diff --git a/doc/lispref/processes.texi b/doc/lispref/processes.texi
index 59f6ddeb63b..12e43cda5a6 100644
--- a/doc/lispref/processes.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/processes.texi
@@ -842,7 +842,8 @@ Use the string @var{name} as the process name.  As with
 @code{make-process}, it is modified if necessary to make it unique.
 
 @item :buffer @var{buffer}
-Use @var{buffer} as the process buffer.
+Use @var{buffer} as the process buffer.  If the value is @code{nil},
+the subprocess is not associated with any buffer.
 
 @item :coding @var{coding}
 If @var{coding} is a symbol, it specifies the coding system to be
diff --git a/src/process.c b/src/process.c
index 8ec420aaa2c..82b8829ba8c 100644
--- a/src/process.c
+++ b/src/process.c
@@ -2414,7 +2414,8 @@ arguments are defined:
 :buffer BUFFER -- BUFFER is the buffer (or buffer-name) to associate
 with the process.  Process output goes at the end of that buffer,
 unless you specify a filter function to handle the output.  If BUFFER
-is not given, the value of NAME is used.
+is not given, the value of NAME is used.  BUFFER may be also nil, meaning
+that this process is not associated with any buffer.
 
 :coding CODING -- If CODING is a symbol, it specifies the coding
 system used for both reading and writing for this process.  If CODING
@@ -2479,10 +2480,15 @@ usage:  (make-pipe-process &rest ARGS)  */)
   if (inchannel > max_desc)
     max_desc = inchannel;
 
-  buffer = plist_get (contact, QCbuffer);
-  if (NILP (buffer))
-    buffer = name;
-  buffer = Fget_buffer_create (buffer, Qnil);
+  {
+    Lisp_Object buffer_member = plist_member (contact, QCbuffer);
+    if (NILP (buffer_member))
+      buffer = name;
+    else
+      buffer = XCAR (XCDR (buffer_member));
+  }
+  if (!NILP (buffer))
+    buffer = Fget_buffer_create (buffer, Qnil);
   pset_buffer (p, buffer);
 
   pset_childp (p, contact);
diff --git a/test/src/process-tests.el b/test/src/process-tests.el
index 5f84d9acc6d..b8ceb931533 100644
--- a/test/src/process-tests.el
+++ b/test/src/process-tests.el
@@ -1053,5 +1053,11 @@ Return nil if FILENAME doesn't exist."
   (should (integerp (num-processors)))
   (should (< 0 (num-processors))))
 
+(ert-deftest process-test-make-pipe-process-no-buffer ()
+  "Test that a pipe process can be created without a buffer."
+  (should     (process-buffer (make-pipe-process :name "test")))
+  (should     (process-buffer (make-pipe-process :name "test" :buffer "test")))
+  (should-not (process-buffer (make-pipe-process :name "test" :buffer nil))))
+
 (provide 'process-tests)
 ;;; process-tests.el ends here