diff --git a/bb64.cpp b/bb64.cpp
index 26af5d4..0fed2b6 100644
--- a/bb64.cpp
+++ b/bb64.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,41 @@ constexpr unsigned int hash(const char *s, int off = 0)
     return !s[off] ? 5381 : (hash(s, off + 1) * 33) ^ s[off];
 }
 
+std::string tidy(const std::string &str)
+{
+    std::string result;
+    bool in_whitespace = false;
+    for (char c : str)
+    {
+        // Remove non-printable characters except for whitespace (space, tab, newline, carriage return)
+        if ((static_cast<unsigned char>(c) < 32 && c != ' ' && c != '\t' && c != '\n' && c != '\r') || static_cast<unsigned char>(c) == 127)
+        {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (c == ' ' || c == '\t' || c == '\n' || c == '\r')
+        {
+            if (!in_whitespace)
+            {
+                result += ' ';
+                in_whitespace = true;
+            }
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            result += c;
+            in_whitespace = false;
+        }
+    }
+    // Remove leading whitespace
+    size_t start = result.find_first_not_of(' ');
+    if (start == std::string::npos)
+        return "";
+    // Remove trailing whitespace
+    size_t end = result.find_last_not_of(' ');
+    return result.substr(start, end - start + 1);
+}
+    
+
 std::string get_arch()
 {
     // determine the architecture of the system
@@ -108,7 +143,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 Usage:
     bb64 BASE64COMMAND          Decodes and runs the command
     bb64 -[i|d] BASE64COMMAND   Displays the decoded command
-    bb64 -e COMMAND             Encodes the command and prints the result
+    
+    bb64 -e COMMAND             Encodes the command and prints the base64 encoded result
+    bb64 -e                     Encodes the command provided on stdin and prints the result
+
     bb64 -u                     Updates bb64 to the latest version (uses docker)
 
 )" << std::endl;
@@ -121,11 +159,25 @@ Usage:
     {
         if (mode == "-u")
             return update_bb64();
+        else if (mode == "-e")
+        {
+            std::ostringstream oss;
+            while (std::cin)
+            {
+                std::string line;
+                std::getline(std::cin, line);
+                oss << line << std::endl;
+            }
+            std::string tidier = tidy(oss.str());
+            std::cout << base64_encode(tidier) << std::endl;
+            return 0;
+        }
         else
             return decode_and_run(mode);
     }
 
     std::ostringstream oss;
+    std::string tidier;
 
     switch (hash(mode.c_str()))
     {
@@ -138,7 +190,8 @@ Usage:
     case hash("-e"):
         for (int i = 2; i < argc; ++i)
             oss << (i > 2 ? " " : "") << argv[i];
-        std::cout << base64_encode(oss.str()) << std::endl;
+        tidier = tidy(oss.str());
+        std::cout << base64_encode(tidier) << std::endl;
         break;
     default:
         std::cerr << "Invalid mode: " << mode << std::endl;
diff --git a/version.h b/version.h
index 815cfe9..e72b3ca 100644
--- a/version.h
+++ b/version.h
@@ -1 +1 @@
-static const char *VERSION = "33";
+static const char *VERSION = "34";