diff --git a/src/compiler/boot.dst b/src/compiler/boot.dst
index b96f27ee..68f18f5f 100644
--- a/src/compiler/boot.dst
+++ b/src/compiler/boot.dst
@@ -853,13 +853,16 @@ onvalue."
  # Are we done yet?
  (var going true)
 
+ # The parser object
+ (def p (parser 1))
+
  # Fiber stream of characters
  (def chars (coro
    (def buf @"")
    (var len 1)
    (while (< 0 len)
       (buffer-clear buf)
-      (chunks buf)
+      (chunks buf p)
       (:= len (length buf))
       (for [i 0 len]
         (yield (get buf i))))
@@ -867,7 +870,6 @@ onvalue."
 
  # Fiber stream of values
  (def vals (coro
-  (def p (parser 1))
   (while going
     (switch (parser-status p)
      :full (yield (parser-produce p))
@@ -977,18 +979,18 @@ environment is needed, use run-context."
   (:= k (next newenv k))))
 
 (defmacro import [path & args]
- (apply tuple import* '_env path args))
+  (apply tuple import* '_env path args))
 
 (defn repl [getchunk]
- "Run a repl. The first parameter is an optional function to call to
+  "Run a repl. The first parameter is an optional function to call to
 get a chunk of source code. Should return nil for end of file."
  (def newenv (make-env))
- (defn chunks [buf]
-    (file-write stdout "> ")
-    (file-flush stdout)
-    (file-read stdin :line buf))
+ (defn chunks [buf p]
+   (file-write stdout (string (parser-state p) "> "))
+   (file-flush stdout)
+   (file-read stdin :line buf))
  (defn onvalue [x]
-  (put newenv '_ @{:value x})
-  (pp x))
+   (put newenv '_ @{:value x})
+   (pp x))
  (run-context newenv (if getchunk getchunk chunks)
   onvalue default-error-handler))
diff --git a/src/core/io.c b/src/core/io.c
index b21961c5..a2e73eed 100644
--- a/src/core/io.c
+++ b/src/core/io.c
@@ -221,7 +221,9 @@ static int dst_io_fwrite(DstArgs args) {
         return dst_throw(args, "file is not writeable");
     for (i = 1; i < args.n; i++) {
         if (!checkchars(args, i, &str, &len)) return 1;
-        if (!fwrite(str, len, 1, iof->file)) return dst_throw(args, "error writing to file");
+        if (len) {
+            if (!fwrite(str, len, 1, iof->file)) return dst_throw(args, "error writing to file");
+        }
     }
     return dst_return(args, dst_wrap_abstract(iof));
 }
diff --git a/src/include/dst/dstparse.h b/src/include/dst/dstparse.h
index c9e08d6a..90210a35 100644
--- a/src/include/dst/dstparse.h
+++ b/src/include/dst/dstparse.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ int dst_parser_consume(DstParser *parser, uint8_t c);
 enum DstParserStatus dst_parser_status(DstParser *parser);
 Dst dst_parser_produce(DstParser *parser);
 const char *dst_parser_error(DstParser *parser);
+void dst_parser_flush(DstParser *parser);
 
 int dst_parse_cfun(DstArgs args);
 
diff --git a/src/mainclient/init.dst b/src/mainclient/init.dst
index 0b373656..24494b5a 100644
--- a/src/mainclient/init.dst
+++ b/src/mainclient/init.dst
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 (var *should-repl* :private false)
 (var *no-file* :private true)
+(var *use-getline* :private true)
 
 # Flag handlers
 (def handlers :private {
@@ -10,11 +11,13 @@
         (print "Options are:")
         (print "  -h Show this help")
         (print "  -v Print the version string")
+        (print "  -s Use raw stdin instead of getline like functionality")
         (print "  -e Execute a string of dst")
         (print "  -r Enter the repl after running all scripts")
         (os-exit 0)
         1)
   "v" (fn [] (print VERSION) (os-exit 0) 1)
+  "s" (fn [] (:= *use-getline* false) (:= *should-repl* true) 1)
   "r" (fn [] (:= *should-repl* true) 1)
   "e" (fn [i] 
        (:= *no-file* false)
@@ -38,8 +41,12 @@
    (import arg)
    (++ i))))
 
+(defn xgetline [buf p]
+  (def prompt (string (parser-state p) "> "))
+  (getline prompt buf))
+
 (when (or *should-repl* *no-file*) 
  (print (string "Dst " VERSION "  Copyright (C) 2017-2018 Calvin Rose"))
- (repl getline))
+ (repl (if *use-getline* xgetline)))
 
 )
diff --git a/src/mainclient/line.c b/src/mainclient/line.c
index 582356ff..9ee7ea61 100644
--- a/src/mainclient/line.c
+++ b/src/mainclient/line.c
@@ -24,9 +24,12 @@
 
 /* Common */
 int dst_line_getter(DstArgs args) {
-    if (args.n < 1 || !dst_checktype(args.v[0], DST_BUFFER))
-        return dst_throw(args, "expected buffer");
-    dst_line_get(dst_unwrap_buffer(args.v[0]));
+    dst_fixarity(args, 2);
+    dst_check(args, 0, DST_STRING);
+    dst_check(args, 1, DST_BUFFER);
+    dst_line_get(
+            dst_unwrap_string(args.v[0]),
+            dst_unwrap_buffer(args.v[1]));
     return dst_return(args, args.v[0]);
 }
 
@@ -54,8 +57,8 @@ void dst_line_deinit() {
     ;
 }
 
-void dst_line_get(DstBuffer *buffer) {
-    fputs("> ", stdout);
+void dst_line_get(const uint8_t *p, DstBuffer *buffer) {
+    fputs((const char *)p, stdout);
     simpleline(buffer);
 }
 
@@ -431,7 +434,8 @@ static int checktermsupport() {
     return 1;
 }
 
-void dst_line_get(DstBuffer *buffer) {
+void dst_line_get(const uint8_t *p, DstBuffer *buffer) {
+    prompt = (const char *)p; 
     buffer->count = 0;
     historyi = 0;
     if (!isatty(STDIN_FILENO) || !checktermsupport()) {
diff --git a/src/mainclient/line.h b/src/mainclient/line.h
index 00a0747c..3486e52b 100644
--- a/src/mainclient/line.h
+++ b/src/mainclient/line.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 void dst_line_init();
 void dst_line_deinit();
 
-void dst_line_get(DstBuffer *buffer);
+void dst_line_get(const uint8_t *p, DstBuffer *buffer);
 int dst_line_getter(DstArgs args);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/parser/parse.c b/src/parser/parse.c
index 1c3bf24d..3c450e0b 100644
--- a/src/parser/parse.c
+++ b/src/parser/parse.c
@@ -120,7 +120,10 @@ struct DstParseState {
 
 #define PFLAG_CONTAINER 1
 #define PFLAG_BUFFER 2
-#define PFLAG_SQRBRACKETS 4
+#define PFLAG_PARENS 4
+#define PFLAG_SQRBRACKETS 8
+#define PFLAG_CURLYBRACKETS 16
+#define PFLAG_STRING 32
 
 static void pushstate(DstParser *p, Consumer consumer, int flags) {
     DstParseState s;
@@ -372,8 +375,8 @@ static int dotable(DstParser *p, DstParseState *state, uint8_t c) {
     return root(p, state, c);
 }
 
-#define PFLAG_INSTRING 8
-#define PFLAG_END_CANDIDATE 16
+#define PFLAG_INSTRING 64
+#define PFLAG_END_CANDIDATE 128
 static int longstring(DstParser *p, DstParseState *state, uint8_t c) {
     if (state->flags & PFLAG_INSTRING) {
         /* We are inside the long string */
@@ -426,19 +429,19 @@ static int ampersand(DstParser *p, DstParseState *state, uint8_t c) {
     dst_v_pop(p->states);
     switch (c) {
     case '{':
-        pushstate(p, dotable, PFLAG_CONTAINER);
+        pushstate(p, dotable, PFLAG_CONTAINER | PFLAG_CURLYBRACKETS);
         return 1;
     case '"':
-        pushstate(p, stringchar, PFLAG_BUFFER);
+        pushstate(p, stringchar, PFLAG_BUFFER | PFLAG_STRING);
         return 1;
     case '\\':
-        pushstate(p, longstring, PFLAG_BUFFER);
+        pushstate(p, longstring, PFLAG_BUFFER | PFLAG_STRING);
         return 1;
     case '[':
         pushstate(p, doarray, PFLAG_CONTAINER | PFLAG_SQRBRACKETS);
         return 1;
     case '(':
-        pushstate(p, doarray, PFLAG_CONTAINER);
+        pushstate(p, doarray, PFLAG_CONTAINER | PFLAG_PARENS);
         return 1;
     default:
         break;
@@ -479,13 +482,13 @@ static int root(DstParser *p, DstParseState *state, uint8_t c) {
             p->error = "mismatched delimiter";
             return 1;
         case '(':
-            pushstate(p, dotuple, PFLAG_CONTAINER);
+            pushstate(p, dotuple, PFLAG_CONTAINER | PFLAG_PARENS);
             return 1;
         case '[':
             pushstate(p, dotuple, PFLAG_CONTAINER | PFLAG_SQRBRACKETS);
             return 1;
         case '{':
-            pushstate(p, dostruct, PFLAG_CONTAINER);
+            pushstate(p, dostruct, PFLAG_CONTAINER | PFLAG_CURLYBRACKETS);
             return 1;
     }
 }
@@ -509,14 +512,18 @@ enum DstParserStatus dst_parser_status(DstParser *parser) {
     return DST_PARSE_ROOT;
 }
 
+void dst_parser_flush(DstParser *parser) {
+    dst_v_empty(parser->argstack);
+    dst_v__cnt(parser->states) = 1;
+    dst_v_empty(parser->buf);
+}
+
 const char *dst_parser_error(DstParser *parser) {
     enum DstParserStatus status = dst_parser_status(parser);
     if (status == DST_PARSE_ERROR) {
         const char *e = parser->error;
-        dst_v_empty(parser->argstack);
-        dst_v__cnt(parser->states) = 1;
         parser->error = NULL;
-        dst_v_empty(parser->buf);
+        dst_parser_flush(parser);
         return e;
     }
     return NULL;
@@ -688,6 +695,36 @@ static int cfun_produce(DstArgs args) {
     return dst_return(args, val);
 }
 
+static int cfun_flush(DstArgs args) {
+    DstParser *p = checkparser(args);
+    if (!p) return 1;
+    dst_parser_flush(p);
+    return dst_return(args, args.v[0]);
+}
+
+static int cfun_state(DstArgs args) {
+    int32_t i;
+    uint8_t *buf = NULL;
+    const uint8_t *str;
+    DstParser *p = checkparser(args);
+    if (!p) return 1;
+    for (i = 0; i < dst_v_count(p->states); i++) {
+        DstParseState *s = p->states + i;
+        if (s->flags & PFLAG_PARENS) {
+            dst_v_push(buf, '(');
+        } else if (s->flags & PFLAG_SQRBRACKETS) {
+            dst_v_push(buf, '[');
+        } else if (s->flags & PFLAG_CURLYBRACKETS) {
+            dst_v_push(buf, '{');
+        } else if (s->flags & PFLAG_STRING) {
+            dst_v_push(buf, '"');
+        }
+    }
+    str = dst_string(buf, dst_v_count(buf));
+    dst_v_free(buf);
+    return dst_return(args, dst_wrap_string(str));
+}
+
 /* AST */
 static int cfun_unwrap1(DstArgs args) {
     if (args.n != 1) return dst_throw(args, "expected 1 argument");
@@ -730,6 +767,8 @@ static const DstReg cfuns[] = {
     {"parser-byte", cfun_byte},
     {"parser-error", cfun_error},
     {"parser-status", cfun_status},
+    {"parser-flush", cfun_flush},
+    {"parser-state", cfun_state},
     {"ast-unwrap", cfun_unwrap},
     {"ast-unwrap1", cfun_unwrap1},
     {"ast-wrap", cfun_wrap},
diff --git a/test/suite1.dst b/test/suite1.dst
index 5703010b..e78a1919 100644
--- a/test/suite1.dst
+++ b/test/suite1.dst
@@ -73,4 +73,6 @@
 (assert (= "hello, \"world\"" \\hello, "world"\\), "long string with embedded quotes")
 (assert (= "hello, \\\\\\ \"world\"" \=\hello, \\\ "world"\=\), "long string with embedded quotes and backslashes")
 
+(print :hello)
+
 (end-suite)