diff --git a/lib/markdown2.py b/lib/markdown2.py
index 43596ddf..be5a8110 100755
--- a/lib/markdown2.py
+++ b/lib/markdown2.py
@@ -184,13 +184,13 @@ def markdown_path(path, encoding="utf-8",
 def markdown(text, html4tags=False, tab_width=DEFAULT_TAB_WIDTH,
              safe_mode=None, extras=None, link_patterns=None,
              footnote_title=None, footnote_return_symbol=None,
-             use_file_vars=False):
+             use_file_vars=False, cli=False):
     return Markdown(html4tags=html4tags, tab_width=tab_width,
                     safe_mode=safe_mode, extras=extras,
                     link_patterns=link_patterns,
                     footnote_title=footnote_title,
                     footnote_return_symbol=footnote_return_symbol,
-                    use_file_vars=use_file_vars).convert(text)
+                    use_file_vars=use_file_vars, cli=cli).convert(text)
 
 
 class Markdown(object):
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ class Markdown(object):
     def __init__(self, html4tags=False, tab_width=4, safe_mode=None,
                  extras=None, link_patterns=None,
                  footnote_title=None, footnote_return_symbol=None,
-                 use_file_vars=False):
+                 use_file_vars=False, cli=False):
         if html4tags:
             self.empty_element_suffix = ">"
         else:
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ def __init__(self, html4tags=False, tab_width=4, safe_mode=None,
         self.footnote_return_symbol = footnote_return_symbol
         self.use_file_vars = use_file_vars
         self._outdent_re = re.compile(r'^(\t|[ ]{1,%d})' % tab_width, re.M)
+        self.cli = cli
 
         self._escape_table = g_escape_table.copy()
         if "smarty-pants" in self.extras:
@@ -393,11 +394,21 @@ def convert(self, text):
         if "target-blank-links" in self.extras:
             text = self._a_blank.sub(r'<\1 target="_blank"\2', text)
 
+        if "toc" in self.extras and self._toc:
+            self._toc_html = calculate_toc_html(self._toc)
+
+            # Prepend toc html to output
+            if self.cli:
+                text = '{}\n{}'.format(self._toc_html, text)
+
         text += "\n"
 
+        # Attach attrs to output
         rv = UnicodeWithAttrs(text)
-        if "toc" in self.extras:
-            rv._toc = self._toc
+
+        if "toc" in self.extras and self._toc:
+            rv.toc_html = self._toc_html
+
         if "metadata" in self.extras:
             rv.metadata = self.metadata
         return rv
@@ -2229,46 +2240,48 @@ class MarkdownWithExtras(Markdown):
 
 # ---- internal support functions
 
+
+def calculate_toc_html(toc):
+    """Return the HTML for the current TOC.
+
+    This expects the `_toc` attribute to have been set on this instance.
+    """
+    if toc is None:
+        return None
+
+    def indent():
+        return '  ' * (len(h_stack) - 1)
+    lines = []
+    h_stack = [0]   # stack of header-level numbers
+    for level, id, name in toc:
+        if level > h_stack[-1]:
+            lines.append("%s<ul>" % indent())
+            h_stack.append(level)
+        elif level == h_stack[-1]:
+            lines[-1] += "</li>"
+        else:
+            while level < h_stack[-1]:
+                h_stack.pop()
+                if not lines[-1].endswith("</li>"):
+                    lines[-1] += "</li>"
+                lines.append("%s</ul></li>" % indent())
+        lines.append('%s<li><a href="#%s">%s</a>' % (
+            indent(), id, name))
+    while len(h_stack) > 1:
+        h_stack.pop()
+        if not lines[-1].endswith("</li>"):
+            lines[-1] += "</li>"
+        lines.append("%s</ul>" % indent())
+    return '\n'.join(lines) + '\n'
+
+
 class UnicodeWithAttrs(unicode):
     """A subclass of unicode used for the return value of conversion to
     possibly attach some attributes. E.g. the "toc_html" attribute when
     the "toc" extra is used.
     """
     metadata = None
-    _toc = None
-    def toc_html(self):
-        """Return the HTML for the current TOC.
-
-        This expects the `_toc` attribute to have been set on this instance.
-        """
-        if self._toc is None:
-            return None
-
-        def indent():
-            return '  ' * (len(h_stack) - 1)
-        lines = []
-        h_stack = [0]   # stack of header-level numbers
-        for level, id, name in self._toc:
-            if level > h_stack[-1]:
-                lines.append("%s<ul>" % indent())
-                h_stack.append(level)
-            elif level == h_stack[-1]:
-                lines[-1] += "</li>"
-            else:
-                while level < h_stack[-1]:
-                    h_stack.pop()
-                    if not lines[-1].endswith("</li>"):
-                        lines[-1] += "</li>"
-                    lines.append("%s</ul></li>" % indent())
-            lines.append('%s<li><a href="#%s">%s</a>' % (
-                indent(), id, name))
-        while len(h_stack) > 1:
-            h_stack.pop()
-            if not lines[-1].endswith("</li>"):
-                lines[-1] += "</li>"
-            lines.append("%s</ul>" % indent())
-        return '\n'.join(lines) + '\n'
-    toc_html = property(toc_html)
+    toc_html = None
 
 ## {{{ http://code.activestate.com/recipes/577257/ (r1)
 _slugify_strip_re = re.compile(r'[^\w\s-]')
@@ -2647,7 +2660,8 @@ def main(argv=None):
             html4tags=opts.html4tags,
             safe_mode=opts.safe_mode,
             extras=extras, link_patterns=link_patterns,
-            use_file_vars=opts.use_file_vars)
+            use_file_vars=opts.use_file_vars,
+            cli=True)
         if py3:
             sys.stdout.write(html)
         else: