diff --git a/osdep/io.c b/osdep/io.c
index 0006bb54ab..dd21314d7c 100644
--- a/osdep/io.c
+++ b/osdep/io.c
@@ -298,6 +298,31 @@ int mp_fstat(int fd, struct mp_stat *buf)
     return hstat(h, buf);
 }
 
+static inline HANDLE get_handle(FILE *stream)
+{
+    HANDLE wstream = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
+
+    if (stream == stdout || stream == stderr) {
+        wstream = GetStdHandle(stream == stdout ?
+                               STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE : STD_ERROR_HANDLE);
+    }
+    return wstream;
+}
+
+int mp_fputs(const char *str, FILE *stream)
+{
+    HANDLE wstream = get_handle(stream);
+    if (mp_check_console(wstream))
+        return mp_console_fputs(wstream, bstr0(str));
+
+    return fputs(str, stream);
+}
+
+int mp_puts(const char *str)
+{
+    return mp_fputs(str, stdout);
+}
+
 #if HAVE_UWP
 static int mp_vfprintf(FILE *stream, const char *format, va_list args)
 {
@@ -307,15 +332,9 @@ static int mp_vfprintf(FILE *stream, const char *format, va_list args)
 
 static int mp_vfprintf(FILE *stream, const char *format, va_list args)
 {
-    HANDLE wstream = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
-
-    if (stream == stdout || stream == stderr) {
-        wstream = GetStdHandle(stream == stdout ?
-                               STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE : STD_ERROR_HANDLE);
-    }
-
+    HANDLE wstream = get_handle(stream);
     if (mp_check_console(wstream))
-        return mp_write_console_ansi(wstream, format, args);
+        return mp_console_vfprintf(wstream, format, args);
 
     return vfprintf(stream, format, args);
 }
diff --git a/osdep/io.h b/osdep/io.h
index 5cbd54f87f..e9290b0359 100644
--- a/osdep/io.h
+++ b/osdep/io.h
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ char *mp_to_utf8(void *talloc_ctx, const wchar_t *s);
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 
+int mp_puts(const char *str);
+int mp_fputs(const char *str, FILE *stream);
 int mp_printf(const char *format, ...) PRINTF_ATTRIBUTE(1, 2);
 int mp_fprintf(FILE *stream, const char *format, ...) PRINTF_ATTRIBUTE(2, 3);
 int mp_open(const char *filename, int oflag, ...);
@@ -174,6 +176,8 @@ int mp_glob(const char *restrict pattern, int flags,
             int (*errfunc)(const char*, int), mp_glob_t *restrict pglob);
 void mp_globfree(mp_glob_t *pglob);
 
+#define puts(...) mp_puts(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define fputs(...) mp_fputs(__VA_ARGS__)
 #define printf(...) mp_printf(__VA_ARGS__)
 #define fprintf(...) mp_fprintf(__VA_ARGS__)
 #define open(...) mp_open(__VA_ARGS__)
diff --git a/osdep/terminal-dummy.c b/osdep/terminal-dummy.c
index 0c861740e5..8ab9d6f444 100644
--- a/osdep/terminal-dummy.c
+++ b/osdep/terminal-dummy.c
@@ -27,7 +27,12 @@ void terminal_get_size2(int *rows, int *cols, int *px_width, int *px_height)
 {
 }
 
-int mp_write_console_ansi(void *wstream, const char *format, va_list args)
+int mp_console_vfprintf(void *wstream, const char *format, va_list args)
+{
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int mp_console_fputs(void *wstream, bstr str)
 {
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/osdep/terminal-win.c b/osdep/terminal-win.c
index 08aa878906..90f89935a0 100644
--- a/osdep/terminal-win.c
+++ b/osdep/terminal-win.c
@@ -226,15 +226,36 @@ bool terminal_in_background(void)
     return false;
 }
 
-int mp_write_console_ansi(HANDLE wstream, const char *format, va_list args)
+int mp_console_vfprintf(HANDLE wstream, const char *format, va_list args)
 {
     struct tmp_buffers *buffers = FlsGetValue(tmp_buffers_key);
-    if (!buffers)
+    bool free_buf = false;
+    if (!buffers) {
         buffers = talloc_zero(NULL, struct tmp_buffers);
+        free_buf = !FlsSetValue(tmp_buffers_key, buffers);
+    }
 
     buffers->write_console_buf.len = 0;
     bstr_xappend_vasprintf(buffers, &buffers->write_console_buf, format, args);
-    int wlen = bstr_to_wchar(buffers, buffers->write_console_buf, &buffers->write_console_wbuf);
+
+    int ret = mp_console_fputs(wstream, buffers->write_console_buf);
+
+    if (free_buf)
+        talloc_free(buffers);
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+int mp_console_fputs(HANDLE wstream, bstr str)
+{
+    struct tmp_buffers *buffers = FlsGetValue(tmp_buffers_key);
+    bool free_buf = false;
+    if (!buffers) {
+        buffers = talloc_zero(NULL, struct tmp_buffers);
+        free_buf = !FlsSetValue(tmp_buffers_key, buffers);
+    }
+
+    int wlen = bstr_to_wchar(buffers, str, &buffers->write_console_wbuf);
     wchar_t *pos = buffers->write_console_wbuf;
 
     while (*pos) {
@@ -380,7 +401,7 @@ int mp_write_console_ansi(HANDLE wstream, const char *format, va_list args)
 
     int ret = buffers->write_console_buf.len;
 
-    if (!FlsSetValue(tmp_buffers_key, buffers))
+    if (free_buf)
         talloc_free(buffers);
 
     return ret;
diff --git a/osdep/terminal.h b/osdep/terminal.h
index d3d0daa5db..9d60afa00a 100644
--- a/osdep/terminal.h
+++ b/osdep/terminal.h
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ void terminal_get_size(int *w, int *h);
 void terminal_get_size2(int *rows, int *cols, int *px_width, int *px_height);
 
 // Windows only.
-int mp_write_console_ansi(void *wstream, const char *format, va_list args);
+int mp_console_vfprintf(void *wstream, const char *format, va_list args);
+int mp_console_fputs(void *wstream, bstr str);
 bool mp_check_console(void *handle);
 
 /* Windows-only function to attach to the parent process's console */
diff --git a/test/test_utils.c b/test/test_utils.c
index 1673ef97ba..132601ac07 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.c
+++ b/test/test_utils.c
@@ -107,7 +107,8 @@ void mp_msg(struct mp_log *log, int lev, const char *format, ...) {};
 int mp_msg_find_level(const char *s) {return 0;};
 int mp_msg_level(struct mp_log *log) {return 0;};
 void mp_msg_set_max_level(struct mp_log *log, int lev) {};
-int mp_write_console_ansi(void *wstream, const char *format, va_list args) {return 0;};
+int mp_console_vfprintf(void *wstream, const char *format, va_list args) {return 0;};
+int mp_console_fputs(void *wstream, bstr str) {return 0;};
 bool mp_check_console(void *handle) { return false; };
 void mp_set_avdict(AVDictionary **dict, char **kv) {};
 struct mp_log *mp_log_new(void *talloc_ctx, struct mp_log *parent,