diff --git a/ice-9/boot-9.scm b/ice-9/boot-9.scm
index 927da3e46..a357a0802 100644
--- a/ice-9/boot-9.scm
+++ b/ice-9/boot-9.scm
@@ -2975,6 +2975,7 @@ module '(ice-9 q) '(make-q q-length))}."
 ;; Indeed, all references to global variables are memoized into such
 ;; variable objects.
 
+;; FIXME: these don't work with the compiler
 (define-macro (@ mod-name var-name)
   (let ((var (module-variable (resolve-interface mod-name) var-name)))
     (if (not var)
@@ -3337,6 +3338,8 @@ module '(ice-9 q) '(make-q q-length))}."
     ;; scmsigs.c scm_sigaction_for_thread), so the handlers setup here have
     ;; no effect.
     (let ((old-handlers #f)
+          (start-repl (module-ref (resolve-interface '(system repl repl))
+                                  'start-repl))
 	  (signals (if (provided? 'posix)
 		       `((,SIGINT . "User interrupt")
 			 (,SIGFPE . "Arithmetic error")
@@ -3371,7 +3374,7 @@ module '(ice-9 q) '(make-q q-length))}."
 
 	  ;; the protected thunk.
 	  (lambda ()
-	    (let ((status (scm-style-repl)))
+            (let ((status (start-repl 'scheme)))
 	      (run-hook exit-hook)
 	      status))
 
diff --git a/module/system/repl/repl.scm b/module/system/repl/repl.scm
index 4ddacbe64..cf948c63e 100644
--- a/module/system/repl/repl.scm
+++ b/module/system/repl/repl.scm
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@
     expr)))
 
 (define (start-repl lang)
-  (let ((repl (make-repl lang)))
+  (let ((repl (make-repl lang))
+        (status #f))
     (repl-welcome repl)
     (let prompt-loop ()
       (let ((exp (call-with-backtrace
@@ -114,21 +115,28 @@
            (lambda ()
              (meta-command repl (read-line)))))
          ((eof-object? exp)
-          (throw 'quit))
+          (newline)
+          (set! status '()))
          (else
           (call-with-backtrace
            (lambda ()
-             (call-with-values (lambda ()
-                                 (run-hook before-eval-hook exp)
-                                 (start-stack repl-eval
-                                              (repl-eval repl exp)))
-               (lambda l
-                 (for-each (lambda (v)
-                             (run-hook before-print-hook v)
-                             (repl-print repl v))
-                           l)))))))
-        (next-char #f) ;; consume trailing whitespace
-        (prompt-loop)))))
+             (catch 'quit
+                    (lambda ()
+                      (call-with-values (lambda ()
+                                          (run-hook before-eval-hook exp)
+                                          (start-stack repl-eval
+                                                       (repl-eval repl exp)))
+                        (lambda l
+                          (for-each (lambda (v)
+                                      (run-hook before-print-hook v)
+                                      (repl-print repl v))
+                                    l))))
+                    (lambda (k . args)
+                      (set! status args)))))))
+        (or status
+            (begin
+              (next-char #f) ;; consume trailing whitespace
+              (prompt-loop)))))))
 
 (define (next-char wait)
   (if (or wait (char-ready?))