diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4b8d13a..971f1bb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ To execute a spec stored in the file `my-spec.json`, you would run:
 ```shell script
 jvcl my-spec.jvcl
 ```
+or to supply a spec using stdin and pipeline:
+```shell script
+cat my-spec.jvcl | jvcl
+```
 
 #### Scratch Directory
 Output assets will be placed in the scratch directory, unless otherwise specified
diff --git a/bin/jtrim b/bin/jtrim
index bb2ee0c..d7dd6bd 100755
--- a/bin/jtrim
+++ b/bin/jtrim
@@ -31,11 +31,9 @@ echo "
         \"name\": \"trimmed\",
         \"dest\": \"${OUT_FILE}\"
       },
-      \"perform\": {
-        \"trim\": \"input\",
-        \"start\": \"${T_START}s\",
-        \"end\": \"${T_END}s\"
-      }
+      \"trim\": \"input\",
+      \"start\": \"${T_START}\",
+      \"end\": \"${T_END}\"
     }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/bin/jvcl b/bin/jvcl
index a4d8ff0..a239acb 100755
--- a/bin/jvcl
+++ b/bin/jvcl
@@ -4,10 +4,9 @@
 #
 # Usage:
 #
-#    jvcl [-f spec-file] [-t temp-dir]
+#    jvcl [-t temp-dir] spec-file
 #
-# If the `-f` option is omitted and no spec-file is provided, then jvcl will try to read
-# a spec from stdin.
+# If `spec-file` is omitted, then jvcl will try to read a spec from stdin.
 #
 # Every run of JVCL will create a temp directory. You can either specify the name of the directory
 # with `-t` (it will be created if it does not exist), or let jvcl create a temp directory for you.
diff --git a/src/main/java/jvcl/main/JvclOptions.java b/src/main/java/jvcl/main/JvclOptions.java
index 6ac3b91..6e65e8f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/jvcl/main/JvclOptions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/jvcl/main/JvclOptions.java
@@ -21,13 +21,13 @@ import static org.cobbzilla.util.json.JsonUtil.json;
 @Slf4j
 public class JvclOptions extends BaseMainOptions {
 
-    public static final String USAGE_SPEC = "Spec file to run. Set to '-' to read from stdin.";
-    @Argument(usage=USAGE_SPEC, required=true)
+    public static final String USAGE_SPEC = "Spec file to run. If omitted, read spec from stdin.";
+    @Argument(usage=USAGE_SPEC)
     @Getter @Setter private File specFile;
 
     public JSpec getSpec() {
         final String json;
-        if (specFile != null && !specFile.getName().equals("-")) {
+        if (specFile != null) {
             if (!specFile.exists() || !specFile.canRead()) return die("File not found or unreadable: "+abs(specFile));
             json = toStringOrDie(specFile);
         } else {