diff --git a/pkg/cmd/api/api.go b/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
index e1edabbc0..170c41b55 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ type ApiOptions struct {
 	RequestHeaders      []string
 	ShowResponseHeaders bool
 	Paginate            bool
+	Silent              bool
 
 	HttpClient func() (*http.Client, error)
 	BaseRepo   func() (ghrepo.Interface, error)
@@ -134,6 +135,7 @@ original query accepts an '$endCursor: String' variable and that it fetches the
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&opts.ShowResponseHeaders, "include", "i", false, "Include HTTP response headers in the output")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.Paginate, "paginate", false, "Make additional HTTP requests to fetch all pages of results")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.RequestInputFile, "input", "", "The file to use as body for the HTTP request")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.Silent, "silent", false, "Do not print the response body")
 	return cmd
 }
 
@@ -178,6 +180,11 @@ func apiRun(opts *ApiOptions) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	headersOutputStream := opts.IO.Out
+	if opts.Silent {
+		opts.IO.Out = ioutil.Discard
+	}
+
 	hasNextPage := true
 	for hasNextPage {
 		resp, err := httpRequest(httpClient, method, requestPath, requestBody, requestHeaders)
@@ -185,7 +192,7 @@ func apiRun(opts *ApiOptions) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		endCursor, err := processResponse(resp, opts)
+		endCursor, err := processResponse(resp, opts, headersOutputStream)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -211,11 +218,11 @@ func apiRun(opts *ApiOptions) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func processResponse(resp *http.Response, opts *ApiOptions) (endCursor string, err error) {
+func processResponse(resp *http.Response, opts *ApiOptions, headersOutputStream io.Writer) (endCursor string, err error) {
 	if opts.ShowResponseHeaders {
-		fmt.Fprintln(opts.IO.Out, resp.Proto, resp.Status)
-		printHeaders(opts.IO.Out, resp.Header, opts.IO.ColorEnabled())
-		fmt.Fprint(opts.IO.Out, "\r\n")
+		fmt.Fprintln(headersOutputStream, resp.Proto, resp.Status)
+		printHeaders(headersOutputStream, resp.Header, opts.IO.ColorEnabled())
+		fmt.Fprint(headersOutputStream, "\r\n")
 	}
 
 	if resp.StatusCode == 204 {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go b/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
index 7b89d715c..f590d93b4 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ func Test_NewCmdApi(t *testing.T) {
 				RequestHeaders:      []string(nil),
 				ShowResponseHeaders: false,
 				Paginate:            false,
+				Silent:              false,
 			},
 			wantsErr: false,
 		},
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ func Test_NewCmdApi(t *testing.T) {
 				RequestHeaders:      []string(nil),
 				ShowResponseHeaders: false,
 				Paginate:            false,
+				Silent:              false,
 			},
 			wantsErr: false,
 		},
@@ -71,6 +73,7 @@ func Test_NewCmdApi(t *testing.T) {
 				RequestHeaders:      []string(nil),
 				ShowResponseHeaders: false,
 				Paginate:            false,
+				Silent:              false,
 			},
 			wantsErr: false,
 		},
@@ -87,6 +90,7 @@ func Test_NewCmdApi(t *testing.T) {
 				RequestHeaders:      []string{"accept: text/plain"},
 				ShowResponseHeaders: true,
 				Paginate:            false,
+				Silent:              false,
 			},
 			wantsErr: false,
 		},
@@ -103,6 +107,24 @@ func Test_NewCmdApi(t *testing.T) {
 				RequestHeaders:      []string(nil),
 				ShowResponseHeaders: false,
 				Paginate:            true,
+				Silent:              false,
+			},
+			wantsErr: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "with silenced output",
+			cli:  "repos/OWNER/REPO/issues --silent",
+			wants: ApiOptions{
+				RequestMethod:       "GET",
+				RequestMethodPassed: false,
+				RequestPath:         "repos/OWNER/REPO/issues",
+				RequestInputFile:    "",
+				RawFields:           []string(nil),
+				MagicFields:         []string(nil),
+				RequestHeaders:      []string(nil),
+				ShowResponseHeaders: false,
+				Paginate:            false,
+				Silent:              true,
 			},
 			wantsErr: false,
 		},
@@ -124,6 +146,7 @@ func Test_NewCmdApi(t *testing.T) {
 				RequestHeaders:      []string(nil),
 				ShowResponseHeaders: false,
 				Paginate:            true,
+				Silent:              false,
 			},
 			wantsErr: false,
 		},
@@ -145,6 +168,7 @@ func Test_NewCmdApi(t *testing.T) {
 				RequestHeaders:      []string(nil),
 				ShowResponseHeaders: false,
 				Paginate:            false,
+				Silent:              false,
 			},
 			wantsErr: false,
 		},
@@ -264,6 +288,36 @@ func Test_apiRun(t *testing.T) {
 			stdout: `gateway timeout`,
 			stderr: "gh: HTTP 502\n",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "silent",
+			options: ApiOptions{
+				Silent: true,
+			},
+			httpResponse: &http.Response{
+				StatusCode: 200,
+				Body:       ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`body`)),
+			},
+			err:    nil,
+			stdout: ``,
+			stderr: ``,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "show response headers even when silent",
+			options: ApiOptions{
+				ShowResponseHeaders: true,
+				Silent:              true,
+			},
+			httpResponse: &http.Response{
+				Proto:      "HTTP/1.1",
+				Status:     "200 Okey-dokey",
+				StatusCode: 200,
+				Body:       ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`body`)),
+				Header:     http.Header{"Content-Type": []string{"text/plain"}},
+			},
+			err:    nil,
+			stdout: "HTTP/1.1 200 Okey-dokey\nContent-Type: text/plain\r\n\r\n",
+			stderr: ``,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {