diff --git a/src/alignment.cpp b/src/alignment.cpp
index b10e117b7f..185346632c 100644
--- a/src/alignment.cpp
+++ b/src/alignment.cpp
@@ -1798,7 +1798,7 @@ void normalize_alignment(Alignment& alignment) {
     if (doing_normalization) {
         // we found things we needed to normalize away, so we must have built the normalized
         // path, now replace the original with it
-        *alignment.mutable_path() = move(normalized);
+        *alignment.mutable_path() = std::move(normalized);
     }
 }
 
@@ -1902,6 +1902,15 @@ void parse_bed_regions(istream& bedstream,
                        const PathPositionHandleGraph* graph,
                        vector<Alignment>* out_alignments) {
     out_alignments->clear();
+    parse_bed_regions(bedstream, graph, [&](Alignment& aln) {
+        out_alignments->emplace_back(std::move(aln));
+    });
+}
+
+void parse_bed_regions(istream& bedstream,
+                       const PathPositionHandleGraph* graph,
+                       const std::function<void(Alignment&)>& callback) {
+    
     if (!bedstream) {
         cerr << "Unable to open bed file." << endl;
         return;
@@ -2147,8 +2156,7 @@ void parse_bed_regions(istream& bedstream,
         // Make the Alignment
         Alignment alignment = target_alignment(graph, path_handle, sbuf, ebuf, name, is_reverse);
         alignment.set_score(score);
-
-        out_alignments->push_back(alignment);
+        callback(alignment);
 
         // if more subpaths need to be written, write them now
         while (!other_seqs.empty()){
@@ -2163,10 +2171,8 @@ void parse_bed_regions(istream& bedstream,
             path_handle = graph->get_path_handle(seq);
             alignment = target_alignment(graph, path_handle, sbuf, ebuf, name, is_reverse);
             alignment.set_score(score);
-            out_alignments->push_back(alignment);
+            callback(alignment);
         }
-
-        vg::io::write_buffered(cout, *out_alignments, 1000); 
     }
 }
 
@@ -2174,6 +2180,16 @@ void parse_gff_regions(istream& gffstream,
                        const PathPositionHandleGraph* graph,
                        vector<Alignment>* out_alignments) {
     out_alignments->clear();
+    parse_gff_regions(gffstream, graph, [&](Alignment& aln) {
+        out_alignments->emplace_back(std::move(aln));
+    });
+}
+
+void parse_gff_regions(istream& gffstream,
+                       const PathPositionHandleGraph* graph,
+                       const std::function<void(Alignment&)>& callback) {
+
+
     if (!gffstream) {
         cerr << "Unable to open gff3/gtf file." << endl;
         return;
@@ -2431,8 +2447,7 @@ void parse_gff_regions(istream& gffstream,
         }
         
         Alignment alignment = target_alignment(graph, graph->get_path_handle(seq), sbuf, ebuf, name, is_reverse);
-            
-        out_alignments->push_back(alignment);
+        callback(alignment);
 
         // if more subpaths need to be written, write them now
         while (!other_seqs.empty()){
@@ -2445,10 +2460,8 @@ void parse_gff_regions(istream& gffstream,
             other_ends.pop_back();
             // get alignment
             alignment = target_alignment(graph, graph->get_path_handle(seq), sbuf, ebuf, name, is_reverse);
-            out_alignments->push_back(alignment);
+            callback(alignment);
         }
-
-        vg::io::write_buffered(cout, *out_alignments, 1000); 
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/alignment.hpp b/src/alignment.hpp
index a2a15a2597..2254b86246 100644
--- a/src/alignment.hpp
+++ b/src/alignment.hpp
@@ -296,10 +296,19 @@ void normalize_alignment(Alignment& alignment);
 // quality information; a kind of poor man's pileup
 map<id_t, int> alignment_quality_per_node(const Alignment& aln);
 
-/// Parse regions from the given BED file into Alignments in a vector.
+/// Parse regions from the given BED file and call the given callback with each.
+/// Does *not* write them to standard output.
 /// Reads the optional name, is_reverse, and score fields if present, and populates the relevant Alignment fields.
 /// Skips and warns about malformed or illegal BED records.
+void parse_bed_regions(istream& bedstream, const PathPositionHandleGraph* graph, const std::function<void(Alignment&)>& callback);
+/// Parse regions from the given GFF file and call the given callback with each.
+/// Does *not* write them to standard output.
+void parse_gff_regions(istream& gtfstream, const PathPositionHandleGraph* graph, const std::function<void(Alignment&)>& callback);
+/// Parse regions from the given BED file into the given vector.
+/// Does *not* write them to standard output.
 void parse_bed_regions(istream& bedstream, const PathPositionHandleGraph* graph, vector<Alignment>* out_alignments);
+/// Parse regions from the given GFF file into the given vector.
+/// Does *not* write them to standard output.
 void parse_gff_regions(istream& gtfstream, const PathPositionHandleGraph* graph, vector<Alignment>* out_alignments);
 
 Position alignment_start(const Alignment& aln);
diff --git a/src/subcommand/annotate_main.cpp b/src/subcommand/annotate_main.cpp
index df9e5331fb..3da20e1d86 100644
--- a/src/subcommand/annotate_main.cpp
+++ b/src/subcommand/annotate_main.cpp
@@ -479,24 +479,31 @@ int main_annotate(int argc, char** argv) {
             }
         }
         else {
+            // We are converting annotations to GAM.
+            // Set up GAM output.
+            // TODO: use AlignmentEmitter?
+            vector<Alignment> buffer;
+            auto emit_alignment = [&](Alignment& aln) {
+                // Buffer and possibly write each record
+                buffer.emplace_back(std::move(aln));
+                vg::io::write_buffered(cout, buffer, 1000);
+            };
+
             for (auto& bed_name : bed_names) {
                 // Convert each BED file to GAM
                 get_input_file(bed_name, [&](istream& bed_stream) {
-                    vector<Alignment> buffer;
-                    parse_bed_regions(bed_stream, xg_index, &buffer);
-                    vg::io::write_buffered(cout, buffer, 0); // flush
+                    parse_bed_regions(bed_stream, xg_index, emit_alignment);
                 });
-                
-                // TODO: We'll get an EOF marker per input file.
             }
             
             for (auto& gff_name : gff_names) {
                 get_input_file(gff_name, [&](istream& gff_stream) {
-                    vector<Alignment> buffer;
-                    parse_gff_regions(gff_stream, xg_index, &buffer);
-                    vg::io::write_buffered(cout, buffer, 0); // flush
+                    parse_gff_regions(gff_stream, xg_index, emit_alignment);
                 });
             }
+            
+            // Flush the remaining stuff in the buffer
+            vg::io::write_buffered(cout, buffer, 0);
         }
     }