diff --git a/args.go b/args.go
index 91bcd17..f6a98a0 100644
--- a/args.go
+++ b/args.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"bufio"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -20,12 +19,8 @@ func runfile() {
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
 
-	out, errors := make(chan interface{}), make(chan error)
-	go defaultInterpreter(out, errors)
-
-	c := make(chan token, 32)
-	go lex(bufio.NewReader(f), c)
-	evalall(c, out, errors, universe)
+	i := newInterpreter(f, os.Stdout, os.Stderr)
+	i.run(universe)
 }
 
 func printErrorMsg(message string) {
diff --git a/eval.go b/eval.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9fdcda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eval.go
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"reflect"
+)
+
+func eval(v interface{}, env *environment) (interface{}, error) {
+	if v == nil {
+		return &sexp{}, nil
+	}
+
+	switch t := v.(type) {
+
+	case symbol:
+		debugPrint("eval symbol")
+		s, err := env.get(t)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return eval(s, env)
+
+	case *sexp:
+		debugPrint("eval sexp")
+		if t.len() == 0 {
+			return nil, errors.New("illegal evaluation of empty sexp ()")
+		}
+
+		if t.quotelvl > 0 {
+			return t, nil
+		}
+
+		// eval the first item
+		v, err := eval(t.items[0], env)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		c, ok := v.(callable)
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf(`expected special form or builtin procedure, received %v`, reflect.TypeOf(v))
+		}
+		if len(t.items) > 1 {
+			return c.call(env, t.items[1:])
+		}
+		return c.call(env, nil)
+
+	default:
+		debugPrint("default eval")
+		return v, nil
+	}
+
+	panic("not reached")
+}
+
+type interpreter struct {
+	in     io.Reader        // reader of input source code
+	out1   io.Writer        // writer of evaluated values
+	out2   io.Writer        // writer of error info
+	tokens chan token       // tokens returns from the lexer (internal only)
+	values chan interface{} // values returned from the interpreter (internal only)
+	errors chan error       // errors returned from the interpreter (internal only)
+}
+
+func newInterpreter(in io.Reader, out1, out2 io.Writer) *interpreter {
+	return &interpreter{
+		in:     in,
+		out1:   out1,
+		out2:   out2,
+		tokens: make(chan token),
+		values: make(chan interface{}),
+		errors: make(chan error),
+	}
+}
+
+func (i interpreter) run(env *environment) {
+	go lex(bufio.NewReader(i.in), i.tokens)
+	go i.send()
+	for {
+		v, err := parse(i.tokens)
+		switch err {
+		case io.EOF:
+			fmt.Println("EOF lol")
+			return
+		case nil:
+			i.eval(v, env)
+		default:
+			i.errors <- err
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (i interpreter) eval(v interface{}, env *environment) {
+	val, err := eval(v, env)
+	if err != nil {
+		i.errors <- err
+		return
+	}
+	i.values <- val
+}
+
+func (i interpreter) send() {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case v := <-i.values:
+			if _, err := fmt.Fprintln(i.out1, v); err != nil {
+				fmt.Println("can't write out to client: ", err)
+			}
+		case e := <-i.errors:
+			if _, err := fmt.Fprintln(i.out2, e); err != nil {
+				fmt.Println("can't write error to client: ", err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/skeam.go b/skeam.go
index 67730bd..aefdf88 100644
--- a/skeam.go
+++ b/skeam.go
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"bufio"
 	"errors"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
-	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -162,84 +160,6 @@ func parse(c chan token) (interface{}, error) {
 	return nil, io.EOF
 }
 
-func eval(v interface{}, env *environment) (interface{}, error) {
-	if v == nil {
-		return &sexp{}, nil
-	}
-
-	switch t := v.(type) {
-
-	case symbol:
-		debugPrint("eval symbol")
-		s, err := env.get(t)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		return eval(s, env)
-
-	case *sexp:
-		debugPrint("eval sexp")
-		if t.len() == 0 {
-			return nil, errors.New("illegal evaluation of empty sexp ()")
-		}
-
-		if t.quotelvl > 0 {
-			return t, nil
-		}
-
-		// eval the first item
-		v, err := eval(t.items[0], env)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		c, ok := v.(callable)
-		if !ok {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf(`expected special form or builtin procedure, received %v`, reflect.TypeOf(v))
-		}
-		if len(t.items) > 1 {
-			return c.call(env, t.items[1:])
-		}
-		return c.call(env, nil)
-
-	default:
-		debugPrint("default eval")
-		return v, nil
-	}
-
-	panic("not reached")
-}
-
-func evalall(c chan token, out chan interface{}, e chan error, env *environment) {
-	for {
-		v, err := parse(c)
-		switch err {
-		case io.EOF:
-			return
-		case nil:
-			if v, err := eval(v, env); err != nil {
-				e <- err
-				return
-			} else {
-				out <- v
-			}
-		default:
-			e <- err
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func defaultInterpreter(out chan interface{}, errors chan error) {
-	for {
-		select {
-		case v := <-out:
-			fmt.Println(v)
-		case err := <-errors:
-			fmt.Printf("error: %v", err)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func main() {
 	flag.BoolVar(&DEBUG, "debug", false, "puts the interpreter in debug mode")
 	flag.Parse()
@@ -255,10 +175,6 @@ func main() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	out, errors := make(chan interface{}), make(chan error)
-	go defaultInterpreter(out, errors)
-
-	c := make(chan token, 32)
-	go lex(bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin), c)
-	evalall(c, out, errors, universe)
+	i := newInterpreter(os.Stdin, os.Stdout, os.Stderr)
+	i.run(universe)
 }
diff --git a/tcp_connections.go b/tcp_connections.go
index 3212369..df87de0 100644
--- a/tcp_connections.go
+++ b/tcp_connections.go
@@ -1,26 +1,13 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"bufio"
-	"errors"
-	"fmt"
 	"github.com/jordanorelli/skeam/cm"
-	"io"
 	"net"
 )
 
 const MAX_SEXP_LINES = 40
 
 var manager = cm.New()
-var errSexpTooLong = errors.New("error: sexp is too long")
-
-type tcpInterpreter struct {
-	fout   io.Writer        // buffered file-like output stream
-	ferr   io.Writer        // buffered file-like error stream
-	tokens chan token       // tokens returns from the lexer
-	values chan interface{} // values returned from the interpreter
-	errors chan error       // errors returned from the interpreter
-}
 
 func runTCPServer() {
 	addr, err := net.ResolveTCPAddr("tcp", *tcpAddr)
@@ -41,43 +28,10 @@ func runTCPServer() {
 	}
 }
 
-func newTcpInterpreter() *tcpInterpreter {
-	return &tcpInterpreter{
-		tokens: make(chan token),
-		values: make(chan interface{}),
-		errors: make(chan error),
-	}
-}
-
-func (t *tcpInterpreter) send() {
-	for {
-		select {
-		case v := <-t.values:
-			if _, err := fmt.Fprintln(t.fout, v); err != nil {
-				fmt.Println("can't write out to client: ", err)
-			}
-		case e := <-t.errors:
-			if _, err := fmt.Fprintln(t.ferr, e); err != nil {
-				fmt.Println("can't write error to client: ", err)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func (t *tcpInterpreter) Run(in io.Reader, out, errors io.Writer) {
-	go lex(bufio.NewReader(in), t.tokens)
-
-	t.fout = out
-	t.ferr = errors
-	go t.send()
-
-	evalall(t.tokens, t.values, t.errors, universe)
-}
-
 func startConnection(conn net.Conn, m *cm.Manager) {
 	m.Add(conn)
 	defer m.Remove(conn)
 
-	i := newTcpInterpreter()
-	i.Run(conn, conn, conn)
+	i := newInterpreter(conn, conn, conn)
+	i.run(universe)
 }