diff --git a/src/nvim/eval.c b/src/nvim/eval.c
index 80ae356ef7..8af7965dfc 100644
--- a/src/nvim/eval.c
+++ b/src/nvim/eval.c
@@ -6543,6 +6543,7 @@ static struct fst {
   {"synconcealed",    2, 2, f_synconcealed},
   {"synstack",        2, 2, f_synstack},
   {"system",          1, 2, f_system},
+  {"systemlist",      1, 2, f_systemlist},
   {"tabpagebuflist",  0, 1, f_tabpagebuflist},
   {"tabpagenr",       0, 1, f_tabpagenr},
   {"tabpagewinnr",    1, 2, f_tabpagewinnr},
@@ -9873,7 +9874,7 @@ static void f_has(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
     "spell",
     "syntax",
 #if !defined(UNIX)
-    "system",
+    "system",  // TODO(SplinterOfChaos): This IS defined for UNIX!
 #endif
     "tag_binary",
     "tag_old_static",
@@ -14415,8 +14416,8 @@ static void f_synstack(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
   }
 }
 
-/// f_system - the VimL system() function
-static void f_system(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
+static void get_system_output_as_rettv(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv, 
+                                       bool retlist)
 {
   rettv->v_type = VAR_STRING;
   rettv->vval.v_string = NULL;
@@ -14453,9 +14454,41 @@ static void f_system(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
 
   set_vim_var_nr(VV_SHELL_ERROR, (long) status);
 
+  if (res == NULL) {
+    rettv->v_type = VAR_STRING;
+    rettv->vval.v_string = NULL;
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (retlist) {
+    list_T *list = list_alloc();
+
+    // Copy each line to a list element using NL as the delimiter.
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < nread; i++) {
+      char_u *start = (char_u *) res + i;
+      size_t len = (char_u *) xmemscan(start, NL, nread - i) - start;
+      i += len;
+
+      char_u *s = vim_strnsave(start, len);
+      for (size_t j = 0; j < len; j++) {
+        if (s[j] == NUL) {
+          s[j] = NL;
+        }
+      }
+
+      listitem_T  *li = listitem_alloc();
+      li->li_tv.v_type = VAR_STRING;
+      li->li_tv.vval.v_string = s;
+      list_append(list, li);
+    }
+
+    free(res);
+
+    rettv->v_type = VAR_LIST;
+    rettv->vval.v_list = list;
+  } else {
 #ifdef USE_CRNL
-  // translate <CR><NL> into <NL>
-  if (res != NULL) {
+    // translate <CR><NL> into <NL>
     char *d = res;
     for (char *s = res; *s; ++s) {
       if (s[0] == CAR && s[1] == NL) {
@@ -14466,12 +14499,23 @@ static void f_system(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
     }
 
     *d = NUL;
-  }
 #endif
-
-  rettv->vval.v_string = (char_u *) res;
+    rettv->vval.v_string = (char_u *) res;
+  }
 }
 
+/// f_system - the VimL system() function
+static void f_system(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
+{
+  get_system_output_as_rettv(argvars, rettv, false);
+}
+
+static void f_systemlist(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
+{
+  get_system_output_as_rettv(argvars, rettv, true);
+}
+
+
 /*
  * "tabpagebuflist()" function
  */
diff --git a/src/nvim/ex_cmds2.c b/src/nvim/ex_cmds2.c
index 0703c76b8a..056a101d47 100644
--- a/src/nvim/ex_cmds2.c
+++ b/src/nvim/ex_cmds2.c
@@ -3181,8 +3181,8 @@ static char_u **find_locales(void)
 
   /* Find all available locales by running command "locale -a".  If this
    * doesn't work we won't have completion. */
-  char_u *locale_a = get_cmd_output((char_u *)"locale -a",
-      NULL, kShellOptSilent);
+  char_u *locale_a = get_cmd_output((char_u *)"locale -a", NULL,
+                                    kShellOptSilent, NULL);
   if (locale_a == NULL)
     return NULL;
   ga_init(&locales_ga, sizeof(char_u *), 20);
diff --git a/src/nvim/misc1.c b/src/nvim/misc1.c
index 52780b9a57..f832fa25f2 100644
--- a/src/nvim/misc1.c
+++ b/src/nvim/misc1.c
@@ -3401,13 +3401,16 @@ void fast_breakcheck(void)
 
 /*
  * Get the stdout of an external command.
+ * If "ret_len" is NULL replace NUL characters with NL.  When "ret_len" is not
+ * NULL store the length there.
  * Returns an allocated string, or NULL for error.
  */
 char_u *
 get_cmd_output (
     char_u *cmd,
     char_u *infile,            /* optional input file name */
-    int flags                      /* can be SHELL_SILENT */
+    int flags,                 // can be kShellOptSilent
+    size_t *ret_len
 )
 {
   char_u      *tempname;
@@ -3463,13 +3466,15 @@ get_cmd_output (
     EMSG2(_(e_notread), tempname);
     free(buffer);
     buffer = NULL;
-  } else {
+  } else if (ret_len == NULL) {
     /* Change NUL into SOH, otherwise the string is truncated. */
     for (i = 0; i < len; ++i)
       if (buffer[i] == NUL)
         buffer[i] = 1;
 
     buffer[len] = NUL;          /* make sure the buffer is terminated */
+  } else {
+    *ret_len = len;
   }
 
 done:
diff --git a/src/nvim/path.c b/src/nvim/path.c
index 6990a1817c..ff97b7774a 100644
--- a/src/nvim/path.c
+++ b/src/nvim/path.c
@@ -1172,7 +1172,7 @@ expand_backtick (
     buffer = eval_to_string(cmd + 1, &p, TRUE);
   else
     buffer = get_cmd_output(cmd, NULL,
-        (flags & EW_SILENT) ? kShellOptSilent : 0);
+        (flags & EW_SILENT) ? kShellOptSilent : 0, NULL);
   free(cmd);
   if (buffer == NULL)
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/nvim/version.c b/src/nvim/version.c
index ab609bf492..a453c0ee10 100644
--- a/src/nvim/version.c
+++ b/src/nvim/version.c
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ static int included_patches[] = {
   251,
   //250 NA
   //249,
-  //248,
+  248,
   247,
   //246,
   245,