Index: Lib/pydoc.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/pydoc.py	(revision 86589)
+++ Lib/pydoc.py	(working copy)
@@ -1310,6 +1310,11 @@
             line += '\n' + self.indent(str(doc))
         return line
 
+class PlainTextDoc(TextDoc):
+    """Subclass of TextDoc which overrides string formatting"""
+    def bold(self,text):
+        return text
+
 # --------------------------------------------------------- user interfaces
 
 def pager(text):
@@ -1464,6 +1469,7 @@
 # --------------------------------------- interactive interpreter interface
 
 text = TextDoc()
+plaintext = PlainTextDoc()
 html = HTMLDoc()
 
 def resolve(thing, forceload=0):
@@ -1476,8 +1482,10 @@
     else:
         return thing, getattr(thing, '__name__', None)
 
-def render_doc(thing, title='Python Library Documentation: %s', forceload=0):
+def render_doc(thing, title='Python Library Documentation: %s', forceload=0, renderer=None):
     """Render text documentation, given an object or a path to an object."""
+    if renderer is None:
+        renderer = text
     object, name = resolve(thing, forceload)
     desc = describe(object)
     module = inspect.getmodule(object)
@@ -1496,12 +1504,15 @@
         # document its available methods instead of its value.
         object = type(object)
         desc += ' object'
-    return title % desc + '\n\n' + text.document(object, name)
+    return title % desc + '\n\n' + renderer.document(object, name)
 
-def doc(thing, title='Python Library Documentation: %s', forceload=0):
+def doc(thing, title='Python Library Documentation: %s', forceload=0, output=None):
     """Display text documentation, given an object or a path to an object."""
     try:
-        pager(render_doc(thing, title, forceload))
+        if output:
+            output.write(render_doc(thing, title, forceload, plaintext))
+        else:
+            pager(render_doc(thing, title, forceload))
     except (ImportError, ErrorDuringImport) as value:
         print(value)
 
@@ -1754,9 +1765,9 @@
             elif request in self.symbols: self.showsymbol(request)
             elif request in self.keywords: self.showtopic(request)
             elif request in self.topics: self.showtopic(request)
-            elif request: doc(request, 'Help on %s:')
+            elif request: doc(request, 'Help on %s:',output=self._output)
         elif isinstance(request, Helper): self()
-        else: doc(request, 'Help on %s:')
+        else: doc(request, 'Help on %s:',output=self._output)
         self.output.write('\n')
 
     def intro(self):
Index: Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	(revision 86589)
+++ Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	(working copy)
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import unittest
 import test.support
 import xml.etree
+from io import StringIO
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from test.support import (
     TESTFN, forget, rmtree, EnvironmentVarGuard, reap_children)
@@ -327,7 +328,41 @@
         self.assertEqual(stripid("<type 'exceptions.Exception'>"),
                          "<type 'exceptions.Exception'>")
 
+    @unittest.skipIf(sys.flags.optimize >= 2,
+                     "Docstrings are omitted with -O2 and above")
+    def test_help_output_redirect(self):
+        # issue 940286, if output is set in Helper, then output from
+        # Helper.help should be redirected
+        global expected_text_pattern
+        old_pattern = expected_text_pattern
+        getpager_old = pydoc.getpager
+        getpager_new = lambda: (lambda x: x)
+        pydoc.getpager = getpager_new
 
+        buf = StringIO()
+        helper = pydoc.Helper(output=buf)
+        unused, doc_loc = get_pydoc_text(pydoc_mod)
+        module = "test.pydoc_mod"
+        help_header = """
+        Help on module test.pydoc_mod in test:
+
+        """.lstrip().rstrip(' ')
+        expected_text_pattern = help_header + expected_text_pattern
+
+        helper.help(module)
+        result = buf.getvalue().strip()
+        expected_text = expected_text_pattern % \
+                        (doc_loc, inspect.getabsfile(pydoc_mod))
+
+        expected_text_pattern = old_pattern
+        pydoc.getpager = getpager_old
+
+        if result != expected_text:
+            print_diffs(expected_text, result)
+            self.fail("outputs are not equal, see diff above")
+
+
+
 class TestDescriptions(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_module(self):