diff --git a/assets/test_prelude.ld b/assets/test_prelude.ld
index 169f8b4..6ce6794 100644
--- a/assets/test_prelude.ld
+++ b/assets/test_prelude.ld
@@ -1247,10 +1247,10 @@ fn send {
 	}
 }
 
-fn spawn! {
-	"Spawns a new process running the function passed in."
-	(f as :fn) -> base :process (:spawn, f)
-}
+& fn spawn! {
+& 	"Spawns a new process running the function passed in."
+& 	(f as :fn) -> base :process (:spawn, f)
+& }
 
 fn yield! {
 	"Forces a process to yield."
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ fn fetch {
 	"Requests the contents of the URL passed in. Returns a result tuple of `(:ok, {contents})` or `(:err, {status code})`."
 	(url) -> {
 		let pid = self ()
-		spawn! (fn () -> request_fetch! (pid, url))
+		spawn! request_fetch! (pid, url)
 		receive {
 			(:reply, response) -> response
 		}
@@ -1312,7 +1312,7 @@ fn fetch {
 
 fn input_reader! {
 	(pid as :keyword) -> {
-		if not (unbox (input))
+		if do input > unbox > not
 			then {
 				yield! ()
 				input_reader! (pid)
@@ -1328,7 +1328,7 @@ fn read_input {
 	"Waits until there is input in the input buffer, and returns it once there is."
 	() -> {
 		let pid = self ()
-		spawn! (fn () -> input_reader! (pid))
+		spawn! input_reader! (pid)
 		receive {
 			(:reply, response) -> response
 		}
@@ -1339,7 +1339,7 @@ fn read_input {
 	& completed actor functions
 	self
 	send
- 	spawn!
+ 	& spawn!
 	yield!
 	sleep!
 	alive?
diff --git a/pkg/ludus.js b/pkg/ludus.js
index 29195fb..0e0b05c 100644
--- a/pkg/ludus.js
+++ b/pkg/ludus.js
@@ -13,18 +13,6 @@ let ready = false
 let io_interval_id = null
 let keys_down = new Set();
 
-function reset_ludus () {
-  outbox = []
-  ludus_console = ""
-  ludus_commands = []
-  ludus_result = null
-  code = null
-  running  = false
-  ready = false
-  io_interval_id = null
-  keys_down = new Set()
-}
-
 worker.onmessage = handle_messages
 
 async function handle_messages (e) {
@@ -99,17 +87,28 @@ function io_poller () {
 }
 
 function start_io_polling () {
-  io_interval_id = setInterval(io_poller, 10)
+  io_interval_id = setInterval(io_poller, 100)
 }
 
 // runs a ludus script; does not return the result
 // the result must be explicitly polled with `result`
 export function run (source) {
   if (running || ready) {
+    console.log("Main: received bouncy `run` call");
     return "TODO: handle this? should not be running"
   }
+  // start the vm
   worker.postMessage([{verb: "Run", data: source}])
-  reset_ludus()
+  // reset all my state
+  outbox = []
+  ludus_console = ""
+  ludus_commands = []
+  ludus_result = null
+  code = null
+  running = true
+  ready = false
+  keys_down = new Set();
+  // start the polling loop loop
   start_io_polling()
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/rudus.js b/pkg/rudus.js
index 59d6c57..b37dd12 100644
--- a/pkg/rudus.js
+++ b/pkg/rudus.js
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ function __wbg_get_imports() {
         _assertBoolean(ret);
         return ret;
     };
-    imports.wbg.__wbindgen_closure_wrapper8065 = function() { return logError(function (arg0, arg1, arg2) {
+    imports.wbg.__wbindgen_closure_wrapper8087 = function() { return logError(function (arg0, arg1, arg2) {
         const ret = makeMutClosure(arg0, arg1, 354, __wbg_adapter_20);
         return ret;
     }, arguments) };
diff --git a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm
index 48d0857..fb31310 100644
Binary files a/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm and b/pkg/rudus_bg.wasm differ
diff --git a/pkg/worker.js b/pkg/worker.js
index ac860a3..fc935f0 100644
--- a/pkg/worker.js
+++ b/pkg/worker.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ export function io (out) {
       resolve(JSON.stringify(e.data))
     }
     // cancel the response if it takes too long
-    setTimeout(() => reject("io took too long"), 500)
+    setTimeout(() => reject("io took too long"), 1000)
   })
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ast.rs b/src/ast.rs
index 0e0e680..3554833 100644
--- a/src/ast.rs
+++ b/src/ast.rs
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ pub enum Ast {
     WhenClause(Box<Spanned<Self>>, Box<Spanned<Self>>),
     Match(Box<Spanned<Self>>, Vec<Spanned<Self>>),
     Receive(Vec<Spanned<Self>>),
+    Spawn(Box<Spanned<Self>>),
     MatchClause(
         Box<Spanned<Self>>,
         Box<Option<Spanned<Self>>>,
@@ -210,6 +211,7 @@ impl Ast {
                         .join(" > ")
                 )
             }
+            Spawn(body) => format!("spawn! {}", body.0.show()),
             Repeat(times, body) => format!("repeat {} {{\n{}\n}}", times.0.show(), body.0.show()),
             Splat(word) => format!("...{}", word),
             Splattern(pattern) => format!("...{}", pattern.0.show()),
@@ -380,6 +382,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for Ast {
                         .join(" > ")
                 )
             }
+            Spawn(body) => write!(f, "spawn: {}", body.0),
             Repeat(_times, _body) => todo!(),
             Splat(word) => {
                 write!(f, "splat: {}", word)
diff --git a/src/chunk.rs b/src/chunk.rs
index c2b2159..085e040 100644
--- a/src/chunk.rs
+++ b/src/chunk.rs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ impl Chunk {
             | Not | Panic | EmptyString | ConcatStrings | Stringify | MatchType | Return
             | UnconditionalMatch | Print | AppendList | ConcatList | PushList | PushDict
             | AppendDict | ConcatDict | Nothing | PushGlobal | SetUpvalue | LoadMessage
-            | NextMessage | MatchMessage | ClearMessage | SendMethod | LoadScrutinee => {
+            | NextMessage | MatchMessage | ClearMessage | SendMethod | LoadScrutinee | Spawn => {
                 console_log!("{i:04}: {op}")
             }
             Constant | MatchConstant => {
diff --git a/src/compiler.rs b/src/compiler.rs
index 624a0a8..6a0ced7 100644
--- a/src/compiler.rs
+++ b/src/compiler.rs
@@ -1059,6 +1059,54 @@ impl Compiler {
                 self.emit_op(Op::Load);
                 self.stack_depth += 1;
             }
+            Spawn(body) => {
+                // we compile this identically to a function
+                // but it's a single, nullary fn
+                // no match at the beginning, just go
+                let name = "_spawned";
+                let mut compiler = Compiler::new(
+                    body,
+                    self.input,
+                    self.src,
+                    self.depth + 1,
+                    self.chunk.env.clone(),
+                    self.debug,
+                );
+                compiler.tail_pos = true;
+                compiler.visit(body);
+                compiler.store();
+                compiler.scope_depth -= 1;
+                while let Some(binding) = compiler.bindings.last() {
+                    if binding.depth > compiler.scope_depth {
+                        compiler.bindings.pop();
+                    } else {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+                compiler.pop_n(compiler.stack_depth);
+                compiler.stack_depth = 0;
+                compiler.emit_op(Op::Return);
+                let arities = vec![0];
+                let chunks = vec![compiler.chunk];
+                let lfn = crate::value::LFn::Defined {
+                    name,
+                    doc: None,
+                    arities,
+                    chunks,
+                    splat: 0,
+                    closed: RefCell::new(vec![]),
+                };
+
+                let the_fn = Value::Fn(Rc::new(lfn));
+
+                self.emit_constant(the_fn);
+                for upvalue in compiler.upvalues {
+                    self.resolve_binding(upvalue);
+                    self.emit_op(Op::SetUpvalue);
+                    self.stack_depth -= 1;
+                }
+                self.emit_op(Op::Spawn);
+            }
             Receive(clauses) => {
                 let tail_pos = self.tail_pos;
                 self.emit_op(Op::ClearMessage);
diff --git a/src/io.rs b/src/io.rs
index 261f7e4..6054a2f 100644
--- a/src/io.rs
+++ b/src/io.rs
@@ -82,10 +82,13 @@ pub async fn send_err_to_ludus_console(msg: String) {
 
 pub async fn do_io (msgs: Vec<MsgOut>) -> Vec<MsgIn> {
     let json = serde_json::to_string(&msgs).unwrap();
-    let inbox = io (json).await;
+    let inbox = io(json).await;
     let inbox = match inbox {
         Ok(msgs) => msgs,
-        Err(_) => return vec![]
+        Err(errs) => {
+            console_log!("error receiving messages in io; {:?}", errs);
+            return vec![];
+        }
     };
     let inbox = inbox.as_string().expect("response should be a string");
     let inbox: Vec<MsgIn> = serde_json::from_str(inbox.as_str()).expect("response from js should be valid");
diff --git a/src/lexer.rs b/src/lexer.rs
index c9090d6..a16d4f0 100644
--- a/src/lexer.rs
+++ b/src/lexer.rs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ pub fn lexer(
         "nil" => Token::Nil,
         // todo: hard code these as type constructors
         "as" | "box" | "do" | "else" | "fn" | "if" | "let" | "loop" | "match" | "panic!"
-        | "recur" | "repeat" | "then" | "when" | "with" | "or" | "and" | "receive" => {
+        | "recur" | "repeat" | "then" | "when" | "with" | "or" | "and" | "receive" | "spawn!" => {
             Token::Reserved(word)
         }
         _ => Token::Word(word),
diff --git a/src/op.rs b/src/op.rs
index d2e37ff..55ec459 100644
--- a/src/op.rs
+++ b/src/op.rs
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ pub enum Op {
     MatchMessage,
     ClearMessage,
     SendMethod,
+    Spawn,
 
     LoadScrutinee,
 }
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for Op {
             MatchMessage => "match_message",
             ClearMessage => "clear_message",
             SendMethod => "send_method",
+            Spawn => "spawn",
 
             LoadScrutinee => "load_scrutinee",
         };
diff --git a/src/parser.rs b/src/parser.rs
index 0d355cd..072eff3 100644
--- a/src/parser.rs
+++ b/src/parser.rs
@@ -512,6 +512,10 @@ where
         .then(block.clone())
         .map_with(|(count, body), e| (Repeat(Box::new(count), Box::new(body)), e.span()));
 
+    let spawn = just(Token::Reserved("spawn!"))
+        .ignore_then(nonbinding.clone())
+        .map_with(|body, e| (Spawn(Box::new(body)), e.span()));
+
     let fn_guarded = tuple_pattern
         .clone()
         .then_ignore(just(Token::Reserved("if")))
@@ -590,6 +594,7 @@ where
             .or(conditional)
             .or(block)
             .or(repeat)
+            .or(spawn)
             .or(r#loop)
             .labelled("nonbinding expression"),
     );
diff --git a/src/validator.rs b/src/validator.rs
index 6af0d09..fdd73cf 100644
--- a/src/validator.rs
+++ b/src/validator.rs
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ impl<'a> Validator<'a> {
         let root = self.ast;
         match root {
             Error => unreachable!(),
+            Spawn(body) => self.visit(body),
             Word(name) | Splat(name) => {
                 if !self.resolved(name) {
                     self.err(format!("unbound name `{name}`"))
diff --git a/src/vm.rs b/src/vm.rs
index dc79555..3898e83 100644
--- a/src/vm.rs
+++ b/src/vm.rs
@@ -1260,6 +1260,12 @@ impl Creature {
                 LoadScrutinee => {
                     self.scrutinee = Some(self.peek().clone());
                 }
+                Spawn => {
+                    let f = self.pop();
+                    let proc = Creature::spawn(f, self.zoo.clone(), self.debug);
+                    let id = self.zoo.borrow_mut().put(proc);
+                    self.push(Value::Keyword(id));
+                }
             }
         }
     }