diff --git a/src/eval.rs b/src/eval.rs
index bdc2351..1125aa4 100644
--- a/src/eval.rs
+++ b/src/eval.rs
@@ -60,10 +60,11 @@ fn eval_inner(
         funcs.clone(),
         sym_loose,
         first_item,
+        true,
         mret.cdr
     ) {
         Ok(ctr) => {
-            mret.car = ctr
+            mret.car = ctr;
         },
         Err(err) => {
             return Err(err)
@@ -76,15 +77,18 @@ fn eval_inner(
         funcs.clone(),
         sym_loose,
         false,
-        RefCell::new(Rc::clone(Ctr::None))
+        false,
+        Ctr::None
     ) {
         Ok(ctr) => {
-            mret.cdr = ctr
+            mret.cdr = ctr;
         },
         Err(err) => {
             return Err(err)
         }
     }
+
+    return Ok(ret)
 }
 
 fn process_ctr(
@@ -93,7 +97,8 @@ fn process_ctr(
     funcs: Rc<RefCell<FTable>>,
     sym_loose: bool,
     first_item: bool,
-    rest: Ast
+    is_car: bool,
+    rest: Ctr
 ) -> Result<Ctr, String> {
     /* LOGIC:
      *   1. if symbol, unwrap (DEEP COPY)
@@ -106,39 +111,52 @@ fn process_ctr(
     match ctr {
         Ctr::Symbol(token) => {
             let mut tok = token;
-            if let Some(s) = vars.borrow().get(token) {
+            if let Some(s) = vars.borrow().get(&tok) {
 
                 // is function, or variable alias?
                 if first_item {
-                    if let Ctr::Symbol(t) = s {
-                        if let Some(f) = funcs.borrow().get(t) {
+                    if let Ctr::Symbol(t) = *s.clone() {
+                        if let Some(f) = funcs.borrow().get(&t) {
+                            // leave this set for the function call case below
                             tok = t;
                         }
                     }
 
                 // is a basic value.
                 } else {
-                    return Ok((*s).clone())
+                    return Ok(*s.clone())
                 }
 
-            // else call function
+            // variable not found case
             } else if !first_item && !sym_loose {
-                return Err("variable not found")
+                return Err(format!("variable '{}' not found", tok).to_string())
             }
 
+            // function call case
             if first_item {
-                if let Some(f) = funcs.borrow().get(tok) {
-                    match func_call(f, rest, vars.clone(), funcs.clone()) {
-                        Ok(a) => Ok(Ctr::Seg(a.borrow().clone())),
-                        Err(s) => Err(s)
+                if let Some(f) = funcs.borrow().get(&tok) {
+                    if let Ctr::Seg(args) = rest {
+                        match func_call(*f, args, vars.clone(), funcs.clone()) {
+                            Ok(a) => return Ok(a.clone()),
+                            Err(s) => return Err(s)
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        return Err("evaluation: args to function not a list".to_string())
                     }
+                } else {
+                    return Err(format!("function '{}' not defined", tok).to_string())
                 }
+
+            // sym_loose and not function call
+            } else {
+                return Ok(ctr.clone())
             }
         },
         Ctr::Seg(tree) => {
-            match eval(tree, vars, funcs, sym_loose) {
+            // if list is_car then we need to set first_item to true
+            match eval_inner(tree, vars, funcs, sym_loose, is_car) {
                 Ok(ast) => {
-                    Ok(ast.borrow())
+                    Ok(Ctr::Seg(ast))
                 },
                 Err(e) => {
                     Err(e)
diff --git a/src/func.rs b/src/func.rs
index e118856..147b727 100644
--- a/src/func.rs
+++ b/src/func.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ use crate::eval::eval;
 pub type FTable = HashMap<String, Rc<RefCell<Function>>>;
 
 // Standardized function signature for stdlib functions
-pub type InternalOperation = fn(Ast, Rc<RefCell<VTable>>, Rc<RefCell<FTable>>) -> Ast;
+pub type InternalOperation = fn(Ast, Rc<RefCell<VTable>>, Rc<RefCell<FTable>>) -> Ctr;
 pub struct ExternalOperation {
     // Un-evaluated abstract syntax tree
     // TODO: Intermediate evaluation to simplify branches with no argument in them
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ pub fn func_call(
     args: Ast,
     vars: Rc<RefCell<VTable>>,
     funcs: Rc<RefCell<FTable>>
-) -> Result<Ast, String> {
+) -> Result<Ctr, String> {
     let called_func = function.borrow_mut();
     let mut n_args: Ast = args.clone();
     if !called_func.eval_lazy {
@@ -151,15 +151,22 @@ pub fn func_call(
     match &called_func.function {
         Operation::Internal(f) => Ok((f)(n_args, vars, funcs)),
         Operation::External(f) => {
-            let mut temp = vars.borrow().clone();
             for n in 0..f.arg_syms.len() {
-                temp.insert(
+                vars.borrow().insert(
                     f.arg_syms[n].clone(),
                     Rc::new(list_idx(n_args.clone(), n as u128))
                 );
             }
 
-            eval(f.ast.clone(), Rc::new(RefCell::new(temp)), funcs, called_func.loose_syms)
+            let result = eval(f.ast.clone(), vars.clone(), funcs, called_func.loose_syms);
+            for n in 0..f.arg_syms.len() {
+                vars.borrow().remove(&f.arg_syms[n].clone());
+            }
+
+            match result {
+                Ok(r) => Ok(r.borrow().car),
+                Err(e) => Err(e)
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_func.rs b/tests/test_func.rs
index 05cd14c..39a3470 100644
--- a/tests/test_func.rs
+++ b/tests/test_func.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ mod func_tests {
                         is_bool = true;
                     }
 
-                    new_ast(Ctr::Bool(is_bool), Ctr::None)
+                    Ctr::Bool(is_bool)
                 }
             )
         };
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ mod func_tests {
             return;
         }
 
-        if let Ok(ast) = func_call(func, args, vt, ft) {
-            match &ast.borrow().car {
+        if let Ok(ret) = func_call(func, args, vt, ft) {
+            match ret {
                 Ctr::Bool(b) => assert!(b),
                 _ => {
                     print!("invalid return from func!");