diff --git a/module/Makefile.am b/module/Makefile.am
index 2685a3a63..42aff1833 100644
--- a/module/Makefile.am
+++ b/module/Makefile.am
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ ICE_9_SOURCES = \
   ice-9/and-let-star.scm \
   ice-9/binary-ports.scm \
   ice-9/calling.scm \
+  ice-9/command-line.scm \
   ice-9/common-list.scm \
   ice-9/control.scm \
   ice-9/curried-definitions.scm \
diff --git a/module/ice-9/command-line.scm b/module/ice-9/command-line.scm
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e40006a82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/module/ice-9/command-line.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,416 @@
+;;; Parsing Guile's command-line
+
+;;; Copyright (C) 1994-1998, 2000-2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+;;;; This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+;;;; modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+;;;; License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+;;;; version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+;;;; 
+;;;; This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+;;;; but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+;;;; MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+;;;; Lesser General Public License for more details.
+;;;; 
+;;;; You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+;;;; License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+;;;; Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+
+;;; Code:
+
+;;;
+;;; Please be careful not to load up other modules in this file, unless
+;;; they are explicitly requested.  Loading modules currently imposes a
+;;; speed penalty of a few stats, an mmap, and some allocation, which
+;;; can range from 1 to 20ms, depending on the state of your disk cache.
+;;; Since `compile-shell-switches' is called even for the most transient
+;;; of command-line programs, we need to keep it lean.
+;;;
+;;; Generally speaking, the goal is for Guile to boot and execute simple
+;;; expressions like "1" within 20ms or less, measured using system time
+;;; from the time of the `guile' invocation to exit.
+;;;
+
+(define-module (ice-9 command-line)
+  #:autoload (system vm vm) (set-default-vm-engine! set-vm-engine! the-vm)
+  #:export (compile-shell-switches
+            version-etc
+            *GPLv3+*
+            *LGPLv3+*
+            emit-bug-reporting-address))
+
+;; An initial stab at i18n.
+(define _ gettext)
+
+(define *GPLv3+*
+  (_ "License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
+This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
+There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law."))
+
+(define *LGPLv3+*
+  (_ "License LGPLv3+: GNU LGPL 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html>.
+This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
+There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law."))
+
+;; Display the --version information in the
+;; standard way: command and package names, package version, followed
+;; by a short license notice and a list of up to 10 author names.
+;; If COMMAND_NAME is NULL, the PACKAGE is asumed to be the name of
+;; the program.  The formats are therefore:
+;; PACKAGE VERSION
+;; or
+;; COMMAND_NAME (PACKAGE) VERSION.
+;;
+;; Based on the version-etc gnulib module.
+;;
+(define* (version-etc package version #:key
+                      (port (current-output-port))
+                      ;; FIXME: authors
+                      (copyright-year 2011)
+                      (copyright-holder "Free Software Foundation, Inc.")
+                      (copyright (format #f "Copyright (C) ~a ~a"
+                                         copyright-year copyright-holder))
+                      (license *GPLv3+*)
+                      command-name
+                      packager packager-version)
+  (if command-name
+      (format port "~a (~a) ~a\n" command-name package version)
+      (format port "~a ~a\n" package version))
+
+  (if packager
+      (if packager-version
+          (format port (_ "Packaged by ~a (~a)\n") packager packager-version)
+          (format port (_ "Packaged by ~a\n") packager)))
+  
+  (display copyright port)
+  (newline port)
+  (newline port)
+  (display license port)
+  (newline port))
+
+
+;; Display the usual `Report bugs to' stanza.
+;;
+(define* (emit-bug-reporting-address package bug-address #:key
+                                     (port (current-output-port))
+                                     (url (string-append
+                                           "http://www.gnu.org/software/"
+                                           package
+                                           "/"))
+                                     packager packager-bug-address)
+  (format port (_ "\nReport bugs to: ~a\n") bug-address)
+  (if (and packager packager-bug-address)
+      (format port (_ "Report ~a bugs to: ~a\n") packager packager-bug-address))
+  (format port (_ "~a home page: <~a>\n") package url)
+  (format port
+          (_ "General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>\n")))
+
+(define *usage*
+  (_ "Evaluate Scheme code, interactively or from a script.
+
+  [-s] FILE      load Scheme source code from FILE, and exit
+  -c EXPR        evalute Scheme expression EXPR, and exit
+  --             stop scanning arguments; run interactively
+
+The above switches stop argument processing, and pass all
+remaining arguments as the value of (command-line).
+If FILE begins with `-' the -s switch is mandatory.
+
+  -L DIRECTORY   add DIRECTORY to the front of the module load path
+  -x EXTENSION   add EXTENSION to the front of the load extensions
+  -l FILE        load Scheme source code from FILE
+  -e FUNCTION    after reading script, apply FUNCTION to
+                 command line arguments
+  -ds            do -s script at this point
+  --debug        start with debugging evaluator and backtraces
+  --no-debug     start with normal evaluator
+                 Default is to enable debugging for interactive
+                 use, but not for `-s' and `-c'.
+  --auto-compile compile source files automatically
+  --no-auto-compile disable automatic source file compilation
+                 Default is to enable auto-compilation of source
+                 files.
+  --listen[=P]   Listen on a local port or a path for REPL clients.
+                 If P is not given, the default is local port 37146.
+  -q             inhibit loading of user init file
+  --use-srfi=LS  load SRFI modules for the SRFIs in LS,
+                 which is a list of numbers like \"2,13,14\"
+  -h, --help     display this help and exit
+  -v, --version  display version information and exit
+  \\              read arguments from following script lines"))
+
+
+(define* (shell-usage name fatal? #:optional fmt . args)
+  (let ((port (if fatal?
+                  (current-error-port)
+                  (current-output-port))))
+    (if fmt
+        (apply format port fmt args))
+
+    (format port (_ "Usage: ~a [OPTION]... [FILE]...\n") name)
+    (display *usage* port)
+    (newline port)
+
+    (emit-bug-reporting-address
+     "GNU Guile" "bug-guile@gnu.org"
+     #:port port
+     #:url "http://www.gnu.org/software/guile/"
+     #:packager (assq-ref %guile-build-info 'packager)
+     #:packager-bug-address
+     (assq-ref %guile-build-info 'packager-bug-address))
+
+    (if fatal?
+        (exit 1))))
+
+(define (eval-string str)
+  (call-with-input-string
+   str
+   (lambda (port)
+     (let lp ()
+       (let ((exp (read port)))
+         (if (not (eof-object? exp))
+             (begin
+               (eval exp (current-module))
+               (lp))))))))
+
+(define* (compile-shell-switches args #:optional (usage-name "guile"))
+  (let ((arg0 "guile")
+        (do-script '())
+        (entry-point #f)
+        (user-load-path '())
+        (user-extensions '())
+        (interactive? #t)
+        (inhibit-user-init? #f)
+        (turn-on-debugging? #f)
+        (turn-off-debugging? #f))
+
+    (define (error fmt . args)
+      (apply shell-usage usage-name #t fmt args))
+
+    (define (parse args out)
+      (cond
+       ((null? args)
+        (finish args out))
+       (else
+        (let ((arg (car args))
+              (args (cdr args)))
+          (cond
+           ((not (string-prefix? "-" arg)) ; foo
+            ;; If we specified the -ds option, do_script points to the
+            ;; cdr of an expression like (load #f) we replace the car
+            ;; (i.e., the #f) with the script name.
+            (if (pair? do-script)
+                (set-car! do-script arg))
+            (set! arg0 arg)
+            (set! interactive? #f)
+            (finish args
+                    (cons `(load ,arg) out)))
+
+           ((string=? arg "-s")         ; foo
+            (if (null? args)
+                (error "missing argument to `-s' switch"))
+            (set! arg0 (car args))
+            (if (pair? do-script)
+                (set-car! do-script arg0))
+            (set! interactive? #f)
+            (finish (cdr args)
+                    (cons `(load ,arg0) out)))
+
+           ((string=? arg "-c")         ; evaluate expr
+            (if (null? args)
+                (error "missing argument to `-c' switch"))
+            (set! interactive? #f)
+            (finish (cdr args)
+                    ;; Use our own eval-string to avoid loading (ice-9
+                    ;; eval-string), which loads the compiler.
+                    (cons `((@@ (ice-9 command-line) eval-string) ,(car args))
+                          out)))
+
+           ((string=? arg "--")         ; end args go interactive
+            (finish args out))
+
+           ((string=? arg "-l")         ; load a file
+            (if (null? args)
+                (error "missing argument to `-l' switch"))
+            (parse (cdr args)
+                   (cons `(load ,(car args)) out)))
+
+           ((string=? arg "-L")         ; add to %load-path
+            (if (null? args)
+                (error "missing argument to `-L' switch"))
+            (set! user-load-path (cons (car args) user-load-path))
+            (parse (cdr args)
+                   out))
+
+           ((string=? arg "-x")         ; add to %load-extensions
+            (if (null? args)
+                (error "missing argument to `-L' switch"))
+            (set! user-extensions (cons (car args) user-extensions))
+            (parse (cdr args)
+                   out))
+
+           ((string=? arg "-e")         ; entry point
+            (if (null? args)
+                (error "missing argument to `-e' switch"))
+            (let* ((port (open-input-string (car args)))
+                   (arg1 (read port))
+                   (arg2 (read port)))
+              ;; Recognize syntax of certain versions of guile 1.4 and
+              ;; transform to (@ MODULE-NAME FUNC).
+              (set! entry-point
+                    (cond
+                     ((not (eof-object? arg2))
+                      `(@ ,arg1 ,arg2))
+                     ((and (pair? arg1)
+                           (not (memq (car arg1) '(@ @@)))
+                           (and-map symbol? arg1))
+                      `(@ ,arg1 main))
+                     (else
+                      arg1))))
+            (parse (cdr args)
+                   out))
+
+           ((string=? arg "-ds")        ; do script here
+            ;; We put a dummy "load" expression, and let the -s put the
+            ;; filename in.
+            (if (pair? do-script)
+                (error "the -ds switch may only be specified once")
+                (set! do-script (list #f)))
+            (parse args
+                   (cons `(load . ,do-script) out)))
+
+           ((string=? arg "--debug")
+            (set! turn-on-debugging? #t)
+            (set! turn-off-debugging? #f)
+            (parse args out))
+
+           ((string=? arg "--no-debug")
+            (set! turn-off-debugging? #t)
+            (set! turn-on-debugging? #f)
+            (parse args out))
+
+           ;; Do auto-compile on/off now, because the form itself might
+           ;; need this decision.
+           ((string=? arg "--auto-compile")
+            (set! %load-should-auto-compile #t))
+
+           ((string=? arg "--no-auto-compile")
+            (set! %load-should-auto-compile #f))
+
+           ((string=? arg "-q")         ; don't load user init
+            (set! inhibit-user-init? #t))
+
+           ((string-prefix? "--use-srfi=" arg)
+            (let ((srfis (map (lambda (x)
+                                (let ((n (string->number x)))
+                                  (if (and n (exact? n) (integer? n) (>= n 0))
+                                      n
+                                      (error "invalid SRFI specification"))))
+                              (string-split (substring arg 11) #\,))))
+              (if (null? srfis)
+                  (error "invalid SRFI specification"))
+              (parse args
+                     (cons `(use-srfis ',srfis) out))))
+
+           ((string=? arg "--listen")   ; start a repl server
+            (parse args
+                (cons '(@@ (system repl server) (spawn-server)) out)))
+           
+           ((string-prefix? "--listen=" arg) ; start a repl server
+            (parse
+             args
+             (cons
+              (let ((where (substring arg 8)))
+                (cond
+                 ((string->number where) ; --listen=PORT
+                  => (lambda (port)
+                       (if (and (integer? port) (exact? port) (>= port 0))
+                           (error "invalid port for --listen")
+                           `(@@ (system repl server)
+                                (spawn-server
+                                 (make-tcp-server-socket #:port ,port))))))
+                 ((string-prefix? "/" where) ; --listen=/PATH/TO/SOCKET
+                  `(@@ (system repl server)
+                       (spawn-server
+                        (make-unix-domain-server-socket #:path ,where))))
+                 (else
+                  (error "unknown argument to --listen"))))
+              out)))
+
+           ((or (string=? arg "-h") (string=? arg "--help"))
+            (shell-usage usage-name #f)
+            (exit 0))
+
+           ((or (string=? arg "-v") (string=? arg "--version"))
+            (version-etc "GNU Guile" (version)
+                         #:command-name "guile"
+                         #:packager (assq-ref %guile-build-info 'packager)
+                         #:packager-version
+                         (assq-ref %guile-build-info 'packager-version))
+            (exit 0))
+
+           (else
+            (error "Unrecognized switch ~a" arg)))))))
+
+    (define (finish args out)
+      ;; Check to make sure the -ds got a -s.
+      (if (and (pair? do-script) (not (car do-script)))
+          (error "the `-ds' switch requires the use of `-s' as well"))
+
+      ;; Make any remaining arguments available to the
+      ;; script/command/whatever.
+      (set-program-arguments (cons arg0 args))
+
+      ;; If debugging was requested, or we are interactive and debugging
+      ;; was not explicitly turned off, use the debug engine.
+      (if (or turn-on-debugging?
+              (and interactive? (not turn-off-debugging?)))
+          (begin
+            (set-default-vm-engine! 'debug)
+            (set-vm-engine! (the-vm) 'debug)))
+      
+      ;; Return this value.
+      `(;; It would be nice not to load up (ice-9 control), but the
+        ;; default-prompt-handler is nontrivial.
+        (@ (ice-9 control) %)
+        (begin
+          ;; If we didn't end with a -c or a -s and didn't supply a -q, load
+          ;; the user's customization file.
+          ,@(if (and interactive? (not inhibit-user-init?))
+                '((load-user-init))
+                '())
+
+          ;; Use-specified extensions.
+          ,@(map (lambda (ext)
+                   `(set! %load-extensions (cons ,ext %load-extensions)))
+                 user-extensions)
+
+          ;; Add the user-specified load path here, so it won't be in
+          ;; effect during the loading of the user's customization file.
+          ,@(map (lambda (path)
+                   `(set! %load-path (cons ,path %load-path)))
+                 user-load-path)
+
+          ;; Put accumulated actions in their correct order.
+          ,@(reverse! out)
+
+          ;; Handle the `-e' switch, if it was specified.
+          ,@(if entry-point
+                `((,entry-point (command-line)))
+                '())
+          ,(if interactive?
+               ;; If we didn't end with a -c or a -s, start the
+               ;; repl.
+               '((@ (ice-9 top-repl) top-repl))
+               ;; Otherwise, after doing all the other actions
+               ;; prescribed by the command line, quit.
+               '(quit)))))
+
+      (if (pair? args)
+          (begin
+            (set! arg0 (car args))
+            (let ((slash (string-rindex arg0 #\/)))
+              (set! usage-name
+                    (if slash (substring arg0 (1+ slash)) arg0)))
+            (parse (cdr args) '()))
+          (parse args '()))))