diff --git a/clite/core.js b/clite/core.js
index a81f4a9..2329495 100644
--- a/clite/core.js
+++ b/clite/core.js
@@ -419,7 +419,11 @@ clite.user = {
 			name:'root',
 			uid:0,
 			gid:0,
-			groups:[]
+			groups:[],
+			env:{
+				HOME:'/',
+				USER:udata.name,
+			}
 		};
 		clite.user.getUID = function() {
 			return udata.uid;
@@ -439,6 +443,9 @@ clite.user = {
 			udata.uid = uid;
 			udata.gid = gid;
 			udata.groups = groups;
+			udata.env.HOME = '/usr/home/'+user;
+			udata.env.PWD = udata.env.HOME;
+			udata.env.USER = udata.name;
 			clite.shell.env.HOME = '/usr/home/'+user;
 			clite.shell.env.PWD = '/usr/home/'+user;
 			clite.shell.env.USER = user;
@@ -1321,35 +1328,6 @@ clite.shell = {
 		});
 		return path;
 	},
-	exec:function(args,io) {
-		var path = clite.shell.resolvePath(args[0]);
-		if (!path) {
-			clite.term.writeLine('Shell: unknown command: '+args[0]);
-			clite.shell.exit(-1,-1);
-			return;
-		}
-
-		function execFunc(env,io) {
-			var r = clite.lib.exec(path,args,env,io);
-			if (r == 0)
-				return;
-
-			if (r == -1) {
-				clite.term.writeLine('Shell: unknown command: '+args[0]);
-				clite.shell.exit(-1,-2);
-				return;
-			}
-
-			if (r == -2) {
-				clite.term.writeLine('Shell: error in command:'+args[0]);
-				clite.shell.exit(-1,-3);
-			}
-		}
-		if (!clite.lib.fork(clite.shell.env,io,execFunc)) {
-			clite.term.writeLine('Shell: internal error');
-			clite.shell.exit(-1,-1);
-		}
-	},
 	include:function(name) {
 		switch (name) {
 		case 'stdlib':
@@ -1429,16 +1407,16 @@ clite.shell = {
 		clite.term.preventInput();
 		// split command line into arguments
 		var args = clite.lib.strToArgs(txt);
-		// TODO: check for io redirects and piping, then setup stdio accordingly
 		args.forEach(function(val,i) {
 			args[i] = clite.shell.preprocess(val);
 		});
-		// prepare stdio (stdin,stdout,stderr)
-		var stdio = {
-			read:clite.shell.readLine,
-			write:clite.term.writeLine,
-			error:clite.term.writeLine,
-			exit:clite.shell.exit,	// equivalent to C's exit(), needed by asynchronous programs
+		// prepare io (stdin,stdout,stderr)
+		// TODO: check for io redirects and piping, then setup stdio accordingly
+		var io = {
+			read:clite.shell.readLine,	// stdin
+			write:clite.term.writeLine,	// stdout
+			error:clite.term.writeLine,	// stderr
+			exit:clite.shell.exit,		// equivalent to C's exit(), needed by asynchronous programs
 			include:clite.shell.include,	// include libraries, allows them to be used in a program
 			istty:{
 				stdin:true,		// false if stdin (read) is not clite.shell.readLine
@@ -1448,10 +1426,37 @@ clite.shell = {
 		// check for a macro
 		// then either run the macro or expand the program to be executed via PATH
 		if (typeof clite.shell.macro[args[0]] != 'undefined') {
-			var r = clite.shell.macro[args[0]](args,stdio);
+			var r = clite.shell.macro[args[0]](args,io);
 			clite.shell.exit(r);
-		}else{
-			clite.shell.exec(args,stdio);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		var path = clite.shell.resolvePath(args[0]);
+		if (!path) {
+			clite.term.writeLine('Shell: unknown command: '+args[0]);
+			clite.shell.exit(-1,-1);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		function execFunc(env,io) {
+			var r = clite.lib.exec(path,args,env,io);
+			if (r == 0)
+				return;
+
+			if (r == -1) {
+				clite.term.writeLine('Shell: unknown command: '+args[0]);
+				clite.shell.exit(-1,-2);
+				return;
+			}
+
+			if (r == -2) {
+				clite.term.writeLine('Shell: error in command:'+args[0]);
+				clite.shell.exit(-1,-3);
+			}
+		}
+		if (!clite.lib.fork(clite.shell.env,io,execFunc)) {
+			clite.term.writeLine('Shell: internal error');
+			clite.shell.exit(-1,-1);
 		}
 	},
 	tabfill:function() {