading $item as $file"
+            # moving closer to the item to not archive the whole path
+            cd $(dirname "$item")
+            tar czf - "$(basename "$item")" \
+                | ssh $_sshhost "pv - > \"$_rpath/$file\""
+            copy_and_print "$file"
+            return
         fi
 
         # handle file (gz mode)
-        if [ -f "$file" ] && [ -n "$_gz" ]
+        if [ -f "$item" ] && [ -n "$_gz" ]
         then
-            echo "Uploading $file as ${file}${_ext}"
-            _ext="$_ext.gz"
-            cat "$file" gzip -o - "$file" \
-                | $_sshhost "pv - > $_rpath/${file}${_ext}"
-            copy_and_print "${file}${_ext}"
-            continue
+            file="$file.gz"
+            echo "Uploading \"$item\" as \"$file\""
+            cat "$item" | gzip \
+                | ssh $_sshhost "pv - > \"$_rpath/$file\""
+            copy_and_print "$file"
+            return
         fi
 
         # hopefully never reached
-        echo "Unhandled situation for: $file"
+        echo "Unhandled situation for: $item"
+
+    ) # leave scope & reset variables
     done
 fi
 
 if [ $# -eq 0 ]
 then
     echo "usage: upload [command] [ext] [<files>]"
-    echo "  commands:"
+    echo "       upload [filename] < file"
+    echo "       cat file | upload [filename]"
+    echo
+    echo "  <files>                       - files or directories to upload"
+    echo
+    echo "  Commands:"
     echo "      rm <files>                - remove files"
     echo "      rml                       - remove last upload"
     echo "      ls                        - list files"
     echo "     -0..N                      - list N last uploads"
     echo "      ren <oldname> <newname>   - rename file"
     echo "      renl <newname>            - rename last uploaded file"
-    echo "  extensions:"
+    echo
+    echo "  Extensions:"
     echo "      sh, ksh, txt, log         - add extension to file"
-    echo "  <files>                       - upload files"
+    echo
+    echo "Special Case:"
+    echo "  When data is piped to the script it expects only one"
+    echo "  optional argument, which would be the target filename."
+    echo
     exit 2
 fi