diff --git a/creduce/creduce.in b/creduce/creduce.in
index ee86f24d..ea9a55bc 100644
--- a/creduce/creduce.in
+++ b/creduce/creduce.in
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ sub wait_helper() {
 
             my $exit_code;
             if ($proc->GetExitCode($exit_code) != Win32::Process::STILL_ACTIVE()) {
-                $? = ($exit_code == 0) ? 1 << 8 : 0;
+                $? = $exit_code << 8;
                 return $proc->GetProcessID();
             }
             push @procs, $proc;
@@ -819,7 +819,7 @@ my @all_methods = (
     { "name" => "pass_clang",    "arg" => "remove-unused-function", "pri" => 220,  "first_pass_pri" => 40, },
     { "name" => "pass_clang",    "arg" => "remove-unused-enum-member", "pri" => 221, "first_pass_pri" => 51, },
     { "name" => "pass_clang",    "arg" => "remove-enum-member-value", "pri" => 222, "first_pass_pri" => 52, },
-    { "name" => "pass_clang_binsrch", "arg" => "remove-unused-var", "pri" => 223,  "first_pass_pri" => 53, },
+    { "name" => "pass_clang",    "arg" => "remove-unused-var",      "pri" => 223,  "first_pass_pri" => 53, },
     { "name" => "pass_clang",    "arg" => "simplify-if",            "pri" => 224,  },
     { "name" => "pass_clang",    "arg" => "reduce-array-dim",       "pri" => 225,  },
     { "name" => "pass_clang",    "arg" => "reduce-array-size",      "pri" => 226,  },
diff --git a/creduce/pass_lines.pm b/creduce/pass_lines.pm
index 8052f456..f884e7e9 100644
--- a/creduce/pass_lines.pm
+++ b/creduce/pass_lines.pm
@@ -81,10 +81,22 @@ sub transform ($$$) {
     if (defined($sh{"start"})) {
 	print "***TRANSFORM START***\n" if $DEBUG;
 	delete $sh{"start"};
-	my $tmpfile = File::Temp::tmpnam();
-	my $cmd = "$topformflat $arg < $cfile | grep -v '^\\s*\$' > $tmpfile";
+	my $outfile = File::Temp::tmpnam();
+	my $cmd = qq{"$topformflat $arg" < $cfile > $outfile};
 	print $cmd if $DEBUG;
 	runit ($cmd);
+
+	my $tmpfile = File::Temp::tmpnam();
+	open INF_BLANK, "<$outfile" or die;
+	open OUTF_BLANK, ">$tmpfile" or die;
+	while (my $line = <INF_BLANK>) {
+		if($line !~ /^\s*$/) {
+			print OUTF_BLANK $line;
+		}
+	}
+	close INF_BLANK;
+	close OUTF_BLANK;
+
 	if (compare($cfile, $tmpfile) == 0) {
 	    # this is a gross hack to avoid tripping the
 	    # pass-didn't-modify-file check in the C-Reduce core, in