diff --git a/Lib/contextlib.py b/Lib/contextlib.py
--- a/Lib/contextlib.py
+++ b/Lib/contextlib.py
@@ -146,41 +146,54 @@ class closing(object):
     """
     def __init__(self, thing):
         self.thing = thing
     def __enter__(self):
         return self.thing
     def __exit__(self, *exc_info):
         self.thing.close()
 
-class redirect_stdout:
+
+class redirect_stream:
+
+    _stream = None
+
+    def __init__(self, new_target):
+        self._new_target = new_target
+        # We use a list of old targets to make this CM re-entrant
+        self._old_targets = []
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        self._old_targets.append(getattr(sys, self._stream))
+        setattr(sys, self._stream, self._new_target)
+        return self._new_target
+
+    def __exit__(self, exctype, excinst, exctb):
+        setattr(sys, self._stream, self._old_targets.pop())
+
+
+class redirect_stdout(redirect_stream):
     """Context manager for temporarily redirecting stdout to another file
 
         # How to send help() to stderr
         with redirect_stdout(sys.stderr):
             help(dir)
 
         # How to write help() to a file
         with open('help.txt', 'w') as f:
             with redirect_stdout(f):
                 help(pow)
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, new_target):
-        self._new_target = new_target
-        # We use a list of old targets to make this CM re-entrant
-        self._old_targets = []
+    _stream = "stdout"
 
-    def __enter__(self):
-        self._old_targets.append(sys.stdout)
-        sys.stdout = self._new_target
-        return self._new_target
 
-    def __exit__(self, exctype, excinst, exctb):
-        sys.stdout = self._old_targets.pop()
+class redirect_stderr(redirect_stream):
+
+    _stream = "stderr"
 
 
 class suppress:
     """Context manager to suppress specified exceptions
 
     After the exception is suppressed, execution proceeds with the next
     statement following the with statement.