diff --git a/shiny/express/__init__.py b/shiny/express/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..feede5144
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shiny/express/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from ._output import output_args, suspend_display
+
+__all__ = (
+    "output_args",
+    "suspend_display",
+)
diff --git a/shiny/express/_output.py b/shiny/express/_output.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8733b07ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shiny/express/_output.py
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import contextlib
+import sys
+from contextlib import AbstractContextManager
+from typing import Callable, TypeVar, cast, overload
+
+from .. import ui
+from .._typing_extensions import ParamSpec
+from ..render.transformer import OutputRenderer
+
+__all__ = (
+    "output_args",
+    "suspend_display",
+)
+
+OT = TypeVar("OT")
+P = ParamSpec("P")
+R = TypeVar("R")
+CallableT = TypeVar("CallableT", bound=Callable[..., object])
+
+
+def output_args(
+    *args: object, **kwargs: object
+) -> Callable[[OutputRenderer[OT]], OutputRenderer[OT]]:
+    """Sets default UI arguments for a Shiny rendering function.
+
+    Each Shiny render function (like :func:`~shiny.render.plot`) can display itself when
+    declared within a Shiny inline-style application. In the case of
+    :func:`~shiny.render.plot`, the :func:`~shiny.ui.output_plot` function is called
+    implicitly to display the plot. Use the `@output_args` decorator to specify
+    arguments to be passed to `output_plot` (or whatever the corresponding UI function
+    is) when the render function displays itself.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    *args
+        Positional arguments to be passed to the UI function.
+    **kwargs
+        Keyword arguments to be passed to the UI function.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    :
+        A decorator that sets the default UI arguments for a Shiny rendering function.
+    """
+
+    def wrapper(renderer: OutputRenderer[OT]) -> OutputRenderer[OT]:
+        renderer.default_ui_args = args
+        renderer.default_ui_kwargs = kwargs
+        return renderer
+
+    return wrapper
+
+
+@overload
+def suspend_display(fn: CallableT) -> CallableT:
+    ...
+
+
+@overload
+def suspend_display() -> AbstractContextManager[None]:
+    ...
+
+
+def suspend_display(
+    fn: Callable[P, R] | OutputRenderer[OT] | None = None
+) -> Callable[P, R] | OutputRenderer[OT] | AbstractContextManager[None]:
+    """Suppresses the display of UI elements in various ways.
+
+    If used as a context manager (`with suspend_display():`), it suppresses the display
+    of all UI elements within the context block. (This is useful when you want to
+    temporarily suppress the display of a large number of UI elements, or when you want
+    to suppress the display of UI elements that are not directly under your control.)
+
+    If used as a decorator (without parentheses) on a Shiny rendering function, it
+    prevents that function from automatically outputting itself at the point of its
+    declaration. (This is useful when you want to define the rendering logic for an
+    output, but want to explicitly call a UI output function to indicate where and how
+    it should be displayed.)
+
+    If used as a decorator (without parentheses) on any other function, it turns
+    Python's `sys.displayhook` into a no-op for the duration of the function call.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    fn
+        The function to decorate. If `None`, returns a context manager that suppresses
+        the display of UI elements within the context block.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    :
+        If `fn` is `None`, returns a context manager that suppresses the display of UI
+        elements within the context block. Otherwise, returns a decorated version of
+        `fn`.
+    """
+
+    if fn is None:
+        return suspend_display_ctxmgr()
+
+    # Special case for OutputRenderer; when we decorate those, we just mean "don't
+    # display yourself"
+    if isinstance(fn, OutputRenderer):
+        fn.default_ui = null_ui
+        return cast(Callable[P, R], fn)
+
+    return suspend_display_ctxmgr()(fn)
+
+
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def suspend_display_ctxmgr():
+    oldhook = sys.displayhook
+    sys.displayhook = null_displayhook
+    try:
+        yield
+    finally:
+        sys.displayhook = oldhook
+
+
+def null_ui(id: str, *args: object, **kwargs: object) -> ui.TagList:
+    return ui.TagList()
+
+
+def null_displayhook(x: object) -> None:
+    pass
diff --git a/shiny/render/transformer/_transformer.py b/shiny/render/transformer/_transformer.py
index eb81f72e6..be736ec94 100644
--- a/shiny/render/transformer/_transformer.py
+++ b/shiny/render/transformer/_transformer.py
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ def __init__(
         transform_fn: TransformFn[IT, P, OT],
         params: TransformerParams[P],
         default_ui: Optional[DefaultUIFnImpl] = None,
+        default_ui_passthrough_args: Optional[tuple[str, ...]] = None,
     ) -> None:
         """
         Parameters
@@ -264,6 +265,10 @@ def __init__(
         self._transformer = transform_fn
         self._params = params
         self.default_ui = default_ui
+        self.default_ui_passthrough_args = default_ui_passthrough_args
+        self.default_ui_args: tuple[object, ...] = tuple()
+        self.default_ui_kwargs: dict[str, object] = dict()
+
         self._auto_registered = False
 
         from ...session import get_current_session
@@ -340,11 +345,21 @@ def _render_default(self) -> TagList | Tag | MetadataNode | str:
         if self.default_ui is None:
             raise TypeError("No default UI exists for this type of render function")
 
-        params = tuple(inspect.signature(self.default_ui).parameters.values())
-        if len(params) > 0 and params[0].name == "_params":
-            return self.default_ui(self._params.kwargs, self.__name__)  # type: ignore
-        else:
-            return cast(DefaultUIFn, self.default_ui)(self.__name__)
+        # Merge the kwargs from the render function passthrough, with the kwargs from
+        # explicit @output_args call. The latter take priority.
+        kwargs: dict[str, object] = dict()
+        if self.default_ui_passthrough_args is not None:
+            kwargs.update(
+                {
+                    k: v
+                    for k, v in self._params.kwargs.items()
+                    if k in self.default_ui_passthrough_args
+                }
+            )
+        kwargs.update(self.default_ui_kwargs)
+        return cast(DefaultUIFn, self.default_ui)(
+            self.__name__, *self.default_ui_args, **kwargs
+        )
 
 
 # Using a second class to help clarify that it is of a particular type
@@ -367,6 +382,7 @@ def __init__(
         transform_fn: TransformFn[IT, P, OT],
         params: TransformerParams[P],
         default_ui: Optional[DefaultUIFnImpl] = None,
+        default_ui_passthrough_args: Optional[tuple[str, ...]] = None,
     ) -> None:
         if is_async_callable(value_fn):
             raise TypeError(
@@ -378,6 +394,7 @@ def __init__(
             transform_fn=transform_fn,
             params=params,
             default_ui=default_ui,
+            default_ui_passthrough_args=default_ui_passthrough_args,
         )
 
     def __call__(self) -> OT:
@@ -409,6 +426,7 @@ def __init__(
         transform_fn: TransformFn[IT, P, OT],
         params: TransformerParams[P],
         default_ui: Optional[DefaultUIFnImpl] = None,
+        default_ui_passthrough_args: Optional[tuple[str, ...]] = None,
     ) -> None:
         if not is_async_callable(value_fn):
             raise TypeError(
@@ -420,6 +438,7 @@ def __init__(
             transform_fn=transform_fn,
             params=params,
             default_ui=default_ui,
+            default_ui_passthrough_args=default_ui_passthrough_args,
         )
 
     async def __call__(self) -> OT:  # pyright: ignore[reportIncompatibleMethodOverride]
@@ -688,17 +707,6 @@ def output_transformer(
 
     # If default_ui_passthrough_args was used, modify the default_ui function so it is
     # ready to mix in extra arguments from the decorator.
-    if (
-        default_ui is not None
-        and default_ui_passthrough_args is not None
-        and len(default_ui_passthrough_args) > 0
-    ):
-        default_ui_impl = decorator_args_passthrough(
-            default_ui, default_ui_passthrough_args
-        )
-    else:
-        default_ui_impl = default_ui
-
     def output_transformer_impl(
         transform_fn: TransformFn[IT, P, OT],
     ) -> OutputTransformer[IT, OT, P]:
@@ -713,12 +721,22 @@ def as_value_fn(
             ) -> OutputRenderer[OT]:
                 if is_async_callable(fn):
                     return OutputRendererAsync(
-                        fn, transform_fn, params, default_ui_impl
+                        fn,
+                        transform_fn,
+                        params,
+                        default_ui,
+                        default_ui_passthrough_args,
                     )
                 else:
                     # To avoid duplicate work just for a typeguard, we cast the function
                     fn = cast(ValueFnSync[IT], fn)
-                    return OutputRendererSync(fn, transform_fn, params, default_ui_impl)
+                    return OutputRendererSync(
+                        fn,
+                        transform_fn,
+                        params,
+                        default_ui,
+                        default_ui_passthrough_args,
+                    )
 
             if value_fn is None:
                 return as_value_fn
diff --git a/tests/pytest/test_express_ui.py b/tests/pytest/test_express_ui.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed6a7b91d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pytest/test_express_ui.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import sys
+from typing import Any
+
+import pytest
+
+from shiny import render, ui
+from shiny.express import output_args, suspend_display
+
+
+def test_render_output_controls():
+    @render.text
+    def text1():
+        return "text"
+
+    assert (
+        ui.TagList(text1.tagify()).get_html_string()
+        == ui.output_text_verbatim("text1").get_html_string()
+    )
+
+    @suspend_display
+    @render.text
+    def text2():
+        return "text"
+
+    assert ui.TagList(text2.tagify()).get_html_string() == ""
+
+    @output_args(placeholder=True)
+    @render.text
+    def text3():
+        return "text"
+
+    assert (
+        ui.TagList(text3.tagify()).get_html_string()
+        == ui.output_text_verbatim("text3", placeholder=True).get_html_string()
+    )
+
+    @output_args(width=100)
+    @render.text
+    def text4():
+        return "text"
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="width"):
+        text4.tagify()
+
+
+def test_suspend_display():
+    old_displayhook = sys.displayhook
+    try:
+        called = False
+
+        def display_hook_spy(_):
+            nonlocal called
+            called = True
+
+        sys.displayhook = display_hook_spy
+
+        with suspend_display():
+            sys.displayhook("foo")
+        suspend_display(lambda: sys.displayhook("bar"))()
+
+        @suspend_display
+        def whatever(x: Any):
+            sys.displayhook(x)
+
+        whatever(100)
+
+        assert not called
+
+        sys.displayhook("baz")
+        assert called
+
+    finally:
+        sys.displayhook = old_displayhook