diff --git a/src/cmd/5a/lex.c b/src/cmd/5a/lex.c
index dbee3657f1a..a04cda2201a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/5a/lex.c
+++ b/src/cmd/5a/lex.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	char *p;
-	int nout, nproc, i, c;
+	int c;
 
 	thechar = '5';
 	thestring = "arm";
@@ -94,46 +94,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		print("usage: %ca [-options] file.s\n", thechar);
 		errorexit();
 	}
-	if(argc > 1 && systemtype(Windows)){
-		print("can't assemble multiple files on windows\n");
+	if(argc > 1){
+		print("can't assemble multiple files\n");
 		errorexit();
 	}
-	if(argc > 1 && !systemtype(Windows)) {
-		nproc = 1;
-		if(p = getenv("NPROC"))
-			nproc = atol(p);	/* */
-		c = 0;
-		nout = 0;
-		for(;;) {
-			Waitmsg *w;
-
-			while(nout < nproc && argc > 0) {
-				i = fork();
-				if(i < 0) {
-					fprint(2, "fork: %r\n");
-					errorexit();
-				}
-				if(i == 0) {
-					print("%s:\n", *argv);
-					if(assemble(*argv))
-						errorexit();
-					exits(0);
-				}
-				nout++;
-				argc--;
-				argv++;
-			}
-			w = wait();
-			if(w == nil) {
-				if(c)
-					errorexit();
-				exits(0);
-			}
-			if(w->msg[0])
-				c++;
-			nout--;
-		}
-	}
 	if(assemble(argv[0]))
 		errorexit();
 	exits(0);
@@ -142,7 +106,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 int
 assemble(char *file)
 {
-	char *ofile, incfile[20], *p;
+	char *ofile, *p;
 	int i, of;
 
 	ofile = alloc(strlen(file)+3); // +3 for .x\0 (x=thechar)
@@ -167,15 +131,6 @@ assemble(char *file)
 		} else
 			outfile = "/dev/null";
 	}
-	p = getenv("INCLUDE");
-	if(p) {
-		setinclude(p);
-	} else {
-		if(systemtype(Plan9)) {
-			sprint(incfile,"/%s/include", thestring);
-			setinclude(strdup(incfile));
-		}
-	}
 
 	of = create(outfile, OWRITE, 0664);
 	if(of < 0) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/6a/lex.c b/src/cmd/6a/lex.c
index 37144c88849..b4c7d0c2cbf 100644
--- a/src/cmd/6a/lex.c
+++ b/src/cmd/6a/lex.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	char *p;
-	int nout, nproc, i, c;
+	int c;
 
 	thechar = '6';
 	thestring = "amd64";
@@ -96,46 +96,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		print("usage: %ca [-options] file.s\n", thechar);
 		errorexit();
 	}
-	if(argc > 1 && systemtype(Windows)){
-		print("can't assemble multiple files on windows\n");
+	if(argc > 1){
+		print("can't assemble multiple files\n");
 		errorexit();
 	}
-	if(argc > 1 && !systemtype(Windows)) {
-		nproc = 1;
-		if(p = getenv("NPROC"))
-			nproc = atol(p);	/* */
-		c = 0;
-		nout = 0;
-		for(;;) {
-			Waitmsg *w;
-
-			while(nout < nproc && argc > 0) {
-				i = fork();
-				if(i < 0) {
-					fprint(2, "fork: %r\n");
-					errorexit();
-				}
-				if(i == 0) {
-					print("%s:\n", *argv);
-					if(assemble(*argv))
-						errorexit();
-					exits(0);
-				}
-				nout++;
-				argc--;
-				argv++;
-			}
-			w = wait();
-			if(w == nil) {
-				if(c)
-					errorexit();
-				exits(0);
-			}
-			if(w->msg[0])
-				c++;
-			nout--;
-		}
-	}
 	if(assemble(argv[0]))
 		errorexit();
 	exits(0);
@@ -144,7 +108,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 int
 assemble(char *file)
 {
-	char *ofile, incfile[20], *p;
+	char *ofile, *p;
 	int i, of;
 
 	ofile = alloc(strlen(file)+3); // +3 for .x\0 (x=thechar)
@@ -169,15 +133,6 @@ assemble(char *file)
 		} else
 			outfile = "/dev/null";
 	}
-	p = getenv("INCLUDE");
-	if(p) {
-		setinclude(p);
-	} else {
-		if(systemtype(Plan9)) {
-			sprint(incfile,"/%s/include", thestring);
-			setinclude(strdup(incfile));
-		}
-	}
 
 	of = create(outfile, OWRITE, 0664);
 	if(of < 0) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/8a/lex.c b/src/cmd/8a/lex.c
index ca18b69ce67..0788618777f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/8a/lex.c
+++ b/src/cmd/8a/lex.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	char *p;
-	int nout, nproc, i, c;
+	int c;
 
 	thechar = '8';
 	thestring = "386";
@@ -96,46 +96,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		print("usage: %ca [-options] file.s\n", thechar);
 		errorexit();
 	}
-	if(argc > 1 && systemtype(Windows)){
-		print("can't assemble multiple files on windows\n");
+	if(argc > 1){
+		print("can't assemble multiple files\n");
 		errorexit();
 	}
-	if(argc > 1 && !systemtype(Windows)) {
-		nproc = 1;
-		if(p = getenv("NPROC"))
-			nproc = atol(p);	/* */
-		c = 0;
-		nout = 0;
-		for(;;) {
-			Waitmsg *w;
-
-			while(nout < nproc && argc > 0) {
-				i = fork();
-				if(i < 0) {
-					fprint(2, "fork: %r\n");
-					errorexit();
-				}
-				if(i == 0) {
-					print("%s:\n", *argv);
-					if(assemble(*argv))
-						errorexit();
-					exits(0);
-				}
-				nout++;
-				argc--;
-				argv++;
-			}
-			w = wait();
-			if(w == nil) {
-				if(c)
-					errorexit();
-				exits(0);
-			}
-			if(w->msg[0])
-				c++;
-			nout--;
-		}
-	}
 	if(assemble(argv[0]))
 		errorexit();
 	exits(0);
@@ -144,7 +108,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 int
 assemble(char *file)
 {
-	char *ofile, incfile[20], *p;
+	char *ofile, *p;
 	int i, of;
 
 	ofile = alloc(strlen(file)+3); // +3 for .x\0 (x=thechar)
@@ -169,15 +133,6 @@ assemble(char *file)
 		} else
 			outfile = "/dev/null";
 	}
-	p = getenv("INCLUDE");
-	if(p) {
-		setinclude(p);
-	} else {
-		if(systemtype(Plan9)) {
-			sprint(incfile,"/%s/include", thestring);
-			setinclude(strdup(incfile));
-		}
-	}
 
 	of = create(outfile, OWRITE, 0664);
 	if(of < 0) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/cc/lex.c b/src/cmd/cc/lex.c
index dba8ff6340b..71cc89bf0d6 100644
--- a/src/cmd/cc/lex.c
+++ b/src/cmd/cc/lex.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ void
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	char **defs, *p;
-	int nproc, nout, i, c, ndef;
+	int c, ndef;
 
 	ensuresymb(NSYMB);
 	memset(debug, 0, sizeof(debug));
@@ -142,51 +142,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		print("usage: %cc [-options] files\n", thechar);
 		errorexit();
 	}
-	if(argc > 1 && systemtype(Windows)){
-		print("can't compile multiple files on windows\n");
+	if(argc > 1){
+		print("can't compile multiple files\n");
 		errorexit();
 	}
-	if(argc > 1 && !systemtype(Windows)) {
-		nproc = 1;
-		/*
-		 * if we're writing acid to standard output, don't compile
-		 * concurrently, to avoid interleaving output.
-		 */
-		if(((!debug['a'] && !debug['q'] && !debug['Q']) || debug['n']) &&
-		    (p = getenv("NPROC")) != nil)
-			nproc = atol(p);	/* */
-		c = 0;
-		nout = 0;
-		for(;;) {
-			Waitmsg *w;
-
-			while(nout < nproc && argc > 0) {
-				i = fork();
-				if(i < 0) {
-					print("cannot create a process\n");
-					errorexit();
-				}
-				if(i == 0) {
-					fprint(2, "%s:\n", *argv);
-					if (compile(*argv, defs, ndef))
-						errorexit();
-					exits(0);
-				}
-				nout++;
-				argc--;
-				argv++;
-			}
-			w = wait();
-			if(w == nil) {
-				if(c)
-					errorexit();
-				exits(0);
-			}
-			if(w->msg[0])
-				c++;
-			nout--;
-		}
-	}
 
 	if(argc == 0)
 		c = compile("stdin", defs, ndef);
@@ -201,7 +160,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 int
 compile(char *file, char **defs, int ndef)
 {
-	char *ofile, incfile[20];
+	char *ofile;
 	char *p, **av, opt[256];
 	int i, c, fd[2];
 	static int first = 1;
@@ -236,15 +195,6 @@ compile(char *file, char **defs, int ndef)
 			outfile = "/dev/null";
 	}
 
-	if(p = getenv("INCLUDE")) {
-		setinclude(p);
-	} else {
-		if(systemtype(Plan9)) {
-			sprint(incfile, "/%s/include", thestring);
-			setinclude(strdup(incfile));
-			setinclude("/sys/include");
-		}
-	}
 	if (first)
 		Binit(&diagbuf, 1, OWRITE);
 	/*