diff --git a/ast/eval.go b/ast/eval.go
index 7444b61..ab1a29a 100644
--- a/ast/eval.go
+++ b/ast/eval.go
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ package ast
 
 import "gitlab.com/whom/shs/log"
 
+var CallExecutablesFromUndefFuncCalls = false
+var CallExecutableToken = "l"
+
 func (t *Token) Eval(funcs FuncTable, vars VarTable) (*Token, bool) {
     if t == nil {
         return nil, false
@@ -69,13 +72,29 @@ func (t *Token) Eval(funcs FuncTable, vars VarTable) (*Token, bool) {
         return nil, false
     }
 
+    //if symbol in front of a list, could be a function call
     if ret.Tag == SYMBOL {
         f := GetFunction(ret.Inner.(string), funcs)
         if f == nil {
-            log.Log(log.DEBUG,
-                "could not find definition for symbol " + ret.Inner.(string),
-                "eval")
-            return nil, false
+            if CallExecutablesFromUndefFuncCalls {
+                f = GetFunction(CallExecutableToken, funcs)
+                if f == nil {
+                    log.Log(log.DEBUG, "Symbol " + ret.Inner.(string) + 
+                        " has no definition in function table. Additionally " +
+                        "the configured LoadExecutableToken is also not defined",
+                        "eval")
+                    return ret, false
+                }
+
+                // see the use of CallFunction below
+                ret = &Token{Next: ret}
+
+            } else {
+               log.Log(log.DEBUG,
+                    "could not find definition for symbol " + ret.Inner.(string),
+                    "eval")
+                return ret, false
+            }
         }
 
         return (*f).CallFunction(ret.Next, vars, funcs), true
diff --git a/cmd/shs_repl.go b/cmd/shs_repl.go
index 3485008..9900b4e 100644
--- a/cmd/shs_repl.go
+++ b/cmd/shs_repl.go
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ func setLogLvl() {
 }
 
 func main() {
+    ast.CallExecutablesFromUndefFuncCalls = true
+
     debug  := os.Getenv("SH_DEBUG_MODE")
     hist   := os.Getenv("SH_HIST_FILE")
     prompt := os.Getenv("SHS_SH_PROMPT")
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index cbec79e..125370b 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -2,9 +2,4 @@ module gitlab.com/whom/shs
 
 go 1.14
 
-require (
-	github.com/chzyer/readline v0.0.0-20180603132655-2972be24d48e // indirect
-	gitlab.com/whom/shs/ast v0.0.0-20200628205108-baa4ce030060 // indirect
-	gitlab.com/whom/shs/log v0.0.0-20200628205108-baa4ce030060 // indirect
-	gitlab.com/whom/shs/stdlib v0.0.0-20200628205108-baa4ce030060 // indirect
-)
+require github.com/chzyer/readline v0.0.0-20180603132655-2972be24d48e // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 8b3e7fa..454fe40 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,8 +1,2 @@
 github.com/chzyer/readline v0.0.0-20180603132655-2972be24d48e h1:fY5BOSpyZCqRo5OhCuC+XN+r/bBCmeuuJtjz+bCNIf8=
 github.com/chzyer/readline v0.0.0-20180603132655-2972be24d48e/go.mod h1:nSuG5e5PlCu98SY8svDHJxuZscDgtXS6KTTbou5AhLI=
-gitlab.com/whom/shs/ast v0.0.0-20200628205108-baa4ce030060 h1:q8VtryYSdSIeYlgJbZswVUAjy0LvmMsydQZmi1Qb+gc=
-gitlab.com/whom/shs/ast v0.0.0-20200628205108-baa4ce030060/go.mod h1:uez84wOTSf9wSv/Um4BOhpsZgRNN8xkRRCZ86k7M7uU=
-gitlab.com/whom/shs/log v0.0.0-20200628205108-baa4ce030060 h1:9kXRXS6ItnGKJlavvevLiIMJZVVipWlhCDwKmi+7600=
-gitlab.com/whom/shs/log v0.0.0-20200628205108-baa4ce030060/go.mod h1:ns9Wf5kw0cdOZH8SDcGpUiSwlABF+XTZBJwZyzQdM/w=
-gitlab.com/whom/shs/stdlib v0.0.0-20200628205108-baa4ce030060 h1:Khuo4tniRsU2fGYiRbyucS5l8UksSvfdLkNb6ivq4/A=
-gitlab.com/whom/shs/stdlib v0.0.0-20200628205108-baa4ce030060/go.mod h1:noPvbzvyEtapi7VS/D/tcSBAM3cXUU+/AtkBNJWBnn4=
diff --git a/stdlib/call.go b/stdlib/call.go
index 9ceed6b..95e2050 100644
--- a/stdlib/call.go
+++ b/stdlib/call.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 var bgProcs = make([]*exec.Cmd, 0)
+var LastExitCode int
 
 func call(in *ast.Token, vt ast.VarTable, ft ast.FuncTable) *ast.Token {
     if in == nil {
@@ -60,7 +61,6 @@ func call(in *ast.Token, vt ast.VarTable, ft ast.FuncTable) *ast.Token {
     cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
     cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
     cmd.Stdin  = os.Stdin
-    exit := 0
 
     signalChan := make(chan os.Signal, 2)
     signal.Notify(signalChan, os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
@@ -74,13 +74,13 @@ func call(in *ast.Token, vt ast.VarTable, ft ast.FuncTable) *ast.Token {
     signal.Reset(os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
     if err != nil {
         if exitError, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok {
-            exit = exitError.ExitCode()
+            LastExitCode = exitError.ExitCode()
         } else {
             log.Log(log.ERR, "Execution step returned unparsable error: " + err.Error(), "call")
         }
     }
 
-    return &ast.Token{Tag: ast.NUMBER, Inner: fmt.Sprintf("%d", exit)}
+    return nil
 }
 
 func bgcall(in *ast.Token, vt ast.VarTable, ft ast.FuncTable) *ast.Token {
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ func fg(in *ast.Token, vt ast.VarTable, ft ast.FuncTable) *ast.Token {
 
     cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
     cmd.Stdin  = os.Stdin
-    exit := 0
 
     signalChan := make(chan os.Signal, 2)
     signal.Notify(signalChan, os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
@@ -141,13 +140,13 @@ func fg(in *ast.Token, vt ast.VarTable, ft ast.FuncTable) *ast.Token {
     signal.Reset(os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
     if err != nil {
         if exitError, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok {
-            exit = exitError.ExitCode()
+            LastExitCode = exitError.ExitCode()
         } else {
-            log.Log(log.ERR, "Execution step returned unparsable error: " + err.Error(), "call")
+            log.Log(log.ERR, "Execution step returned error: " + err.Error(), "call")
         }
     }
 
-    return &ast.Token{Tag: ast.NUMBER, Inner: fmt.Sprintf("%d", exit)}
+    return nil
 }
 
 func read_cmd(in *ast.Token, vt ast.VarTable, ft ast.FuncTable) *ast.Token {
@@ -193,9 +192,17 @@ func read_cmd(in *ast.Token, vt ast.VarTable, ft ast.FuncTable) *ast.Token {
     close(signalChan)
     signal.Reset(os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
     if err != nil {
-        log.Log(log.ERR, err.Error(), "$")
+         if exitError, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok {
+            LastExitCode = exitError.ExitCode()
+        } else {
+            log.Log(log.ERR, "Execution step returned error: " + err.Error(), "$")
+        }
     }
 
     return &ast.Token{Tag: ast.STRING, Inner: out.String()}
 
 }
+
+func get_exit(in *ast.Token, vt ast.VarTable, ft ast.FuncTable) *ast.Token {
+    return &ast.Token{Tag: ast.NUMBER, Inner: fmt.Sprintf("%d", LastExitCode)}
+}
diff --git a/stdlib/stdlib.go b/stdlib/stdlib.go
index 28a722c..a7971f4 100644
--- a/stdlib/stdlib.go
+++ b/stdlib/stdlib.go
@@ -122,6 +122,13 @@ func GenFuncTable() ast.FuncTable {
             TimesCalled:       0,
             Args:              0,
         },
+
+        "?": &ast.Function{
+            Function:   get_exit,
+            Name:"get exit code",
+            TimesCalled:       0,
+            Args:              0,
+        },
     }
 
     return stdlib