diff --git a/lib/resource/arabic/LexiconAra.gf b/lib/resource/arabic/LexiconAra.gf
index c07acc311..6d457e0d8 100644
--- a/lib/resource/arabic/LexiconAra.gf
+++ b/lib/resource/arabic/LexiconAra.gf
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ concrete LexiconAra of Lexicon = CatAra ** open
   Prelude in { 
 
 flags 
-  optimize=values ;
+  optimize=values ;  coding=utf8 ;
 
   lin
 
diff --git a/lib/resource/arabic/MorphoAra.gf b/lib/resource/arabic/MorphoAra.gf
index 0ab4332ca..8846e11a6 100644
--- a/lib/resource/arabic/MorphoAra.gf
+++ b/lib/resource/arabic/MorphoAra.gf
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 resource MorphoAra = ResAra ** open Prelude in  {
 
-flags optimize = all ;--noexpand;
+flags optimize = all ;--noexpand;  coding=utf8 ;
 
   oper
 
diff --git a/lib/resource/arabic/ParadigmsAra.gf b/lib/resource/arabic/ParadigmsAra.gf
index dd15ad294..c9816e952 100644
--- a/lib/resource/arabic/ParadigmsAra.gf
+++ b/lib/resource/arabic/ParadigmsAra.gf
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ resource ParadigmsAra = open
   CatAra
   in {
 
-  flags optimize = noexpand;
+  flags optimize = noexpand;  coding=utf8 ;
 
   oper
     
diff --git a/lib/resource/arabic/PatternsAra.gf b/lib/resource/arabic/PatternsAra.gf
index 0912c5d88..611fd262a 100644
--- a/lib/resource/arabic/PatternsAra.gf
+++ b/lib/resource/arabic/PatternsAra.gf
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 resource PatternsAra =  {
 
+flags coding=utf8 ;
+
   oper
     
 	fA'  = { h = "" ; m1 = ""; m2 = ""; t = "َاء"} ;
diff --git a/lib/resource/arabic/ResAra.gf b/lib/resource/arabic/ResAra.gf
index d5263815e..a7ecb64ee 100644
--- a/lib/resource/arabic/ResAra.gf
+++ b/lib/resource/arabic/ResAra.gf
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 --
 resource ResAra = PatternsAra ** open  Prelude, Predef   in {
 
-  flags optimize=noexpand ;
+  flags optimize=noexpand ; coding=utf8 ;
 
 
   param     
diff --git a/lib/resource/arabic/StructuralAra.gf b/lib/resource/arabic/StructuralAra.gf
index 8d71e687c..58240c781 100644
--- a/lib/resource/arabic/StructuralAra.gf
+++ b/lib/resource/arabic/StructuralAra.gf
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 concrete StructuralAra of Structural = CatAra ** 
   open MorphoAra, ResAra, ParadigmsAra, Prelude in {
 
-  flags optimize=all ;
+  flags optimize=all ;  coding=utf8 ;
 
   lin
   above_Prep = ss "فَوْقَ" ;
diff --git a/src/GF/Command/Interpreter.hs b/src/GF/Command/Interpreter.hs
index 2762875ec..db4192001 100644
--- a/src/GF/Command/Interpreter.hs
+++ b/src/GF/Command/Interpreter.hs
@@ -38,10 +38,13 @@ interpretCommandLine :: (String -> String) -> CommandEnv -> String -> IO ()
 interpretCommandLine enc env line =
   case readCommandLine line of
     Just []    -> return ()
+    Just pipes -> mapM_ (interpretPipe enc env) pipes
+{-
     Just pipes -> do res <- runInterruptibly (mapM_ (interpretPipe enc env) pipes)
                      case res of
                        Left ex -> putStrLnFlush $ enc (show ex)
                        Right x -> return x
+-}
     Nothing    -> putStrLnFlush "command not parsed"
 
 interpretPipe enc env cs = do
diff --git a/src/GFI.hs b/src/GFI.hs
index 75ffa22d8..014fa327e 100644
--- a/src/GFI.hs
+++ b/src/GFI.hs
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import System.Cmd
 import System.CPUTime
 import Control.Exception
 import Data.Version
+import GF.System.Signal
+
 
 import Paths_gf
 
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ loop opts gfenv0 = do
     pwords = case words s of
       w:ws -> getCommandOp w :ws
       ws -> ws
-  case pwords of
+  r <- runInterruptibly $ case pwords of
   -- special commands, requiring source grammar in env
     "!":ws -> do
        system $ unwords ws
@@ -106,6 +108,8 @@ loop opts gfenv0 = do
     _ -> do
       interpretCommandLine enc env s
       loopNewCPU gfenv
+  gfenv' <- return $ either (const gfenv) id r
+  loopNewCPU gfenv'
 
 importInEnv :: GFEnv -> Options -> [FilePath] -> IO GFEnv
 importInEnv gfenv opts files