diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 29feb1a..b5ef82a 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -140,6 +140,17 @@ class CommandLineTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
             r'not allowed with argument -c\/--config-file$'
         )
 
+        # checks if reading from stdin and files are mutually exclusive
+        sys.stdout, sys.stderr = StringIO(), StringIO()
+        with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as ctx:
+            cli.run(('-', 'file'))
+
+        self.assertNotEqual(ctx.exception.code, 0)
+
+        out, err = sys.stdout.getvalue(), sys.stderr.getvalue()
+        self.assertEqual(out, '')
+        self.assertRegexpMatches(err, r'^usage')
+
     def test_run_with_bad_config(self):
         sys.stdout, sys.stderr = StringIO(), StringIO()
         with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as ctx:
@@ -434,3 +445,22 @@ class CommandLineTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
             '\033[2m(new-line-at-end-of-file)\033[0m\n'
             '\n' % file))
         self.assertEqual(err, '')
+
+    def test_run_read_from_stdin(self):
+        # prepares stdin with an invalid yaml string so that we can check
+        # for its specific error, and be assured that stdin was read
+        sys.stdout, sys.stderr = StringIO(), StringIO()
+        sys.stdin = StringIO(
+            'I am a string\n'
+            'therefore: I am an error\n')
+
+        with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as ctx:
+            cli.run(('-', '-f', 'parsable'))
+
+        self.assertNotEqual(ctx.exception.code, 0)
+
+        out, err = sys.stdout.getvalue(), sys.stderr.getvalue()
+        self.assertEqual(out, (
+            'stdin:2:10: [error] syntax error: '
+            'mapping values are not allowed here\n'))
+        self.assertEqual(err, '')
diff --git a/yamllint/cli.py b/yamllint/cli.py
index 8529fb7..c5916e5 100644
--- a/yamllint/cli.py
+++ b/yamllint/cli.py
@@ -83,11 +83,41 @@ class Format(object):
         return line
 
 
+def show_problems(problems, file, args_format):
+    max_level = 0
+    first = True
+
+    for problem in problems:
+        if args_format == 'parsable':
+            print(Format.parsable(problem, file))
+        elif args_format == 'colored' or \
+                (args_format == 'auto' and supports_color()):
+            if first:
+                print('\033[4m%s\033[0m' % file)
+                first = False
+            print(Format.standard_color(problem, file))
+        else:
+            if first:
+                print(file)
+                first = False
+            print(Format.standard(problem, file))
+        max_level = max(max_level, PROBLEM_LEVELS[problem.level])
+
+    if not first and args_format != 'parsable':
+        print('')
+
+    return max_level
+
+
 def run(argv=None):
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog=APP_NAME,
                                      description=APP_DESCRIPTION)
-    parser.add_argument('files', metavar='FILE_OR_DIR', nargs='+',
-                        help='files to check')
+    files_group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=True)
+    files_group.add_argument('files', metavar='FILE_OR_DIR', nargs='*',
+                             default=(),
+                             help='files to check')
+    files_group.add_argument('-', action='store_true', dest='stdin',
+                             help='read from standard input')
     config_group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
     config_group.add_argument('-c', '--config-file', dest='config_file',
                               action='store',
@@ -105,8 +135,6 @@ def run(argv=None):
     parser.add_argument('-v', '--version', action='version',
                         version='{} {}'.format(APP_NAME, APP_VERSION))
 
-    # TODO: read from stdin when no filename?
-
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
 
     # User-global config is supposed to be in ~/.config/yamllint/config
@@ -138,32 +166,23 @@ def run(argv=None):
     for file in find_files_recursively(args.files):
         filepath = file[2:] if file.startswith('./') else file
         try:
-            first = True
             with open(file) as f:
-                for problem in linter.run(f, conf, filepath):
-                    if args.format == 'parsable':
-                        print(Format.parsable(problem, file))
-                    elif args.format == 'colored' or \
-                            (args.format == 'auto' and supports_color()):
-                        if first:
-                            print('\033[4m%s\033[0m' % file)
-                            first = False
-
-                        print(Format.standard_color(problem, file))
-                    else:
-                        if first:
-                            print(file)
-                            first = False
-
-                        print(Format.standard(problem, file))
-
-                    max_level = max(max_level, PROBLEM_LEVELS[problem.level])
-
-            if not first and args.format != 'parsable':
-                print('')
+                problems = linter.run(f, conf, filepath)
+        except EnvironmentError as e:
+            print(e, file=sys.stderr)
+            sys.exit(-1)
+        prob_level = show_problems(problems, file, args_format=args.format)
+        max_level = max(max_level, prob_level)
+
+    # read yaml from stdin
+    if args.stdin:
+        try:
+            problems = linter.run(sys.stdin, conf, '')
         except EnvironmentError as e:
             print(e, file=sys.stderr)
             sys.exit(-1)
+        prob_level = show_problems(problems, 'stdin', args_format=args.format)
+        max_level = max(max_level, prob_level)
 
     if max_level == PROBLEM_LEVELS['error']:
         return_code = 1