diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0587cea7..07d6a2ae 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ $(GST_TARGET): $(GST_CLIENT_OBJECTS) $(GST_CORE_OBJECTS)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ -c $<
 
 run: $(GST_TARGET)
-	./$(GST_TARGET)
+	@ ./$(GST_TARGET)
 
 debug: $(GST_TARGET)
-	gdb ./$(GST_TARGET)
+	@ gdb ./$(GST_TARGET)
 
 valgrind: $(GST_TARGET)
-	valgrind --leak-check=full -v ./$(GST_TARGET)
+	@ valgrind --leak-check=full -v ./$(GST_TARGET)
 
 clean:
 	rm $(GST_TARGET) || true
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ clean:
 	rm vgcore.* || true
 
 test: $(GST_TARGET)
-	./$(GST_TARGET) gsttests/basic.gst
+	@ ./$(GST_TARGET) gsttests/basic.gst
 
 valtest: $(GST_TARGET)
 	valgrind --leak-check=full -v ./$(GST_TARGET) gsttests/basic.gst
diff --git a/client/main.c b/client/main.c
index 3c814298..13e4bad8 100644
--- a/client/main.c
+++ b/client/main.c
@@ -82,12 +82,11 @@ static char *gst_getline() {
 }
 
 /* Compile and run an ast */
-static int debug_compile_and_run(Gst *vm, GstValue ast, GstValue last, int64_t flags) {
+static int debug_compile_and_run(Gst *vm, GstValue ast, int64_t flags) {
     GstCompiler c;
     GstValue func;
     /* Try to compile generated AST */
     gst_compiler(&c, vm);
-    gst_env_putc(vm, vm->env, "_", last);
     func = gst_wrap_function(gst_compiler_compile(&c, ast));
     /* Check for compilation errors */
     if (c.error.type != GST_NIL) {
@@ -139,7 +138,7 @@ static int debug_run(Gst *vm, FILE *in, int64_t flags) {
             printf_flags(flags, "31", "parse error: unexpected end of source%s\n", "");
             break;
         }
-        if (debug_compile_and_run(vm, gst_parse_consume(&p), vm->ret, flags)) {
+        if (debug_compile_and_run(vm, gst_parse_consume(&p), flags)) {
             break;
         }
     }
@@ -179,7 +178,8 @@ static int debug_repl(Gst *vm, uint64_t flags) {
             printf_flags(flags, "31", "parse error: unexpected end of source%s\n", "");
             continue;
         }
-        if (!debug_compile_and_run(vm, gst_parse_consume(&p), vm->ret, flags)) {
+        gst_env_putc(vm, vm->env, "_", vm->ret);
+        if (!debug_compile_and_run(vm, gst_parse_consume(&p), flags)) {
             printf_flags(flags, "36", "%s\n", (const char *) gst_description(vm, vm->ret));
         }
     }
diff --git a/core/parse.c b/core/parse.c
index 824e3d66..e963d76e 100644
--- a/core/parse.c
+++ b/core/parse.c
@@ -161,14 +161,12 @@ static GstValue build_token(GstParser *p, GstBuffer *buf) {
         if (buf->data[0] >= '0' && buf->data[0] <= '9') {
             p_error(p, "symbols cannot start with digits");
             x.type = GST_NIL;
+        } else if (buf->data[0] == ':' && buf->count >= 2) {
+            x.type = GST_STRING;
+            x.data.string = gst_string_b(p->vm, buf->data + 1, buf->count - 1);
         } else {
-            if (buf->data[0] == ':' && buf->count >= 2) {
-                x.type = GST_STRING;
-                x.data.string = gst_string_b(p->vm, buf->data + 1, buf->count - 1);
-            } else {
-                x.type = GST_SYMBOL;
-                x.data.string = gst_buffer_to_string(p->vm, buf);
-            }
+            x.type = GST_SYMBOL;
+            x.data.string = gst_buffer_to_string(p->vm, buf);
         }
     }
     return x;
@@ -238,11 +236,6 @@ static int string_state(GstParser *p, uint8_t c) {
                         top->buf.string.count = 0;
                         top->buf.string.accum = 0;
                         return 1;
-                    case 'u':
-                        top->buf.string.state = STRING_STATE_ESCAPE_HEX;
-                        top->buf.string.count = 0;
-                        top->buf.string.accum = 0;
-                        return 1;
                     default:
                         p_error(p, "unknown string escape sequence");
                         return 1;
diff --git a/core/stl.c b/core/stl.c
index f026d4fd..ac023ce4 100644
--- a/core/stl.c
+++ b/core/stl.c
@@ -443,6 +443,15 @@ int gst_stl_string(Gst *vm) {
     gst_c_return(vm, gst_wrap_string(gst_string_end(vm, str)));
 }
 
+/* Create a symbol */
+int gst_stl_symbol(Gst *vm) {
+    int ret = gst_stl_string(vm);
+    if (ret == GST_RETURN_OK) {
+        vm->ret.type = GST_SYMBOL;
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
+
 /* Create a thread */
 int gst_stl_thread(Gst *vm) {
     GstThread *t;
@@ -598,8 +607,6 @@ int gst_stl_print(Gst *vm) {
         uint32_t len = gst_string_length(string);
         for (i = 0; i < len; ++i)
             fputc(string[i], stdout);
-        if (j < count - 1)
-            fputc(' ', stdout);
     }
     fputc('\n', stdout);
     return GST_RETURN_OK;
@@ -1087,6 +1094,7 @@ static const GstModuleItem std_module[] = {
     {"struct", gst_stl_struct},
     {"buffer", gst_stl_buffer},
     {"string", gst_stl_string},
+    {"symbol", gst_stl_symbol},
     {"thread", gst_stl_thread},
     {"status", gst_stl_status},
     {"current", gst_stl_current},
diff --git a/gsttests/basic.gst b/gsttests/basic.gst
index 574e5b4e..3ffcaead 100644
--- a/gsttests/basic.gst
+++ b/gsttests/basic.gst
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@
 	(varset! num-tests-run (+ 1 num-tests-run))
 	(if x
 		(do
-			(print "  \e[32m✔\e[0m" e)
+			(print "  \e[32m✔\e[0m " e)
 			(varset! num-tests-passed (+ 1 num-tests-passed))
 			x)
 		(do
-			(print "  \e[31m✘\e[0m" e)
+			(print "  \e[31m✘\e[0m " e)
 			x))))
 
 (assert (= 10 (+ 1 2 3 4)) "addition")
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 
 (assert (= "hello" :hello) "keyword syntax for strings")
 (assert (= '(1 2 3) (quote (1 2 3)) (tuple 1 2 3)) "quote shorthand")
+(assert (= (symbol :banana) 'banana) "symbol function")
 
 ((fn []
 	(var accum 1)
@@ -103,4 +104,4 @@
 
 # report
 
-(print num-tests-passed "of" num-tests-run "tests passed")
\ No newline at end of file
+(print num-tests-passed " of " num-tests-run " tests passed")
\ No newline at end of file