diff --git a/pygmt/base_plotting.py b/pygmt/base_plotting.py
index a3f682bebf9..6f97a9803c5 100644
--- a/pygmt/base_plotting.py
+++ b/pygmt/base_plotting.py
@@ -10,11 +10,12 @@
 from .exceptions import GMTError, GMTInvalidInput
 from .helpers import (
     build_arg_string,
-    dummy_context,
     data_kind,
+    dummy_context,
     fmt_docstring,
-    use_alias,
     kwargs_to_strings,
+    tempfile_from_buffer,
+    use_alias,
 )
 
 
@@ -799,10 +800,11 @@ def legend(self, spec=None, position="JTR+jTR+o0.2c", box="+gwhite+p1p", **kwarg
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        spec : None or str
-            Either None (default) for using the automatically generated legend
-            specification file, or a filename pointing to the legend
-            specification file.
+        spec : None or str or io.StringIO
+            Set to None (default) for using the automatically generated legend
+            specification file. Alternatively, pass in a filename or an
+            io.StringIO in-memory stream buffer pointing to the legend
+            specification text.
         {J}
         {R}
         position : str
@@ -827,13 +829,17 @@ def legend(self, spec=None, position="JTR+jTR+o0.2c", box="+gwhite+p1p", **kwarg
 
         with Session() as lib:
             if spec is None:
-                specfile = ""
+                file_context = dummy_context("")
             elif data_kind(spec) == "file":
-                specfile = spec
+                file_context = dummy_context(spec)
+            elif data_kind(spec) == "buffer":
+                file_context = tempfile_from_buffer(spec)
             else:
-                raise GMTInvalidInput("Unrecognized data type: {}".format(type(spec)))
-            arg_str = " ".join([specfile, build_arg_string(kwargs)])
-            lib.call_module("legend", arg_str)
+                raise GMTInvalidInput(f"Unrecognized data type: {type(spec)}")
+
+            with file_context as fname:
+                arg_str = " ".join([fname, build_arg_string(kwargs)])
+                lib.call_module("legend", arg_str)
 
     @fmt_docstring
     @use_alias(
diff --git a/pygmt/helpers/__init__.py b/pygmt/helpers/__init__.py
index b8a6958816d..95dc48078bb 100644
--- a/pygmt/helpers/__init__.py
+++ b/pygmt/helpers/__init__.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 Functions, classes, decorators, and context managers to help wrap GMT modules.
 """
 from .decorators import fmt_docstring, use_alias, kwargs_to_strings
-from .tempfile import GMTTempFile, unique_name
+from .tempfile import GMTTempFile, tempfile_from_buffer, unique_name
 from .utils import (
     data_kind,
     dummy_context,
diff --git a/pygmt/helpers/tempfile.py b/pygmt/helpers/tempfile.py
index a17293eb460..df8e85112e8 100644
--- a/pygmt/helpers/tempfile.py
+++ b/pygmt/helpers/tempfile.py
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 Utilities for dealing with temporary file management.
 """
 import os
+import shutil
 import uuid
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
 
 import numpy as np
@@ -105,3 +107,49 @@ def loadtxt(self, **kwargs):
 
         """
         return np.loadtxt(self.name, **kwargs)
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def tempfile_from_buffer(buf):
+    """
+    Store an io.StringIO buffer stream inside a temporary text file.
+
+    Use the temporary file name to pass in data in your string buffer to a GMT
+    module.
+
+    Context manager (use in a ``with`` block). Yields the temporary file name
+    that you can pass as an argument to a GMT module call. Closes the
+    temporary file upon exit of the ``with`` block.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    buf : io.StringIO
+        The in-memory text stream buffer that will be included in the temporary
+        file.
+
+    Yields
+    ------
+    fname : str
+        The name of temporary file. Pass this as a file name argument to a GMT
+        module.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+
+    >>> import io
+    >>> from pygmt.helpers import tempfile_from_buffer
+    >>> from pygmt import info
+    >>> data = np.arange(0, 6, 0.5).reshape((4, 3))
+    >>> buf = io.StringIO()
+    >>> np.savetxt(fname=buf, X=data, fmt="%.1f")
+    >>> with tempfile_from_buffer(buf=buf) as fname:
+    ...     result = info(fname, per_column=True)
+    ...     print(result.strip())
+    0 4.5 0.5 5 1 5.5
+    """
+    with GMTTempFile() as tmpfile:
+        buf.seek(0)  # Change stream position back to start
+        with open(file=tmpfile.name, mode="w") as fdst:
+            shutil.copyfileobj(fsrc=buf, fdst=fdst)
+
+        yield tmpfile.name
diff --git a/pygmt/helpers/utils.py b/pygmt/helpers/utils.py
index 5b4bb731baa..5217a7e15fe 100644
--- a/pygmt/helpers/utils.py
+++ b/pygmt/helpers/utils.py
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 """
 Utilities and common tasks for wrapping the GMT modules.
 """
-import sys
+import io
 import shutil
 import subprocess
+import sys
 import webbrowser
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 from contextlib import contextmanager
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ def data_kind(data, x=None, y=None, z=None):
     Possible types:
 
     * a file name provided as 'data'
+    * an io.StringIO in-memory stream provided as 'data'
     * an xarray.DataArray provided as 'data'
     * a matrix provided as 'data'
     * 1D arrays x and y (and z, optionally)
@@ -29,8 +31,8 @@ def data_kind(data, x=None, y=None, z=None):
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    data : str, xarray.DataArray, 2d array, or None
-       Data file name, xarray.DataArray or numpy array.
+    data : str, io.StringIO, xarray.DataArray, 2d array, or None
+       Data file name, io.StringIO, xarray.DataArray or numpy array.
     x/y : 1d arrays or None
         x and y columns as numpy arrays.
     z : 1d array or None
@@ -40,11 +42,13 @@ def data_kind(data, x=None, y=None, z=None):
     Returns
     -------
     kind : str
-        One of: ``'file'``, ``'grid'``, ``'matrix'``, ``'vectors'``.
+        One of: ``'file'``, ``'buffer'``, ``'grid'``, ``'matrix'``,
+        ``'vectors'``.
 
     Examples
     --------
 
+    >>> import io
     >>> import numpy as np
     >>> import xarray as xr
     >>> data_kind(data=None, x=np.array([1, 2, 3]), y=np.array([4, 5, 6]))
@@ -53,6 +57,8 @@ def data_kind(data, x=None, y=None, z=None):
     'matrix'
     >>> data_kind(data='my-data-file.txt', x=None, y=None)
     'file'
+    >>> data_kind(data=io.StringIO("sometext"), x=None, y=None)
+    'buffer'
     >>> data_kind(data=xr.DataArray(np.random.rand(4, 3)))
     'grid'
 
@@ -62,10 +68,12 @@ def data_kind(data, x=None, y=None, z=None):
     if data is not None and (x is not None or y is not None or z is not None):
         raise GMTInvalidInput("Too much data. Use either data or x and y.")
     if data is None and (x is None or y is None):
-        raise GMTInvalidInput("Must provided both x and y.")
+        raise GMTInvalidInput("Must provide both x and y.")
 
     if isinstance(data, str):
         kind = "file"
+    elif isinstance(data, io.StringIO):
+        kind = "buffer"
     elif isinstance(data, xr.DataArray):
         kind = "grid"
     elif data is not None:
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_legend.py b/pygmt/tests/test_legend.py
index 1fa98d6733a..5f33c618302 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_legend.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_legend.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 """
 Tests for legend
 """
+import io
+
 import pytest
 
 from .. import Figure
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ def test_legend_default_position():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.xfail(
-    reason="Baseline image not updated to use earth relief grid in GMT 6.1.0",
+    reason="Baseline image not updated to use earth relief grid in GMT 6.1.0"
 )
 @pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
 def test_legend_entries():
@@ -72,8 +74,9 @@ def test_legend_entries():
     return fig
 
 
-@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
-def test_legend_specfile():
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("usebuffer", [True, False])
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare(filename="test_legend_specfile.png")
+def test_legend_specfile(usebuffer):
     """
     Test specfile functionality.
     """
@@ -113,7 +116,10 @@ def test_legend_specfile():
         fig = Figure()
 
         fig.basemap(projection="x6i", region=[0, 1, 0, 1], frame=True)
-        fig.legend(specfile.name, position="JTM+jCM+w5i")
+
+        spec = io.StringIO(specfile_contents) if usebuffer else specfile.name
+
+        fig.legend(spec=spec, position="JTM+jCM+w5i")
 
     return fig