diff --git a/src/callbacks.py b/src/callbacks.py
index 5c4b1bba1..29a241d0b 100644
--- a/src/callbacks.py
+++ b/src/callbacks.py
@@ -195,8 +195,9 @@ class Tokenizer:
     #
     # These are the characters valid in a token.  Everything printable except
     # double-quote, left-bracket, and right-bracket.
-    validChars = string.ascii[33:].translate(string.ascii, '"[]|')
+    validChars = string.ascii[33:].translate(string.ascii, '"[]')
     def __init__(self, tokens=''):
+        # Add a '|' to tokens to have the pipe syntax.
         self.validChars = self.validChars.translate(string.ascii, tokens)
 
     def handleToken(self, token):
@@ -256,7 +257,11 @@ def tokenize(s):
     """A utility function to create a Tokenizer and tokenize a string."""
     start = time.time()
     try:
-        args = Tokenizer().tokenize(s)
+        if conf.enablePipeSyntax:
+            tokens = '|'
+        else:
+            tokens = ''
+        args = Tokenizer(tokens).tokenize(s)
     except ValueError, e:
         raise SyntaxError, str(e)
     debug.msg('tokenize took %s seconds.' % (time.time() - start), 'verbose')
diff --git a/src/conf.py b/src/conf.py
index 972f77c7e..1377526c6 100644
--- a/src/conf.py
+++ b/src/conf.py
@@ -91,6 +91,27 @@ allowEval = False
 ###
 replyWhenNotCommand = True
 
+###
+# requireRegistration: Oftentimes a plugin will want to record who added or
+#                      changed or messed with it last.  Supybot's user database
+#                      is an excellent way to determine who exactly someone is.
+#                      You may, however, want something a little less
+#                      "intrustive," so you can set this variable to False to
+#                      tell such plugins that they should use the hostmask when
+#                      the user isn't registered with the user database.
+###
+requireRegistration = False
+
+###
+# enablePipeSyntax: Supybot allows nested commands; generally, commands are
+#                   nested via [square brackets].  Supybot can also use a
+#                   syntax more similar to Unix pipes.  What would be (and
+#                   still can be; the pipe syntax doesn't disable the bracket
+#                   syntax) "bot: bar [foo]" can now by "bot: foo | bar"
+#                   This variable enables such syntax.
+###
+enablePipeSyntax = False
+
 ###
 # defaultCapabilities: Capabilities allowed to everyone by default.  You almost
 #                      certainly want to have !owner and !admin in here.
diff --git a/test/test_callbacks.py b/test/test_callbacks.py
index d95448465..ab09ed5e9 100644
--- a/test/test_callbacks.py
+++ b/test/test_callbacks.py
@@ -82,15 +82,23 @@ class TokenizerTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises(SyntaxError, tokenize, '"foo') #"
 
     def testPipe(self):
-        self.assertRaises(SyntaxError, tokenize, '| foo')
-        self.assertRaises(SyntaxError, tokenize, 'foo ||bar')
-        self.assertRaises(SyntaxError, tokenize, 'bar |')
-        self.assertEqual(tokenize('foo | bar'), ['bar', ['foo']])
-        self.assertEqual(tokenize('foo | bar | baz'), ['baz', ['bar',['foo']]])
-        self.assertEqual(tokenize('foo bar | baz'), ['baz', ['foo', 'bar']])
-        self.assertEqual(tokenize('foo | bar baz'), ['bar', 'baz', ['foo']])
-        self.assertEqual(tokenize('foo bar | baz quux'),
-                         ['baz', 'quux', ['foo', 'bar']])
+        try:
+            conf.enablePipeSyntax = True
+            self.assertRaises(SyntaxError, tokenize, '| foo')
+            self.assertRaises(SyntaxError, tokenize, 'foo ||bar')
+            self.assertRaises(SyntaxError, tokenize, 'bar |')
+            self.assertEqual(tokenize('foo | bar'), ['bar', ['foo']])
+            self.assertEqual(tokenize('foo | bar | baz'),
+                             ['baz', ['bar',['foo']]])
+            self.assertEqual(tokenize('foo bar | baz'),
+                             ['baz', ['foo', 'bar']])
+            self.assertEqual(tokenize('foo | bar baz'),
+                             ['bar', 'baz', ['foo']])
+            self.assertEqual(tokenize('foo bar | baz quux'),
+                             ['baz', 'quux', ['foo', 'bar']])
+        finally:
+            conf.enablePipeSyntax = False
+        
 
 
 class FunctionsTestCase(unittest.TestCase):