diff --git a/doc/minimagick.md b/doc/minimagick.md
index 1e2c13f..7cbf772 100644
--- a/doc/minimagick.md
+++ b/doc/minimagick.md
@@ -302,6 +302,10 @@ File.extname(result.path)
 By default the original format is retained when writing the image to a file. If
 the source file doesn't have a file extension, the format will default to JPEG.
 
+When a destination path is given, its extension determines the format. When
+the destination path has no extension, as with a `/dev/fd/N` path, the format
+passed to `#convert` is used instead.
+
 #### `#define`
 
 Adds coder/decoder options with [`-define`] from the specified Hash.
diff --git a/doc/vips.md b/doc/vips.md
index 240307b..9f0d185 100644
--- a/doc/vips.md
+++ b/doc/vips.md
@@ -350,6 +350,10 @@ File.extname(result.path)
 By default the original format is retained when writing the image to a file. If
 the source file doesn't have a file extension, the format will default to JPEG.
 
+When a destination path is given, its extension determines the format. When
+the destination path has no extension, as with a `/dev/fd/N` path, the format
+passed to `#convert` is used instead.
+
 NOTE: libvips 8.6 is able to normally read GIF images (and convert them to
 other formats), but it's not able to *save* to GIF format. If you need full GIF
 support, you need to use libvips 8.7+ compiled with ImageMagick support
diff --git a/lib/image_processing/mini_magick.rb b/lib/image_processing/mini_magick.rb
index b9ce362..8b6ac67 100644
--- a/lib/image_processing/mini_magick.rb
+++ b/lib/image_processing/mini_magick.rb
@@ -73,11 +73,21 @@ def self.load_image(path_or_magick, loader: nil, page: nil, geometry: nil, auto_
 
       # Calls the built ImageMagick command to perform processing and save
       # the result to disk. Accepts additional options related to saving the
-      # image (e.g. quality).
-      def self.save_image(magick, destination_path, allow_splitting: false, **options)
+      # image (e.g. quality). `format` names the output format when given,
+      # otherwise ImageMagick infers it from the path's extension.
+      def self.save_image(magick, destination_path, format = nil, allow_splitting: false, **options)
         Utils.apply_options(magick, **options)
 
-        magick << destination_path
+        if format
+          # ImageMagick reads everything before the first colon as the
+          # format, so a format carrying a colon could redirect the output.
+          format = format.to_s
+          fail Error, "invalid format: #{format.inspect}" unless format.ascii_only? && format.match?(/\A\w+\z/)
+
+          magick << "#{format}:#{destination_path}"
+        else
+          magick << destination_path
+        end
         magick.call
 
         Utils.disallow_split_layers!(destination_path) unless allow_splitting
diff --git a/lib/image_processing/pipeline.rb b/lib/image_processing/pipeline.rb
index 642fd50..621992c 100644
--- a/lib/image_processing/pipeline.rb
+++ b/lib/image_processing/pipeline.rb
@@ -21,7 +21,11 @@ def call(save: true)
         call_processor
       elsif destination
         handle_destination do
-          call_processor(destination: destination)
+          if format && !determine_format(destination)
+            call_processor(destination: destination, format: format)
+          else
+            call_processor(destination: destination)
+          end
         end
       else
         create_tempfile do |tempfile|
diff --git a/lib/image_processing/processor.rb b/lib/image_processing/processor.rb
index e666737..5844b30 100644
--- a/lib/image_processing/processor.rb
+++ b/lib/image_processing/processor.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module ImageProcessing
   # Abstract class inherited by individual processors.
   class Processor
-    def self.call(source:, loader:, operations:, saver:, destination: nil)
+    def self.call(source:, loader:, operations:, saver:, destination: nil, format: nil)
       unless source.is_a?(String) || source.is_a?(self::ACCUMULATOR_CLASS)
         fail Error, "invalid source: #{source.inspect}"
       end
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ def self.call(source:, loader:, operations:, saver:, destination: nil)
         accumulator = apply_operation(accumulator, operation)
       end
 
-      if destination
+      if destination && format
+        save_image(accumulator, destination, format, **saver)
+      elsif destination
         save_image(accumulator, destination, **saver)
       else
         accumulator
diff --git a/lib/image_processing/vips.rb b/lib/image_processing/vips.rb
index c1ff19e..23238d1 100644
--- a/lib/image_processing/vips.rb
+++ b/lib/image_processing/vips.rb
@@ -56,12 +56,21 @@ def self.supports_resize_on_load?
 
       # Writes the Vips::Image object to disk. This starts the processing
       # pipeline defined in the Vips::Image object. Accepts additional
-      # saver-specific options (e.g. quality).
-      def self.save_image(image, path, saver: nil, quality: nil, **options)
+      # saver-specific options (e.g. quality). The saver is chosen by `format`
+      # when given, otherwise by the path's extension.
+      def self.save_image(image, path, format = nil, saver: nil, quality: nil, **options)
         options[:Q] = quality if quality
 
         if saver
           image.public_send(:"#{saver}save", path, **options)
+        elsif format
+          saver = ::Vips.vips_foreign_find_save(".#{format}")
+          fail ::Vips::Error, "No known saver for '#{format}'." unless saver
+
+          filename      = ::Vips.p2str(::Vips.vips_filename_get_filename(path))
+          option_string = ::Vips.p2str(::Vips.vips_filename_get_options(path))
+          options       = Utils.select_valid_options(saver, options)
+          ::Vips::Operation.call(saver, [image, filename], options, option_string)
         else
           options = Utils.select_valid_saver_options(path, options)
           image.write_to_file(path, **options)
diff --git a/test/mini_magick_test.rb b/test/mini_magick_test.rb
index 8bad1bf..818e47d 100644
--- a/test/mini_magick_test.rb
+++ b/test/mini_magick_test.rb
@@ -59,6 +59,24 @@ def with_mini_magick_version(version)
     assert_type "PNG", result
   end
 
+  it "saves in the #convert format to a destination without an extension" do
+    destination = Tempfile.new("destination")
+    ImageProcessing::MiniMagick.convert("png").call(@portrait, destination: destination.path)
+    assert_type "PNG", destination
+  end
+
+  it "refuses a #convert format that ImageMagick would read as more than a format" do
+    destination = Tempfile.new("destination")
+    pipeline = ImageProcessing::MiniMagick.convert("png:redirected-")
+    assert_raises(ImageProcessing::Error) { pipeline.call(@portrait, destination: destination.path) }
+  end
+
+  it "saves in the destination's extension rather than the #convert format" do
+    destination = Tempfile.new(["destination", ".jpg"])
+    ImageProcessing::MiniMagick.convert("png").call(@portrait, destination: destination.path)
+    assert_type "JPEG", destination
+  end
+
   it "accepts page" do
     tiff = Tempfile.new(["file", ".tiff"])
     ImageProcessing::MiniMagick.convert_shim do |convert|
@@ -92,6 +110,17 @@ def with_mini_magick_version(version)
       end
     end
 
+    it "saves in the #convert format to a destination named as an inherited descriptor" do
+      destination = Tempfile.new("destination")
+      File.open(destination.path, "wb") do |file|
+        ImageProcessing::MiniMagick
+          .loader(inherit_fds: [file])
+          .convert("png")
+          .call(@portrait, destination: "/dev/fd/#{file.fileno}")
+      end
+      assert_type "PNG", destination
+    end
+
     it "applies loader, page and geometry to a source named as an inherited descriptor" do
       magick = ImageProcessing::MiniMagick
         .source("/dev/fd/3")
@@ -147,6 +176,20 @@ def with_mini_magick_version(version)
     end
   end
 
+  it "disallows split layers in the #convert format to a destination without an extension" do
+    tiff = Tempfile.new(["file", ".tiff"])
+    ImageProcessing::MiniMagick.convert_shim do |convert|
+      convert.merge! [@portrait.path, @portrait.path, @portrait.path]
+      convert << tiff.path
+    end
+    destination = Tempfile.new("destination")
+
+    pipeline = ImageProcessing::MiniMagick.source(tiff).convert("jpg")
+
+    assert_raises(ImageProcessing::Error) { pipeline.call(destination: destination.path) }
+    assert_empty Dir["#{destination.path}-*"]
+  end
+
   it "allows resizing images without extension" do
     result1 = Tempfile.new("image") # no file extension
 
diff --git a/test/pipeline_test.rb b/test/pipeline_test.rb
index 3ac0319..274ee13 100644
--- a/test/pipeline_test.rb
+++ b/test/pipeline_test.rb
@@ -79,6 +79,17 @@
     assert_raises(Vips::Error) { pipeline.call(destination: destination_path) }
   end
 
+  it "calls a processor whose .call predates the format keyword" do
+    processor = Class.new(ImageProcessing::Vips::Processor) do
+      def self.call(source:, loader:, operations:, saver:, destination: nil)
+        super
+      end
+    end
+    destination = Tempfile.new(["destination", ".png"])
+    ImageProcessing::Vips.branch(processor: processor).convert("jpg").call(@portrait, destination: destination.path)
+    assert_type "PNG", destination
+  end
+
   it "accepts loader options" do
     pipeline = ImageProcessing::Vips.loader(shrink: 2)
     assert_equal Hash[shrink: 2], pipeline.options[:loader]
diff --git a/test/vips_test.rb b/test/vips_test.rb
index 8e21f76..07630d4 100644
--- a/test/vips_test.rb
+++ b/test/vips_test.rb
@@ -126,6 +126,52 @@
     assert_type "PNG", result
   end
 
+  it "saves in the #convert format to a destination without an extension" do
+    destination = Tempfile.new("destination")
+    ImageProcessing::Vips.convert("png").call(@portrait, destination: destination.path)
+    assert_type "PNG", destination
+  end
+
+  it "saves in the #convert format to a destination named as /dev/fd/N" do
+    destination = Tempfile.new("destination")
+    File.open(destination.path, "wb") do |file|
+      ImageProcessing::Vips.convert("png").call(@portrait, destination: "/dev/fd/#{file.fileno}")
+    end
+    assert_type "PNG", destination
+  end
+
+  it "ignores saver options that the #convert format's saver does not define" do
+    destination = Tempfile.new("destination")
+    ImageProcessing::Vips.saver(compression: 9).convert("jpg").call(@portrait, destination: destination.path)
+    assert_type "JPEG", destination
+  end
+
+  it "applies saver options in the #convert format to a destination without an extension" do
+    low, high = Tempfile.new("low"), Tempfile.new("high")
+    ImageProcessing::Vips.saver(quality: 10).convert("jpg").call(@portrait, destination: low.path)
+    ImageProcessing::Vips.saver(quality: 100).convert("jpg").call(@portrait, destination: high.path)
+    assert File.size(low.path) < File.size(high.path)
+  end
+
+  it "applies saver options named in a destination without an extension" do
+    low, high = Tempfile.new("low"), Tempfile.new("high")
+    ImageProcessing::Vips.convert("jpg").call(@portrait, destination: "#{low.path}[Q=10]")
+    ImageProcessing::Vips.convert("jpg").call(@portrait, destination: "#{high.path}[Q=100]")
+    assert File.size(low.path) < File.size(high.path)
+  end
+
+  it "prefers :saver to the #convert format" do
+    destination = Tempfile.new("destination")
+    ImageProcessing::Vips.saver(saver: :png).convert("jpg").call(@portrait, destination: destination.path)
+    assert_type "PNG", destination
+  end
+
+  it "saves in the destination's extension rather than the #convert format" do
+    destination = Tempfile.new(["destination", ".jpg"])
+    ImageProcessing::Vips.convert("png").call(@portrait, destination: destination.path)
+    assert_type "JPEG", destination
+  end
+
   describe ".valid_image?" do
     it "returns true for correct images" do
       assert ImageProcessing::Vips.valid_image?(@portrait)