diff --git a/command/pr.go b/command/pr.go
index a5b1f0079af..81dd0bb8018 100644
--- a/command/pr.go
+++ b/command/pr.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package command
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"os"
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -206,8 +207,13 @@ func prList(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	})
 
 	title := listHeader(ghrepo.FullName(baseRepo), "pull request", len(listResult.PullRequests), listResult.TotalCount, hasFilters)
-	// TODO: avoid printing header if piped to a script
-	fmt.Fprintf(colorableErr(cmd), "\n%s\n\n", title)
+
+	out := cmd.OutOrStdout()
+	if outFile, isFile := out.(*os.File); isFile {
+		if utils.IsTerminal(outFile) {
+			fmt.Fprintf(colorableErr(cmd), "\n%s\n\n", title)
+		}
+	}
 
 	table := utils.NewTablePrinter(cmd.OutOrStdout())
 	for _, pr := range listResult.PullRequests {
diff --git a/command/pr_test.go b/command/pr_test.go
index 074420debae..9d10a89eda0 100644
--- a/command/pr_test.go
+++ b/command/pr_test.go
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ Requesting a code review from you
 	}
 }
 
-func TestPRList(t *testing.T) {
+func TestPRList_stdout_is_not_a_tty(t *testing.T) {
 	initBlankContext("", "OWNER/REPO", "master")
 	http := initFakeHTTP()
 	http.StubRepoResponse("OWNER", "REPO")
@@ -278,17 +278,14 @@ func TestPRList(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	eq(t, output.Stderr(), `
-Showing 3 of 3 pull requests in OWNER/REPO
-
-`)
+	eq(t, output.Stderr(), ``)
 	eq(t, output.String(), `32	New feature	feature
 29	Fixed bad bug	hubot:bug-fix
 28	Improve documentation	docs
 `)
 }
 
-func TestPRList_filtering(t *testing.T) {
+func TestPRList_filtering_stdout_is_not_a_tty(t *testing.T) {
 	initBlankContext("", "OWNER/REPO", "master")
 	http := initFakeHTTP()
 	http.StubRepoResponse("OWNER", "REPO")
@@ -302,10 +299,7 @@ func TestPRList_filtering(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	eq(t, output.String(), "")
-	eq(t, output.Stderr(), `
-No pull requests match your search in OWNER/REPO
-
-`)
+	eq(t, output.Stderr(), ``)
 
 	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[1].Body)
 	reqBody := struct {