diff --git a/src/english/NounEng.gf b/src/english/NounEng.gf
index 23c10888f..7477bcdb5 100644
--- a/src/english/NounEng.gf
+++ b/src/english/NounEng.gf
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ concrete NounEng of Noun = CatEng ** open MorphoEng, ResEng, Prelude in {
       } ;
 
     RelNP np rs = {
-      s = \\c => np.s ! c ++ "," ++ rs.s ! np.a ++ finalComma ;
+      s = \\c => np.s ! c ++ frontComma ++ rs.s ! np.a ++ finalComma ;
       a = np.a
       } ;
 
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ concrete NounEng of Noun = CatEng ** open MorphoEng, ResEng, Prelude in {
       } ;
 
     ExtAdvNP np adv = {
-      s = \\c => np.s ! c ++ "," ++ adv.s ++ finalComma;
+      s = \\c => np.s ! c ++ frontComma ++ adv.s ++ finalComma;
       a = np.a
       } ;
 
diff --git a/src/english/NumeralEng.gf b/src/english/NumeralEng.gf
index fbc28717e..79f9bd97d 100644
--- a/src/english/NumeralEng.gf
+++ b/src/english/NumeralEng.gf
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ lin pot3plus n m = {
 
   oper
     commaIf : DTail -> Str = \t -> case t of {
-      T3 => "," ;
+      T3 => frontComma ;
       _ => []
       } ;
 
diff --git a/src/english/ParseEng.gf b/src/english/ParseEng.gf
index ceb763d51..28f05b37f 100644
--- a/src/english/ParseEng.gf
+++ b/src/english/ParseEng.gf
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ lin
           compl = vp.s2 ! np.a
         in
         case o of {
-          ODir => compl ++ "," ++ np.s ! npNom ++ verb.aux ++ vp.ad ++ verb.fin ++ verb.adv ++ verb.inf ;
-          OQuest => verb.aux ++ compl ++ "," ++ np.s ! npNom ++ verb.adv ++ vp.ad ++ verb.fin ++ verb.inf 
+          ODir => compl ++ frontComma ++ np.s ! npNom ++ verb.aux ++ vp.ad ++ verb.fin ++ verb.adv ++ verb.inf ;
+          OQuest => verb.aux ++ compl ++ frontComma ++ np.s ! npNom ++ verb.adv ++ vp.ad ++ verb.fin ++ verb.inf 
           }
     } ;
     
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ lin
           compl = vp.s2 ! np.a
         in
         case o of {
-          ODir => compl ++ "," ++ verb.aux ++ verb.adv ++ vp.ad ++ verb.fin ++ verb.inf ++ np.s ! npNom ;
+          ODir => compl ++ frontComma ++ verb.aux ++ verb.adv ++ vp.ad ++ verb.fin ++ verb.inf ++ np.s ! npNom ;
           OQuest => verb.aux ++ compl ++ verb.adv ++ vp.ad ++ verb.fin ++ verb.inf ++ np.s ! npNom
           }
     } ;
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ lin
   } ;
 
   ApposNP np1 np2 = {
-    s = \\c => np1.s ! c ++ "," ++ np2.s ! npNom ++ finalComma ;
+    s = \\c => np1.s ! c ++ frontComma ++ np2.s ! npNom ++ finalComma ;
     a = np1.a
   } ;
   
diff --git a/src/english/PhraseEng.gf b/src/english/PhraseEng.gf
index 26b2e030e..4f32db8e1 100644
--- a/src/english/PhraseEng.gf
+++ b/src/english/PhraseEng.gf
@@ -23,6 +23,6 @@ concrete PhraseEng of Phrase = CatEng ** open Prelude, ResEng in {
     PConjConj conj = {s = conj.s2} ; ---
 
     NoVoc = {s = []} ;
-    VocNP np = {s = "," ++ np.s ! npNom} ;
+    VocNP np = {s = frontComma ++ np.s ! npNom} ;
 
 }
diff --git a/src/english/ResEng.gf b/src/english/ResEng.gf
index efbe6b22d..d2868c9de 100644
--- a/src/english/ResEng.gf
+++ b/src/english/ResEng.gf
@@ -543,6 +543,7 @@ resource ResEng = ParamX ** open Prelude in {
               }
       } ;
 
-  finalComma : Str = pre {"," | "." => []; "" => ","; _ => []} ;
+  finalComma : Str = pre {"," | "." => []; "" => SOFT_BIND ++ ","; _ => []} ;
+  frontComma : Str = SOFT_BIND ++ "," ;
 
 }
diff --git a/src/english/SentenceEng.gf b/src/english/SentenceEng.gf
index 7270b9780..625c3295b 100644
--- a/src/english/SentenceEng.gf
+++ b/src/english/SentenceEng.gf
@@ -57,11 +57,11 @@ concrete SentenceEng of Sentence = CatEng ** open Prelude, ResEng in {
     } ;
 
     AdvS a s = {s = a.s ++ s.s} ;
-    ExtAdvS a s = {s = a.s ++ "," ++ s.s} ;
+    ExtAdvS a s = {s = a.s ++ frontComma ++ s.s} ;
 
-    SSubjS a s b = {s = a.s ++ "," ++ s.s ++ b.s} ;
+    SSubjS a s b = {s = a.s ++ frontComma ++ s.s ++ b.s} ;
 
-    RelS s r = {s = s.s ++ "," ++ r.s ! agrP3 Sg} ;
+    RelS s r = {s = s.s ++ frontComma ++ r.s ! agrP3 Sg} ;
 
   oper
     ctr : CPolarity -> CPolarity = \x -> x ;
diff --git a/src/english/SymbolEng.gf b/src/english/SymbolEng.gf
index 1a1dad265..b4f549b00 100644
--- a/src/english/SymbolEng.gf
+++ b/src/english/SymbolEng.gf
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ lin
   MkSymb s = s ;
 
   BaseSymb = infixSS "and" ;
-  ConsSymb = infixSS "," ;
+  ConsSymb = infixSS frontComma ;
 
 oper
     -- Note: this results in a space before 's, but there's
diff --git a/src/english/VerbEng.gf b/src/english/VerbEng.gf
index 435304baf..33275ca5d 100644
--- a/src/english/VerbEng.gf
+++ b/src/english/VerbEng.gf
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ concrete VerbEng of Verb = CatEng ** open ResEng, Prelude in {
     UseComp comp = insertObj comp.s (predAux auxBe) ;
 
     AdvVP vp adv = insertObj (\\_ => adv.s) vp ;
-    ExtAdvVP vp adv = insertObj (\\_ => "," ++ adv.s ++ finalComma) vp ;
+    ExtAdvVP vp adv = insertObj (\\_ => frontComma ++ adv.s ++ finalComma) vp ;
     AdVVP adv vp = insertAdV adv.s vp ;
 
     AdvVPSlash vp adv = insertObj (\\_ => adv.s) vp ** {c2 = vp.c2 ; gapInMiddle = vp.gapInMiddle} ;
diff --git a/src/prelude/Predef.gf b/src/prelude/Predef.gf
index 10af6e3f2..6e1ab7cf2 100644
--- a/src/prelude/Predef.gf
+++ b/src/prelude/Predef.gf
@@ -38,5 +38,6 @@ resource Predef = {
                -- map all strings in a data structure; experimental ---
   oper nonExist : Str = variants {} ;  -- a placeholder for non-existant morphological forms
   oper BIND : Str = variants {} ;  -- a token for gluing
+  oper SOFT_BIND : Str = variants {} ;  -- a token for soft gluing
 
 } ;
diff --git a/src/prelude/Prelude.gf b/src/prelude/Prelude.gf
index fd8ac6aef..b8164efe8 100644
--- a/src/prelude/Prelude.gf
+++ b/src/prelude/Prelude.gf
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 -- This file defines some prelude facilities usable in all grammars.
 
-resource Prelude = open (Predef=Predef) in {
+resource Prelude = Predef[nonExist, BIND, SOFT_BIND] ** open (Predef=Predef) in {
 
 oper
 
@@ -33,10 +33,6 @@ oper
 
 --2 Optional elements
 
--- Missing form.
-
-  nonExist : Str = Predef.nonExist;
-
 -- Optional string with preference on the string vs. empty.
  
   optStr : Str -> Str = \s -> variants {s ; []} ;
@@ -114,7 +110,6 @@ oper
 
 -- These should be hidden, and never changed since they are hardcoded in (un)lexers
 
-    BIND : Str = Predef.BIND;
     PARA : Str = "&-" ;
     CAPIT : Str = "&|" ;