diff --git a/clite/core.js b/clite/core.js
index d2a0c5c..ee2e26a 100644
--- a/clite/core.js
+++ b/clite/core.js
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ clite.proc = {
 				return;
 			data.groups.push({gpid:cpid,waitAny:[],waitAll:[]});
 		}
-		function exitGroup(cpid,pid) {
+		function exitGroup(cpid,pid,ev) {
 			var group = getGroup(cpid);
 			if (!group)
 				return false;
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ clite.proc = {
 			if (c > 0)
 				return true;
 			group.waitAll.forEach(function(w) {
-				w(pid);
+				w(pid,ev);
 			});
 			group.waitAll = [];
 			return true;
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ clite.proc = {
 			n.data.content += 'command: '+cl+'\n';
 			return true;
 		}
-		clite.proc.exit = function(pid) {
+		clite.proc.exit = function(pid,ev) {
 			var i = getProcIndex(pid);
 			if (i<0)
 				return false;
@@ -668,9 +668,9 @@ clite.proc = {
 			data.procs.splice(i,1);
 			vfsapi.remove(0,'/proc/'+pid);
 			proc.waits.forEach(function(w) {
-				clite.core.execSafeAsync(function() {w(pid)});
+				clite.core.execSafeAsync(function() {w(pid,ev)});
 			});
-			exitGroup(proc.gpid,pid);
+			exitGroup(proc.gpid,pid,ev);
 			// special case, reboot if pid 1 exits
 			if (pid == 1) {
 				clite.core.execSafeAsync(function() {
@@ -2727,7 +2727,6 @@ clite.lib = {
 			fd = clite.io.open(io.pid,e,clite.io.flags.O_RDONLY|clite.io.flags.O_EXEC|clite.io.flags.O_SYNC);
 			if (!fd)
 				return -6;
-			args = [args[0],path];
 			ft = clite.lib.getFileType(fd);
 		}
 		if (ft != clite.io.types.FT_BINARY) {
@@ -2751,7 +2750,7 @@ clite.lib = {
 	},
 	exit:function(pid,v) {
 		if (pid > -1)
-			clite.proc.exit(pid);
+			clite.proc.exit(pid,v);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/clite/shell.js b/clite/shell.js
index dab688c..157ad58 100644
--- a/clite/shell.js
+++ b/clite/shell.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ clite.commands.load('sh',function(args,env,io) {
 	var macro = {
 		clear:function(args,io) {
 			term.clear();
+			return 0;
 		},
 		cd:function(args,io) {
 			var dir = env.HOME;
@@ -18,60 +19,68 @@ clite.commands.load('sh',function(args,env,io) {
 			var fd = stdio.open(dir,stdio.flags.O_SEARCH|stdio.flags.O_DIRECTORY);
 			if (!fd) {
 				stdio.fprintf(io.stderr,'invalid directory: %s\n',dir);
-				return;
+				return 1;
 			}
 			stdio.close(fd);
 			env.PWD = dir;
+			return 0;
 		},
 		pwd:function(args,io) {
 			stdio.fprintf(io.stdout,'%s\n',env.PWD);
+			return 0;
 		},
 		echo:function(args,io) {
 			args.shift();
 			var txt = args.join(' ')+'\n';
 			stdio.write(io.stdout,txt);
+			return 0;
 		},
 		which:function(args,io) {
 			if (args.length <2)
-				return;
+				return 1;
 			if (typeof macro[args[1]] != 'undefined') {
-				return;
+				return 1;
 			}else{
 				var path = resolvePATH(args[1]);
 				if (!path)
-					return;
+					return 1;
 				stdio.fprintf(io.stdout,'%s is %s\n',args[1],path);
 			}
+			return 0;
 		},
 		type:function(args,io) {
 			if (args.length <2)
-				return;
+				return 1;
 			if (typeof macro[args[1]] != 'undefined') {
 				stdio.fprintf(io.stdout,'%s is a shell builtin\n',args[1]);
 			}else{
 				var path = resolvePATH(args[1]);
 				if (!path)
-					return;
+					return 1;
 				stdio.fprintf(io.stdout,'%s is %s\n',args[1],path);
 			}
+			return 0;
 		},
 		whoami:function(args,io) {
 			stdio.fprintf(io.stdout,'%s\n',env.USER);
+			return 0;
 		},
 		alias:function(args,io) {
 			stdio.fprintf(io.stdout,'unimplemented\n');
+			return 0;
 		},
 		export:function(args,io) {
 			if (args.length == 1) {
 				Object.keys(env).forEach(function(key) {
 					stdio.fprintf(io.stdout,'%s=%s\n',key,env[key]);
 				});
-				return;
+				return 0;
 			}
 			var parts = args[1].split('=');
 			if (parts.length != 2)
-				return;
+				return 0;
 			env[parts[0]] = parts[1];
+			return 0;
 		},
 		exit:function(args,io) {
 			has_exited = true;
@@ -79,6 +88,7 @@ clite.commands.load('sh',function(args,env,io) {
 			if (args.length > 1)
 				ev = parseInt(args[1]);
 			io.exit(ev);
+			return 0;
 		}
 	};
 
@@ -150,7 +160,8 @@ clite.commands.load('sh',function(args,env,io) {
 			},
 			prepFile:function(fd) {
 				var data = stdio.readAll(fd);
-				stdio.close(fd);
+				if (fd != io.stdin)
+					stdio.close(fd);
 				if (!data) {
 					parser.run();
 					return;
@@ -195,6 +206,12 @@ clite.commands.load('sh',function(args,env,io) {
 				return;
 			}
 			parser.internal.parseFile(f);
+		},
+		stdin:function() {
+			parser.callback = function() {
+				io.exit(0);
+			}
+			parser.internal.prepFile(io.stdin);
 		}
 	};
 
@@ -346,6 +363,7 @@ Options:
 		if (typeof macro[args[0]] != 'undefined') {
 			fio.exit = io.exit;
 			var r = macro[args[0]](args,fio);
+			env['?'] = r.toString();
 			if (typeof cb === 'function')
 				cb();
 			return;
@@ -354,15 +372,19 @@ Options:
 		var path = resolvePATH(args[0]);
 		if (!path) {
 			stdio.fprintf(io.stderr,'Shell: unknown command: %s\n',args[0]);
+			env['?'] = '1';
 			if (typeof cb === 'function')
 				cb();
 			return;
 		}
 
+		var shenv = env;
+
 		function execFunc(env,io) {
 			var r = stdlib.exec(path,args,env,io);
 			if (r > 0)
 				return;
+			shenv['?'] = '1';
 
 			if (r == -1) {
 				stdlib.fprintf(io.stderr,'Shell: unknown command: %s\n',args[0]);
@@ -402,13 +424,17 @@ Options:
 		var pid = stdlib.fork(env,fio,execFunc);
 		if (pid == 0) {
 			stdio.write(io.stderr,'Shell: internal error\n');
+			env['?'] = '1';
 			if (typeof cb === 'function')
 				cb();
 			return;
 		}
 
 		if (typeof cb === 'function')
-			stdlib.waitpid(pid,cb);
+			stdlib.waitpid(pid,function(pid,ev) {
+				env['?'] = ev.toString();
+				cb();
+			});
 	}
 
 	function writePrompt() {
@@ -524,6 +550,18 @@ Options:
 			}
 		}
 
+		// TODO: hacks r uglee
+		if (!f && args[0] != '/bin/sh' && args[0] != 'sh') {
+			f = clite.resolvePath(args[0]);
+			if (!f)
+				return 1;
+			// make the arguments readable by the shell script
+			env['#'] = args.length.toString();
+			for (var i=0; i<args.length; i++) {
+				env[i.toString()] = args[i];
+			}
+		}
+
 		// run a shell script if one is specified
 		if (f != null) {
 			parser.queue(f);
@@ -534,8 +572,7 @@ Options:
 		}else if (!stdio.isatty(io.stdin)) {
 			if (!s)
 				return 0;
-			// TODO: parser stdin support
-			return 1;
+			parser.stdin();
 		// otherwise we have an interactive shell
 		// so run /etc/shrc and ~/.shrc
 		}else{