diff --git a/clite/core.js b/clite/core.js
index f74cd5e..53b16e1 100644
--- a/clite/core.js
+++ b/clite/core.js
@@ -326,8 +326,7 @@ guest:x:1:
 					clite.log.write('shell config failure');
 					return false;
 				}
-				n.data.content =`
-#!/bin/sh
+				n.data.content =`#!/bin/sh
 cat /etc/greeting
 `;
 				n.perms = '-rwxr-xr-x';
@@ -924,8 +923,7 @@ clite.user = {
 			n.perms = '-rwx------';
 			n.uid = 1;
 			n.gid = 1;
-			n.data.content = `
-#!/bin/sh
+			n.data.content = `#!/bin/sh
 cat -l /usr/share/introduction
 `;
 		}
diff --git a/clite/libstdio.js b/clite/libstdio.js
index 85e5cff..d131975 100644
--- a/clite/libstdio.js
+++ b/clite/libstdio.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ return Object.create({
 	},
 
 	stat:function(path) {
-		var fd = clite.io.open(io.pid,path,clite.io.flags.O_RDONLY);
+		var fd = clite.io.open(io.pid,path,clite.io.flags.O_RDONLY|clite.io.flags.O_NONBLOCK);
 		if (!fd)
 			return null;
 		var st = clite.io.fstatat(io.pid,fd,0);
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ return Object.create({
 	},
 
 	lstat:function(path) {
-		var fd = clite.io.open(io.pid,path,clite.io.flags.O_RDONLY|clite.io.flags.O_NOFOLLOW);
+		var fd = clite.io.open(io.pid,path,clite.io.flags.O_RDONLY|clite.io.flags.O_NOFOLLOW|clite.io.flags.O_NONBLOCK);
 		if (!fd)
 			return null;
 		var st = clite.io.fstatat(io.pid,fd,clite.io.flags.AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW);
diff --git a/clite/shell.js b/clite/shell.js
index 3cf5f24..4cda1ed 100644
--- a/clite/shell.js
+++ b/clite/shell.js
@@ -123,7 +123,80 @@ clite.commands.load('sh',function(args,env,io) {
 			history.current = '';
 			history.index = 0;
 		}
-	}
+	};
+
+	var parser = {
+		files:[],
+		callback:null,
+		queue:function(file) {
+			parser.files.push(file);
+		},
+		internal:{
+			lines:[],
+			parseFile:function(f) {
+				var fn = clite.resolvePath(f);
+				if (fn == null) {
+					parser.run();
+					return;
+				}
+				var st = stdio.stat(fn);
+				if (st == null || st.type != stdio.types.FT_SCRIPT) {
+					parser.run();
+					return;
+				}
+				var fd = stdio.open(fn,stdio.flags.O_RDONLY,parser.internal.prepFile);
+				if (!fd)
+					parser.run();
+			},
+			prepFile:function(fd) {
+				var data = stdio.readAll(fd);
+				stdio.close(fd);
+				if (!data) {
+					parser.run();
+					return;
+				}
+				parser.internal.lines = data.split('\n');
+				if (parser.internal.lines.length < 1) {
+					parser.run();
+					return;
+				}
+				parser.internal.parseLine();
+			},
+			parseLine:function() {
+				var l = parser.internal.lines.shift();
+				if (l == null) {
+					parser.run();
+					return;
+				}
+				if (l[0] == '#') {
+					parser.internal.parseLine();
+					return;
+				}
+				run(l,parser.internal.parseLine);
+			}
+		},
+		exit:function() {
+			if (typeof parser.callback === 'function') {
+				try{
+					parser.callback();
+				} catch(err) {
+					stdio.write(io.stderr,'Shell: internal error in parser\n');
+					io.exit(1);
+					return;
+				}
+			}
+		},
+		run:function(cb) {
+			if (typeof cb === 'function')
+				parser.callback = cb;
+			var f = parser.files.shift();
+			if (!f) {
+				parser.exit();
+				return;
+			}
+			parser.internal.parseFile(f);
+		}
+	};
 
 	function help() {
 		stdio.write(io.stdout,`
@@ -245,19 +318,10 @@ Options:
 		return c+add;
 	}
 
-	function parseScript(fd) {
-		var l;
-		while ((l = stdio.readLine(fd)) != null) {
-			if (l[0] == '#')
-				continue;
-			run(l,false);
-		}
-	}
-
-	function run(txt,interactive) {
+	function run(txt,cb) {
 		if (txt.length < 1) {
-			if (interactive)
-				inputRead();
+			if (typeof cb === 'function')
+				cb();
 			return;
 		}
 		history.add(txt);
@@ -282,16 +346,16 @@ Options:
 		if (typeof macro[args[0]] != 'undefined') {
 			fio.exit = io.exit;
 			var r = macro[args[0]](args,fio);
-			if (interactive)
-				inputRead();
+			if (typeof cb === 'function')
+				cb();
 			return;
 		}
 
 		var path = resolvePATH(args[0]);
 		if (!path) {
 			stdio.fprintf(io.stderr,'Shell: unknown command: %s\n',args[0]);
-			if (interactive)
-				inputRead();
+			if (typeof cb === 'function')
+				cb();
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -318,13 +382,13 @@ Options:
 		var pid = stdlib.fork(env,fio,execFunc);
 		if (pid == 0) {
 			stdio.write(io.stderr,'Shell: internal error\n');
-			if (interactive)
-				inputRead();
+			if (typeof cb === 'function')
+				cb();
 			return;
 		}
-		// TODO: if we're not interactive, we still want to waitpid
-		if (interactive)
-			stdlib.waitpid(pid,inputRead);
+
+		if (typeof cb === 'function')
+			stdlib.waitpid(pid,cb);
 	}
 
 	function writePrompt() {
@@ -362,7 +426,7 @@ Options:
 				break;
 			case '\n': // enter
 				term.ttyctrl('raw',false);
-				run(c,true);
+				run(c,inputRead);
 				c = '';
 				cc = 0;
 				return;
@@ -463,17 +527,9 @@ Options:
 		// otherwise we have an interactive shell
 		// so run /etc/shrc and ~/.shrc
 		}else{
-			var fd = stdio.open('/etc/shrc',stdio.flags.O_RDONLY|stdio.flags.O_SYNC);
-			if (fd) {
-				parseScript(fd);
-				stdio.close(fd);
-			}
-			fd = stdio.open(env.HOME+'/.shrc',stdio.flags.O_RDONLY|stdio.flags.O_SYNC);
-			if (fd) {
-				parseScript(fd);
-				stdio.close(fd);
-			}
-			stdlib.waitall(function() {
+			parser.queue('/etc/shrc');
+			parser.queue(env.HOME+'/.shrc');
+			parser.run(function() {
 				history.clear();
 				inputRead();
 			});