diff --git a/src/conky.cc b/src/conky.cc
index c2b65edb..16eef1e4 100644
--- a/src/conky.cc
+++ b/src/conky.cc
@@ -788,7 +788,8 @@ void generate_text_internal(char *p, int p_max_size, struct text_object root)
 #ifdef BUILD_ICONV
 		iconv_convert(&a, buff_in, p, p_max_size);
 #endif /* BUILD_ICONV */
-		substitute_newlines(p, a - 2);
+		if (!obj->verbatim_output)
+			substitute_newlines(p, a - 2);
 		p += a;
 		p_max_size -= a;
 		(*p) = 0;
diff --git a/src/text_object.cc b/src/text_object.cc
index 4663451d..efb6dd4d 100644
--- a/src/text_object.cc
+++ b/src/text_object.cc
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ int ifblock_stack_empty(void **opaque)
 void obj_be_plain_text(struct text_object *obj, const char *text)
 {
 	obj->data.s = strdup(text);
+	obj->verbatim_output = 1;
 
 	memset(&obj->callbacks, 0, sizeof(obj->callbacks));
 	obj->callbacks.print = &gen_print_obj_data_s;
diff --git a/src/text_object.h b/src/text_object.h
index 8681160e..d1c958f7 100644
--- a/src/text_object.h
+++ b/src/text_object.h
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ struct text_object {
 		long l;			/* some long integer */
 	} data;
 
+	/* if non-zero, no substitute_newlines() is applied to object's output */
+	char verbatim_output;
+
 	void *special_data;
 	long line;
 	struct obj_cb callbacks;