diff --git a/usr/austin/eval/Makefile b/usr/austin/eval/Makefile
index 154838ea379..37f7c02a710 100644
--- a/usr/austin/eval/Makefile
+++ b/usr/austin/eval/Makefile
@@ -18,5 +18,6 @@ GOFILES=\
 	typec.go\
 	util.go\
 	value.go\
+	world.go\
 
 include $(GOROOT)/src/Make.pkg
diff --git a/usr/austin/eval/compiler.go b/usr/austin/eval/compiler.go
index f4ababf74f5..b13cd298c1c 100644
--- a/usr/austin/eval/compiler.go
+++ b/usr/austin/eval/compiler.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ func (a *compiler) numError() int {
 func newUniverse() *Scope {
 	sc := &Scope{nil, 0};
 	sc.block = &block{
+		offset: -1,
 		scope: sc,
 		defs: make(map[string] Def)
 	};
diff --git a/usr/austin/eval/expr.go b/usr/austin/eval/expr.go
index cacfc61e126..a29373d6a68 100644
--- a/usr/austin/eval/expr.go
+++ b/usr/austin/eval/expr.go
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ func (a *exprInfo) exprFromType(t Type) *expr {
 }
 
 func (a *exprInfo) compileIdent(b *block, constant bool, callCtx bool, name string) *expr {
-	level, def := b.Lookup(name);
+	bl, level, def := b.Lookup(name);
 	if def == nil {
 		a.diag("%s: undefined", name);
 		return nil;
@@ -693,6 +693,9 @@ func (a *exprInfo) compileIdent(b *block, constant bool, callCtx bool, name stri
 			a.diag("variable %s used in constant expression", name);
 			return nil;
 		}
+		if bl.offset < 0 {
+			return a.compileGlobalVariable(def);
+		}
 		return a.compileVariable(level, def);
 	case Type:
 		if callCtx {
@@ -716,6 +719,21 @@ func (a *exprInfo) compileVariable(level int, v *Variable) *expr {
 	return expr;
 }
 
+func (a *exprInfo) compileGlobalVariable(v *Variable) *expr {
+	if v.Type == nil {
+		// Placeholder definition from an earlier error
+		a.silentErrors++;
+		return nil;
+	}
+	if v.Init == nil {
+		v.Init = v.Type.Zero();
+	}
+	expr := a.newExpr(v.Type, "variable");
+	val := v.Init;
+	expr.genValue(func(t *Thread) Value { return val });
+	return expr;
+}
+
 func (a *exprInfo) compileIdealInt(i *bignum.Integer, desc string) *expr {
 	expr := a.newExpr(IdealIntType, desc);
 	expr.eval = func() *bignum.Integer { return i };
diff --git a/usr/austin/eval/main.go b/usr/austin/eval/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a4401e1dd5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usr/austin/eval/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+// Copyright 2009 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"./_obj/eval";
+	"bufio";
+	"os";
+)
+
+func main() {
+	w := eval.NewWorld();
+	r := bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin);
+	for {
+		print("; ");
+		line, err := r.ReadString('\n');
+		if err != nil {
+			break;
+		}
+		code, err := w.Compile(line);
+		if err != nil {
+			println(err.String());
+			continue;
+		}
+		v, err := code.Run();
+		if err != nil {
+			println(err.String());
+			continue;
+		}
+		if v != nil {
+			println(v.String());
+		}
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/usr/austin/eval/scope.go b/usr/austin/eval/scope.go
index bc85476dc60..1c0acb64007 100644
--- a/usr/austin/eval/scope.go
+++ b/usr/austin/eval/scope.go
@@ -122,12 +122,15 @@ func (b *block) DefineSlot(t Type) *Variable {
 	if b.inner != nil && b.inner.scope == b.scope {
 		log.Crash("Failed to exit child block before defining variable");
 	}
-	index := b.offset+b.numVars;
-	v := &Variable{token.Position{}, index, t, nil};
-	b.numVars++;
-	if index+1 > b.scope.maxVars {
-		b.scope.maxVars = index+1;
+	index := -1;
+	if b.offset >= 0 {
+		index = b.offset+b.numVars;
+		b.numVars++;
+		if index+1 > b.scope.maxVars {
+			b.scope.maxVars = index+1;
+		}
 	}
+	v := &Variable{token.Position{}, index, t, nil};
 	return v;
 }
 
@@ -152,25 +155,29 @@ func (b *block) DefineType(name string, pos token.Position, t Type) Type {
 	return nt;
 }
 
-func (b *block) Lookup(name string) (level int, def Def) {
+func (b *block) Lookup(name string) (bl *block, level int, def Def) {
 	for b != nil {
 		if d, ok := b.defs[name]; ok {
-			return level, d;
+			return b, level, d;
 		}
 		if b.outer != nil && b.scope != b.outer.scope {
 			level++;
 		}
 		b = b.outer;
 	}
-	return 0, nil;
+	return nil, 0, nil;
 }
 
 func (s *Scope) NewFrame(outer *Frame) *Frame {
 	fr := outer.child(s.maxVars);
+	// TODO(rsc): Take this loop out once eval_test.go
+	// no longer fiddles with init.
 	for _, v := range s.defs {
 		switch v := v.(type) {
 		case *Variable:
-			fr.Vars[v.Index] = v.Init;
+			if v.Index >= 0 {
+				fr.Vars[v.Index] = v.Init;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return fr;
diff --git a/usr/austin/eval/stmt.go b/usr/austin/eval/stmt.go
index e0d6ebeb30e..a3573c260d5 100644
--- a/usr/austin/eval/stmt.go
+++ b/usr/austin/eval/stmt.go
@@ -230,9 +230,11 @@ func (a *stmtCompiler) defineVar(ident *ast.Ident, t Type) *Variable {
 
 	// Initialize the variable
 	index := v.Index;
-	a.push(func(v *Thread) {
-		v.f.Vars[index] = t.Zero();
-	});
+	if v.Index >= 0 {
+		a.push(func(v *Thread) {
+			v.f.Vars[index] = t.Zero();
+		});
+	}
 	return v;
 }
 
diff --git a/usr/austin/eval/typec.go b/usr/austin/eval/typec.go
index 8aefeda34c4..a4d055fb592 100644
--- a/usr/austin/eval/typec.go
+++ b/usr/austin/eval/typec.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ type typeCompiler struct {
 }
 
 func (a *typeCompiler) compileIdent(x *ast.Ident, allowRec bool) Type {
-	_, def := a.block.Lookup(x.Value);
+	_bl, _index, def := a.block.Lookup(x.Value);
 	if def == nil {
 		a.diagAt(x, "%s: undefined", x.Value);
 		return nil;
diff --git a/usr/austin/eval/world.go b/usr/austin/eval/world.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7f7e5fc8dd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usr/austin/eval/world.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+// Copyright 2009 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package eval
+
+import (
+	"os";
+	"go/ast";
+	"go/parser";
+)
+
+// TODO: Make CompileExpr and CompileStmts 
+// methods on World.
+
+type World struct {
+	scope *Scope;
+	frame *Frame;
+}
+
+func NewWorld() (*World) {
+	w := new(World);
+	w.scope = universe.ChildScope();
+	w.scope.offset = -1;	// this block's vars allocate directly
+	w.scope.numVars = 1;	// inner blocks have frames: offset+numVars >= 0
+	return w;
+}
+
+
+type Code struct {
+	w *World;
+	stmt *Stmt;
+	expr *Expr;
+}
+
+func (w *World) Compile(text string) (*Code, os.Error) {
+	asts, err := parser.ParseStmtList("input", text);
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err;
+	}
+	if len(asts) == 1 {
+		if s, ok := asts[0].(*ast.ExprStmt); ok {
+			expr, err := CompileExpr(w.scope, s.X);
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err;
+			}
+			return &Code{w: w, expr: expr}, nil;
+		}
+	}
+	stmt, err := CompileStmts(w.scope, asts);
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err;
+	}
+	return &Code{w: w, stmt: stmt}, nil;
+}
+
+func (c *Code) Run() (Value, os.Error) {
+	w := c.w;
+	w.frame = w.scope.NewFrame(nil);
+	if c.stmt != nil {
+		return nil, c.stmt.Exec(w.frame);
+	}
+	val, err := c.expr.Eval(w.frame);
+	return val, err;
+}
+