diff --git a/src/cell.rs b/src/cell.rs
index 68d2ef6..b862113 100644
--- a/src/cell.rs
+++ b/src/cell.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ pub fn cons (l_ctr: Ctr, r_ctr: Ctr) -> Cell {
  */
 pub fn cell_as_string(c: &Cell, with_parens: bool) -> String {
     let mut string = String::new();
+    let mut prn_space = true;
     match &c.car {
         Ctr::SYMBOL(s)   => string.push_str(&s),
         Ctr::STRING(s)   => {
@@ -70,10 +71,13 @@ pub fn cell_as_string(c: &Cell, with_parens: bool) -> String {
         Ctr::FLOAT(f)    => string = string + &f.to_string(),
         Ctr::BOOL(b)     => string = string + &b.to_string(),
         Ctr::CELL(c)     => string.push_str(cell_as_string(&c, true).as_str()),
-        Ctr::None        => string.push_str("nil")
+        Ctr::None        => prn_space = false
+    }
+
+    if prn_space {
+        string.push(' ');
     }
 
-    string.push(' ');
     match &c.cdr {
         Ctr::SYMBOL(s)   => string.push_str(&s),
         Ctr::STRING(s)   => {
@@ -85,7 +89,11 @@ pub fn cell_as_string(c: &Cell, with_parens: bool) -> String {
         Ctr::FLOAT(f)    => string = string + &f.to_string(),
         Ctr::BOOL(b)     => string = string + &b.to_string(),
         Ctr::CELL(c)     => string.push_str(cell_as_string(&c, false).as_str()),
-        Ctr::None        => string.push_str("nil")
+        Ctr::None        => {
+            if prn_space {
+                string.pop();
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     // TODO: maybe a better way to do this
diff --git a/src/lex.rs b/src/lex.rs
index ccf00c0..d26b350 100644
--- a/src/lex.rs
+++ b/src/lex.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ fn process(document: String) -> Result<Box<Cell>, String> {
                 needs_alloc = true;
                 // reset comment line status
                 if delim == '\n' {
+                    delim_stack.pop();
                     ign = false;
                     continue;
                 }
diff --git a/tests/test_lex.rs b/tests/test_lex.rs
index fc3e8fa..f7e9f1d 100644
--- a/tests/test_lex.rs
+++ b/tests/test_lex.rs
@@ -4,10 +4,9 @@ mod lex_tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_lex_basic_pair() {
         let document: &str = "(hello 'world')";
-        let output: &str = "(hello 'world' nil)";
         match lex(document.to_string()) {
             Ok(box_cell) => {
-                assert_eq!(format!("{}", *box_cell), output.to_string());
+                assert_eq!(format!("{}", *box_cell), document);
             },
             Err(s) => {
                 print!("{}\n", s);
@@ -19,10 +18,9 @@ mod lex_tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_lex_basic_list() {
         let document: &str = "(hello 'world' 1 2 3)";
-        let output: &str = "(hello 'world' 1 2 3 nil)";
         match lex(document.to_string()) {
             Ok(box_cell) => {
-                assert_eq!(format!("{}", *box_cell), output.to_string());
+                assert_eq!(format!("{}", *box_cell), document);
             },
             Err(s) => {
                 print!("{}\n", s);
@@ -34,10 +32,9 @@ mod lex_tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_lex_complex_list() {
         let document: &str = "(hello 'world' (1 2 (1 2 3)) 1 2 3)";
-        let output: &str = "(hello 'world' (1 2 (1 2 3 nil) nil) 1 2 3 nil)";
         match lex(document.to_string()) {
             Ok(box_cell) => {
-                assert_eq!(format!("{}", *box_cell), output.to_string());
+                assert_eq!(format!("{}", *box_cell), document);
             },
             Err(s) => {
                 print!("{}\n", s);
@@ -94,7 +91,7 @@ mod lex_tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_comment() {
         let document: &str = "#!/bin/relish\n(one two)";
-        let output: &str = "(one two nil)";
+        let output: &str = "(one two)";
         match lex(document.to_string()) {
             Ok(box_cell) => {
                 assert_eq!(format!("{}", *box_cell), output.to_string());
@@ -109,7 +106,7 @@ mod lex_tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_postline_comment() {
         let document: &str = "#!/bin/relish\n((one two)# another doc comment\n(three four))";
-        let output: &str = "(one two nil)";
+        let output: &str = "((one two) (three four))";
         match lex(document.to_string()) {
             Ok(box_cell) => {
                 assert_eq!(format!("{}", *box_cell), output.to_string());
@@ -124,7 +121,7 @@ mod lex_tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_inline_comment() {
         let document: &str = "#!/bin/relish\n((one two)\n# another doc comment\nthree)";
-        let output: &str = "(one two nil)";
+        let output: &str = "((one two) three)";
         match lex(document.to_string()) {
             Ok(box_cell) => {
                 assert_eq!(format!("{}", *box_cell), output.to_string());