diff --git a/macros.scm b/macros.scm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eacb970
--- /dev/null
+++ b/macros.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+(define-syntax _ (syntax-rules () ((_ . cmd) (run (fold (lambda (e o) (string-append o " " (->string e))) "" 'cmd)))))
+(define-syntax _rl (syntax-rules () ((_rl . cmd) (cmd->list (fold (lambda (e o) (string-append o " " (->string e))) "" 'cmd) read-line))))
+(define-syntax _rc (syntax-rules () ((_rc f . cmd) (cmd->list (fold (lambda (e o) (string-append o " " (->string e))) "" 'cmd) 'f))))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 5b7fd7a..7b9c09f 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Makefile for Chicken-scheme shell
 
 cscsh: shell.scm
-	csc shell.scm -o hiss
+	csc shell.scm -compile-syntax -o hiss
 
 .PHONY: clean
 clean:
diff --git a/shell.scm b/shell.scm
index 5f18ffb..8e12bf4 100644
--- a/shell.scm
+++ b/shell.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ;;; documentation at http://thintz.com/chicken-scheme-shell
-(use readline symbol-utils)
+(use readline symbol-utils srfi-1)
+(include "macros.scm")
 
 (define (getenv2 e)
  ;; handles exorcism of getenv from 4.6.4 onwards
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@
 (define exit? (make-parameter #f))
 (define (exit) (exit? #t))
 
+(define (%run-cmd cmd) (with-input-from-pipe cmd read-file))
+
 ; now we can can actually use things in a more lispy way
 ; #;1> (cmd->list "ls" read-line)
 ; (file1 file2 file3)
@@ -42,16 +45,14 @@
 
 (define (shell-repl)
   (if (exit?)
-       #t
-       (let ((x (read)))
-	 (handle-exceptions
-	  exn
-	  (begin (print-error-message exn)
-		 (display (with-output-to-string (lambda () (print-call-chain)))))
-	  (if (unbound? x)
-	      (run (symbol->string x))
-	      (display (eval x)))
-	  (newline))
-	 (shell-repl))))
+      #t
+      (begin (handle-exceptions
+	      exn
+	      (begin (print-error-message exn)
+		     (display (with-output-to-string (lambda () (print-call-chain)))))
+	      (let ((x (read)))
+		(write (eval x))))
+	     (newline)
+	     (shell-repl))))
 
 (shell-repl)