diff --git a/fmt/format.cc b/fmt/format.cc
index b770fc02..55ece67c 100644
--- a/fmt/format.cc
+++ b/fmt/format.cc
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ template void internal::FixedBuffer<char>::grow(std::size_t);
 
 template void internal::ArgMap<char>::init(const format_args &args);
 
-template void PrintfFormatter<char>::format(CStringRef format);
+template void PrintfFormatter<char>::format(Writer &writer, CStringRef format);
 
 template int internal::CharTraits<char>::format_float(
     char *buffer, std::size_t size, const char *format,
@@ -479,7 +479,8 @@ template void internal::FixedBuffer<wchar_t>::grow(std::size_t);
 
 template void internal::ArgMap<wchar_t>::init(const format_args &args);
 
-template void PrintfFormatter<wchar_t>::format(WCStringRef format);
+template void PrintfFormatter<wchar_t>::format(WWriter &writer,
+                                               WCStringRef format);
 
 template int internal::CharTraits<wchar_t>::format_float(
     wchar_t *buffer, std::size_t size, const wchar_t *format,
diff --git a/fmt/format.h b/fmt/format.h
index 8cddbd7f..9d9359bc 100644
--- a/fmt/format.h
+++ b/fmt/format.h
@@ -2132,13 +2132,13 @@ private:
     next_arg_index_ = -1;
     return true;
   }
-
-  template <typename Char>
-  void write(BasicWriter<Char> &w, const Char *start, const Char *end) {
-    if (start != end)
-      w << BasicStringRef<Char>(start, internal::to_unsigned(end - start));
-  }
 };
+
+template <typename Char>
+inline void write(BasicWriter<Char> &w, const Char *start, const Char *end) {
+  if (start != end)
+    w << BasicStringRef<Char>(start, internal::to_unsigned(end - start));
+}
 }  // namespace internal
 
 /**
@@ -2173,14 +2173,15 @@ class BasicArgFormatter : public internal::ArgFormatterBase<Impl, Char> {
     to the part of the format string being parsed for custom argument types.
     \endrst
    */
-  BasicArgFormatter(basic_formatter<Char, Impl> &formatter,
+  BasicArgFormatter(BasicWriter<Char> &writer,
+                    basic_formatter<Char, Impl> &formatter,
                     FormatSpec &spec, const Char *fmt)
-  : internal::ArgFormatterBase<Impl, Char>(formatter.writer(), spec),
+  : internal::ArgFormatterBase<Impl, Char>(writer, spec),
     formatter_(formatter), format_(fmt) {}
 
   /** Formats an argument of a custom (user-defined) type. */
   void visit_custom(internal::Arg::CustomValue c) {
-    c.format(&formatter_.writer(), c.value, &formatter_, &format_);
+    c.format(&this->writer(), c.value, &formatter_, &format_);
   }
 };
 
@@ -2189,9 +2190,9 @@ template <typename Char>
 class ArgFormatter : public BasicArgFormatter<ArgFormatter<Char>, Char> {
  public:
   /** Constructs an argument formatter object. */
-  ArgFormatter(basic_formatter<Char> &formatter,
+  ArgFormatter(BasicWriter<Char> &writer, basic_formatter<Char> &formatter,
                FormatSpec &spec, const Char *fmt)
-  : BasicArgFormatter<ArgFormatter<Char>, Char>(formatter, spec, fmt) {}
+  : BasicArgFormatter<ArgFormatter<Char>, Char>(writer, formatter, spec, fmt) {}
 };
 
 /** This template formats data and writes the output to a writer. */
@@ -2203,7 +2204,6 @@ class basic_formatter :
   typedef Char char_type;
 
  private:
-  BasicWriter<Char> &writer_;
   internal::ArgMap<Char> map_;
 
   FMT_DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(basic_formatter);
@@ -2215,41 +2215,26 @@ class basic_formatter :
   // specified name.
   internal::Arg get_arg(BasicStringRef<Char> arg_name, const char *&error);
 
-  // Parses argument index and returns corresponding argument.
-  internal::Arg parse_arg_index(const Char *&s);
-
-  // Parses argument name and returns corresponding argument.
-  internal::Arg parse_arg_name(const Char *&s);
-
  public:
   /**
    \rst
-   Constructs a ``basic_formatter`` object. References to the arguments and
-   the writer are stored in the formatter object so make sure they have
-   appropriate lifetimes.
+   Constructs a ``basic_formatter`` object. References to the arguments are
+   stored in the formatter object so make sure they have appropriate lifetimes.
    \endrst
    */
-  basic_formatter(basic_format_args<basic_formatter> args, BasicWriter<Char> &w)
-    : Base(args), writer_(w) {}
+  basic_formatter(basic_format_args<basic_formatter> args) : Base(args) {}
 
-  /** Returns a reference to the writer associated with this formatter. */
-  BasicWriter<Char> &writer() { return writer_; }
-
-  /** Formats stored arguments and writes the output to the writer. */
-  void format(BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str);
+  // Parses argument index and returns corresponding argument.
+  internal::Arg parse_arg_index(const Char *&s);
+  
+  // Parses argument name and returns corresponding argument.
+  internal::Arg parse_arg_name(const Char *&s);
 
   // Formats a single argument and advances format_str, a format string pointer.
-  const Char *format(const Char *&format_str, const internal::Arg &arg);
+  const Char *format(BasicWriter<Char> &writer, const Char *&format_str,
+                     const internal::Arg &arg);
 };
 
-template <typename ArgFormatter, typename Char = typename ArgFormatter::Char>
-void vformat(BasicWriter<Char> &writer,
-             BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str,
-             basic_format_args<basic_formatter<Char, ArgFormatter>> args) {
-  basic_formatter<Char, ArgFormatter> formatter(args, writer);
-  formatter.format(format_str);
-}
-
 /**
  An error returned by an operating system or a language runtime,
  for example a file opening error.
@@ -3463,13 +3448,13 @@ inline internal::Arg basic_formatter<Char, AF>::parse_arg_name(const Char *&s) {
 
 template <typename Char, typename ArgFormatter>
 const Char *basic_formatter<Char, ArgFormatter>::format(
-    const Char *&format_str, const internal::Arg &arg) {
+    BasicWriter<Char> &writer, const Char *&format_str, const internal::Arg &arg) {
   using internal::Arg;
   const Char *s = format_str;
   FormatSpec spec;
   if (*s == ':') {
     if (arg.type == Arg::CUSTOM) {
-      arg.custom.format(&writer(), arg.custom.value, this, &s);
+      arg.custom.format(&writer, arg.custom.value, this, &s);
       return s;
     }
     ++s;
@@ -3627,30 +3612,33 @@ const Char *basic_formatter<Char, ArgFormatter>::format(
     FMT_THROW(format_error("missing '}' in format string"));
 
   // Format argument.
-  ArgFormatter(*this, spec, s - 1).visit(arg);
+  ArgFormatter(writer, *this, spec, s - 1).visit(arg);
   return s;
 }
 
-template <typename Char, typename AF>
-void basic_formatter<Char, AF>::format(BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str) {
+/** Formats arguments and writes the output to the writer. */
+template <typename ArgFormatter, typename Char = typename ArgFormatter::Char>
+void vformat(BasicWriter<Char> &writer, BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str,
+             basic_format_args<basic_formatter<Char, ArgFormatter>> args) {
+  basic_formatter<Char, ArgFormatter> formatter(args);
   const Char *s = format_str.c_str();
   const Char *start = s;
   while (*s) {
     Char c = *s++;
     if (c != '{' && c != '}') continue;
     if (*s == c) {
-      this->write(writer_, start, s);
+      internal::write(writer, start, s);
       start = ++s;
       continue;
     }
     if (c == '}')
       FMT_THROW(format_error("unmatched '}' in format string"));
-    this->write(writer_, start, s - 1);
+    internal::write(writer, start, s - 1);
     internal::Arg arg = internal::is_name_start(*s) ?
-          parse_arg_name(s) : parse_arg_index(s);
-    start = s = format(s, arg);
+    formatter.parse_arg_name(s) : formatter.parse_arg_index(s);
+    start = s = formatter.format(writer, s, arg);
   }
-  this->write(writer_, start, s);
+  internal::write(writer, start, s);
 }
 }  // namespace fmt
 
diff --git a/fmt/ostream.h b/fmt/ostream.h
index 968a4100..6173e688 100644
--- a/fmt/ostream.h
+++ b/fmt/ostream.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ void format_value(BasicWriter<Char> &w, const T &value,
   internal::MemoryBuffer<Char, internal::INLINE_BUFFER_SIZE> buffer;
   auto str = internal::format_value(buffer, value);
   typedef internal::MakeArg< basic_formatter<Char> > MakeArg;
-  format_str = f.format(format_str, MakeArg(str));
+  format_str = f.format(w, format_str, MakeArg(str));
 }
 
 FMT_API void vprint(std::ostream &os, CStringRef format_str, format_args args);
diff --git a/fmt/printf.h b/fmt/printf.h
index cf9a8517..7d171255 100644
--- a/fmt/printf.h
+++ b/fmt/printf.h
@@ -262,11 +262,11 @@ class BasicPrintfArgFormatter : public internal::ArgFormatterBase<Impl, Char> {
 
   /** Formats an argument of a custom (user-defined) type. */
   void visit_custom(internal::Arg::CustomValue c) {
-    basic_formatter<Char> formatter(basic_format_args<basic_formatter<Char>>(),
-                                   this->writer());
+    typedef basic_formatter<Char> Formatter;
+    Formatter formatter((basic_format_args<Formatter>()));
     const Char format_str[] = {'}', 0};
     const Char *format = format_str;
-    c.format(&formatter.writer(), c.value, &formatter, &format);
+    c.format(&this->writer(), c.value, &formatter, &format);
   }
 };
 
@@ -290,8 +290,6 @@ class PrintfFormatter :
   typedef Char char_type;
 
  private:
-  BasicWriter<Char> &writer_;
-
   typedef internal::FormatterBase<PrintfFormatter> Base;
 
   void parse_flags(FormatSpec &spec, const Char *&s);
@@ -313,14 +311,12 @@ class PrintfFormatter :
    appropriate lifetimes.
    \endrst
    */
-  explicit PrintfFormatter(basic_format_args<PrintfFormatter> args,
-                           BasicWriter<Char> &w)
-    : Base(args), writer_(w) {}
-
-  BasicWriter<Char> &writer() { return writer_; }
+  explicit PrintfFormatter(basic_format_args<PrintfFormatter> args)
+    : Base(args) {}
   
   /** Formats stored arguments and writes the output to the writer. */
-  FMT_API void format(BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str);
+  FMT_API void format(BasicWriter<Char> &writer,
+                      BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str);
 };
 
 template <typename Char, typename AF>
@@ -396,18 +392,19 @@ unsigned PrintfFormatter<Char, AF>::parse_header(
 }
 
 template <typename Char, typename AF>
-void PrintfFormatter<Char, AF>::format(BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str) {
+void PrintfFormatter<Char, AF>::format(BasicWriter<Char> &writer,
+                                       BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str) {
   const Char *start = format_str.c_str();
   const Char *s = start;
   while (*s) {
     Char c = *s++;
     if (c != '%') continue;
     if (*s == c) {
-      this->write(writer_, start, s);
+      internal::write(writer, start, s);
       start = ++s;
       continue;
     }
-    this->write(writer_, start, s - 1);
+    internal::write(writer, start, s - 1);
 
     FormatSpec spec;
     spec.align_ = ALIGN_RIGHT;
@@ -490,9 +487,9 @@ void PrintfFormatter<Char, AF>::format(BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str) {
     start = s;
 
     // Format argument.
-    AF(writer_, spec).visit(arg);
+    AF(writer, spec).visit(arg);
   }
-  this->write(writer_, start, s);
+  internal::write(writer, start, s);
 }
 
 // Formats a value.
@@ -500,13 +497,13 @@ template <typename Char, typename T>
 void format_value(BasicWriter<Char> &w, const T &value,
                   PrintfFormatter<Char> &f, const Char *&) {
   internal::MemoryBuffer<Char, internal::INLINE_BUFFER_SIZE> buffer;
-  f.writer() << internal::format_value(buffer, value);
+  w << internal::format_value(buffer, value);
 }
 
 template <typename Char>
 void printf(BasicWriter<Char> &w, BasicCStringRef<Char> format,
             basic_format_args<PrintfFormatter<Char>> args) {
-  PrintfFormatter<Char>(args, w).format(format);
+  PrintfFormatter<Char>(args).format(w, format);
 }
 
 inline std::string vsprintf(CStringRef format,
diff --git a/test/custom-formatter-test.cc b/test/custom-formatter-test.cc
index 53227a3c..499e07a2 100644
--- a/test/custom-formatter-test.cc
+++ b/test/custom-formatter-test.cc
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ using fmt::BasicPrintfArgFormatter;
 class CustomArgFormatter
   : public fmt::BasicArgFormatter<CustomArgFormatter, char> {
  public:
-  CustomArgFormatter(fmt::basic_formatter<char, CustomArgFormatter> &f,
+  CustomArgFormatter(fmt::Writer &w,
+                     fmt::basic_formatter<char, CustomArgFormatter> &f,
                      fmt::FormatSpec &s, const char *fmt)
-  : fmt::BasicArgFormatter<CustomArgFormatter, char>(f, s, fmt) {}
+  : fmt::BasicArgFormatter<CustomArgFormatter, char>(w, f, s, fmt) {}
 
   void visit_double(double value) {
     if (round(value * pow(10, spec().precision())) == 0)
@@ -47,12 +48,11 @@ class CustomPrintfArgFormatter :
 
 typedef fmt::basic_formatter<char, CustomArgFormatter> CustomFormatter;
 
-std::string custom_vformat(const char *format_str,
+std::string custom_vformat(fmt::CStringRef format_str,
                            fmt::basic_format_args<CustomFormatter> args) {
   fmt::MemoryWriter writer;
-  // Pass custom argument formatter as a template arg to basic_formatter.
-  CustomFormatter formatter(args, writer);
-  formatter.format(format_str);
+  // Pass custom argument formatter as a template arg to vformat.
+  fmt::vformat<CustomArgFormatter>(writer, format_str, args);
   return writer.str();
 }
 
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ std::string custom_vsprintf(
     const char* format_str,
     fmt::basic_format_args<CustomPrintfFormatter> args) {
   fmt::MemoryWriter writer;
-  CustomPrintfFormatter formatter(args, writer);
-  formatter.format(format_str);
+  CustomPrintfFormatter formatter(args);
+  formatter.format(writer, format_str);
   return writer.str();
 }
 
diff --git a/test/format-test.cc b/test/format-test.cc
index 2d4d10aa..4493d003 100644
--- a/test/format-test.cc
+++ b/test/format-test.cc
@@ -1357,7 +1357,7 @@ TEST(FormatterTest, FormatCStringRef) {
 
 void format_value(fmt::Writer &w, const Date &d, fmt::basic_formatter<char> &f,
                   const char *) {
-  f.writer() << d.year() << '-' << d.month() << '-' << d.day();
+  w << d.year() << '-' << d.month() << '-' << d.day();
 }
 
 TEST(FormatterTest, FormatCustom) {
@@ -1371,7 +1371,7 @@ class Answer {};
 template <typename Char>
 void format_value(BasicWriter<Char> &w, Answer, fmt::basic_formatter<Char> &f,
                   const Char *) {
-  f.writer() << "42";
+  w << "42";
 }
 
 TEST(FormatterTest, CustomFormat) {
@@ -1626,9 +1626,10 @@ class MockArgFormatter :
  public:
   typedef fmt::internal::ArgFormatterBase<MockArgFormatter, char> Base;
 
-  MockArgFormatter(fmt::basic_formatter<char, MockArgFormatter> &f,
+  MockArgFormatter(fmt::Writer &w,
+                   fmt::basic_formatter<char, MockArgFormatter> &f,
                    fmt::FormatSpec &s, const char *)
-    : fmt::internal::ArgFormatterBase<MockArgFormatter, char>(f.writer(), s) {
+    : fmt::internal::ArgFormatterBase<MockArgFormatter, char>(w, s) {
     EXPECT_CALL(*this, visit_int(42));
   }
 
@@ -1637,11 +1638,10 @@ class MockArgFormatter :
 
 typedef fmt::basic_formatter<char, MockArgFormatter> CustomFormatter;
 
-void custom_vformat(const char *format_str,
+void custom_vformat(fmt::CStringRef format_str,
                     fmt::basic_format_args<CustomFormatter> args) {
   fmt::MemoryWriter writer;
-  CustomFormatter formatter(args, writer);
-  formatter.format(format_str);
+  vformat(writer, format_str, args);
 }
 
 template <typename... Args>
diff --git a/test/ostream-test.cc b/test/ostream-test.cc
index 224540b1..17c9d079 100644
--- a/test/ostream-test.cc
+++ b/test/ostream-test.cc
@@ -59,17 +59,18 @@ TEST(OStreamTest, Enum) {
 }
 
 struct TestArgFormatter : fmt::BasicArgFormatter<TestArgFormatter, char> {
-  TestArgFormatter(fmt::basic_formatter<char, TestArgFormatter> &f,
+  TestArgFormatter(fmt::Writer &w,
+                   fmt::basic_formatter<char, TestArgFormatter> &f,
                    fmt::FormatSpec &s, const char *fmt)
-    : fmt::BasicArgFormatter<TestArgFormatter, char>(f, s, fmt) {}
+    : fmt::BasicArgFormatter<TestArgFormatter, char>(w, f, s, fmt) {}
 };
 
 TEST(OStreamTest, CustomArg) {
   fmt::MemoryWriter writer;
   typedef fmt::basic_formatter<char, TestArgFormatter> Formatter;
-  Formatter formatter(fmt::basic_format_args<Formatter>(), writer);
+  Formatter formatter((fmt::basic_format_args<Formatter>()));
   fmt::FormatSpec spec;
-  TestArgFormatter af(formatter, spec, "}");
+  TestArgFormatter af(writer, formatter, spec, "}");
   af.visit(fmt::internal::MakeArg<Formatter>(TestEnum()));
   EXPECT_EQ("TestEnum", writer.str());
 }
diff --git a/test/util-test.cc b/test/util-test.cc
index 33603340..87ad25e7 100644
--- a/test/util-test.cc
+++ b/test/util-test.cc
@@ -567,9 +567,9 @@ TEST(ArgTest, MakeArg) {
   EXPECT_EQ(fmt::internal::Arg::CUSTOM, arg.type);
   EXPECT_EQ(&t, arg.custom.value);
   fmt::MemoryWriter w;
-  fmt::basic_formatter<char> formatter(fmt::format_args(), w);
+  fmt::basic_formatter<char> formatter((fmt::format_args()));
   const char *s = "}";
-  arg.custom.format(&formatter.writer(), &formatter, &t, &s);
+  arg.custom.format(&w, &formatter, &t, &s);
   EXPECT_EQ("test", w.str());
 }