diff --git a/bin/graph.js b/bin/graph.js
index 70c14fe6..8a7a0fdd 100644
--- a/bin/graph.js
+++ b/bin/graph.js
@@ -101,8 +101,12 @@ function main (args) {
     process.exit(0)
   }
 
-  if (!fs.existsSync(opts.outputDir)) {
-    fs.mkdirSync(opts.outputDir)
+  const fullOutputDir = opts.output
+    ? path.join(opts.outputDir, path.dirname(opts.output))
+    : opts.outputDir
+
+  if (!fs.existsSync(fullOutputDir)) {
+    fs.mkdirSync(fullOutputDir)
   }
 
   getStdin().then((txt) => {
@@ -114,7 +118,7 @@ function main (args) {
 
     const write = (info, _, done) => {
       const itemName = getItemName(info)
-      const outPath = path.resolve(opts.outputDir, `${itemName}.${info.format}`)
+      const outPath = path.resolve(fullOutputDir, `${itemName}.${info.format}`)
 
       if (pipeToStdOut) {
         str(info.body)
diff --git a/test/integration/orca_graph_test.js b/test/integration/orca_graph_test.js
index 28d0585e..89272fff 100644
--- a/test/integration/orca_graph_test.js
+++ b/test/integration/orca_graph_test.js
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 const tap = require('tap')
+const fs = require('fs')
+const path = require('path')
 const { spawn } = require('child_process')
 const { paths } = require('../common')
 
-const BASE_ARGS = [
-  'graph',
-  '--output-dir', paths.build,
-  '--verbose'
-]
+const BASE_ARGS = ['graph', '--verbose']
+const DUMMY_DATA = '{ "data": [{"y": [1,2,1]}] }'
 
 const _spawn = (t, args) => {
   const allArgs = args ? BASE_ARGS.concat(args) : BASE_ARGS
@@ -46,3 +45,75 @@ tap.test('should log message when no input is given', t => {
     t.end()
   })
 })
+
+tap.test('should output to fig.png when --output is not set', t => {
+  const subprocess = _spawn(t, DUMMY_DATA)
+  const p = path.join(process.cwd(), 'fig.png')
+
+  subprocess.on('close', code => {
+    t.same(code, 0)
+    t.ok(fs.existsSync(p))
+    fs.unlinkSync(p)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+tap.test('should respect --output when set (just filename case)', t => {
+  const subprocess = _spawn(t, [DUMMY_DATA, '--output=graph.png'])
+  const p = path.join(process.cwd(), 'graph.png')
+
+  subprocess.on('close', code => {
+    t.same(code, 0)
+    t.ok(fs.existsSync(p))
+    fs.unlinkSync(p)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+tap.test('should respect --output when set (path/to/filename case)', t => {
+  const subprocess = _spawn(t, [DUMMY_DATA, '--output=build/tmp/graph.png'])
+  const p = path.join(process.cwd(), 'build', 'tmp', 'graph.png')
+
+  subprocess.on('close', code => {
+    t.same(code, 0)
+    t.ok(fs.existsSync(p))
+    fs.unlinkSync(p)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+tap.test('should respect --output-dir when set', t => {
+  const subprocess = _spawn(t, [DUMMY_DATA, '--output-dir=build'])
+  const p = path.join(process.cwd(), 'build', 'fig.png')
+
+  subprocess.on('close', code => {
+    t.same(code, 0)
+    t.ok(fs.existsSync(p))
+    fs.unlinkSync(p)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+tap.test('should respect --output (filename) and --output-dir when set', t => {
+  const subprocess = _spawn(t, [DUMMY_DATA, '--output-dir=build', '--output=graph.png'])
+  const p = path.join(process.cwd(), 'build', 'graph.png')
+
+  subprocess.on('close', code => {
+    t.same(code, 0)
+    t.ok(fs.existsSync(p))
+    fs.unlinkSync(p)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+tap.test('should respect --output (path/to/filename) and --output-dir when set', t => {
+  const subprocess = _spawn(t, [DUMMY_DATA, '--output-dir=build', '--output=tmp/graph.png'])
+  const p = path.join(process.cwd(), 'build', 'tmp', 'graph.png')
+
+  subprocess.on('close', code => {
+    t.same(code, 0)
+    t.ok(fs.existsSync(p))
+    fs.unlinkSync(p)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})