diff --git a/src/ludus/interpreter.cljc b/src/ludus/interpreter.cljc
index 5f7c069..8dfae12 100644
--- a/src/ludus/interpreter.cljc
+++ b/src/ludus/interpreter.cljc
@@ -818,16 +818,16 @@
 (defn- interpret-literal [ast] (-> ast :data first))
 
 (defn- interpret-panic [ast ctx]
-  (let [msg-value (interpret-ast (:data ast) ctx)
+  (let [msg-value (interpret-ast (-> ast :data first) ctx)
         msg-string (show/show msg-value)]
-    (throw (ex-info (str "Ludus panicked: " msg-string) {:ast ast}))))
+    (throw (ex-info msg-string {:ast ast}))))
 
 (defn interpret-ast [ast ctx]
   (case (:type ast)
 
     (:nil :true :false :number :string :keyword) (interpret-literal ast)
 
-    :panic! (interpret-panic ast ctx)
+    :panic (interpret-panic ast ctx)
 
     :let-expr (interpret-let ast ctx)
 
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@
     ; :struct-literal
     ; (interpret-struct ast ctx)
 
-    (throw (ex-info (str "Unknown AST node type " (get ast :type :err) " on line " (get-in ast [:token :line])) {:ast ast}))))
+    (throw (ex-info (str "Unknown AST node type " (get ast :type :none) " on line " (get-in ast [:token :line])) {:ast ast}))))
 
 (defn get-line [source line]
   (if line
@@ -984,24 +984,35 @@
          :message (ex-message e)}
         ))))
 
+; No prelude; helps when there are errors in the prelude
+(defn interpret-bare [source parsed ctx]
+  (let [base-ctx (volatile! {::parent (volatile! ctx)})]
+    (try
+      (interpret-ast parsed base-ctx)
+      (catch Throwable e
+        {::data/error true
+         :line (get-in (ex-data e) [:ast :token :line])
+         :message (ex-message e)}))))
+
 
 ;; repl
-(comment
-   
+(do
+ 
   (println "***********")
 
   (def source "
-    let times = 1.3
-    repeat times { print! (:foo) }
+    panic! (:oh, :no)
 ")
 
   (def tokens (-> source scanner/scan :tokens))
 
   (def ast (p/apply-parser g/script tokens))
 
-  (def result (interpret-safe source ast {}))
+  (def result (interpret-bare source ast {}))
 
-  ;(-> ast prettify-ast println)
+  (println tokens)
+
+  (-> ast prettify-ast println)
 
   (println result)