diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 30386655..215ca73b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS(cxxabi.h)
 AC_LANG_POP(C++)
 
 dnl  Common C functions
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS(getenv getcwd _getcwd backtrace_symbols)
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS(getenv system tmpfile tmpnam getcwd _getcwd backtrace_symbols)
 
 
 if test "${enable_debug}" = "yes"; then
diff --git a/src/image/codec/ps3-image.cpp b/src/image/codec/ps3-image.cpp
index f129fe84..0950e5bf 100644
--- a/src/image/codec/ps3-image.cpp
+++ b/src/image/codec/ps3-image.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 #if defined __CELLOS_LV2__
 
+#include <sys/paths.h>
 #include <cell/sysmodule.h>
 #include <cell/codec/pngdec.h>
 
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ bool Ps3ImageData::Open(char const *path)
     Array<String> pathlist = System::GetPathList(path);
     for (int i = 0; i < pathlist.Count(); ++i)
     {
-        String name = String("/app_home/") + pathlist[i];
+        String name = String(SYS_APP_HOME) + '/' + pathlist[i];
         dec_src.fileName = name.C();
         err = cellPngDecOpen(hmain, &hsub, &dec_src, &open_info);
         if (err == CELL_OK)
diff --git a/src/lol/base/assert.h b/src/lol/base/assert.h
index 2b898825..42fd85b4 100644
--- a/src/lol/base/assert.h
+++ b/src/lol/base/assert.h
@@ -25,17 +25,19 @@ static inline void Abort()
 #endif
 }
 
+extern void DumpStack();
+
 /* FIXME: see http://stackoverflow.com/q/3596781/111461 for discussions
  * on implementing __debugbreak() on POSIX systems. */
-static inline void DebugBreak()
+static inline void DebugAbort()
 {
+    DumpStack();
 #if defined _WIN32
     __debugbreak();
 #endif
+    Abort();
 }
 
-extern void DumpStack();
-
 #define LOL_CALL(macro, args) macro args
 #define LOL_EVAL(a) a
 #define LOL_1ST(a, ...) a
@@ -117,9 +119,7 @@ extern void DumpStack();
             LOL_CALL(LOL_CAT(LOL_ERROR_, LOL_CALL(LOL_COUNT_TO_3, \
                                                   (__VA_ARGS__))), \
                      (__VA_ARGS__)); \
-            DumpStack(); \
-            DebugBreak(); \
-            Abort(); \
+            DebugAbort(); \
         }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/lol/sys/file.h b/src/lol/sys/file.h
index 4f7363c1..173f4ebf 100644
--- a/src/lol/sys/file.h
+++ b/src/lol/sys/file.h
@@ -43,9 +43,12 @@ public:
     ~File();
 
     void Open(String const &file, FileAccess mode);
-    String ReadString();
+    bool IsValid() const;
     void Close();
 
+    int Read(uint8_t *buf, int count);
+    String ReadString();
+
 private:
     class FileData *m_data;
 };
diff --git a/src/lua/linit.c b/src/lua/linit.c
index a62aeeca..10417a1c 100644
--- a/src/lua/linit.c
+++ b/src/lua/linit.c
@@ -34,8 +34,10 @@ static const luaL_Reg loadedlibs[] = {
   {LUA_LOADLIBNAME, luaopen_package},
   {LUA_COLIBNAME, luaopen_coroutine},
   {LUA_TABLIBNAME, luaopen_table},
+#if 0 // LOL BEGIN
   {LUA_IOLIBNAME, luaopen_io},
   {LUA_OSLIBNAME, luaopen_os},
+#endif // LOL END
   {LUA_STRLIBNAME, luaopen_string},
   {LUA_BITLIBNAME, luaopen_bit32},
   {LUA_MATHLIBNAME, luaopen_math},
diff --git a/src/sys/file.cpp b/src/sys/file.cpp
index 9f639ab7..95aadbf7 100644
--- a/src/sys/file.cpp
+++ b/src/sys/file.cpp
@@ -12,8 +12,24 @@
 #   include "config.h"
 #endif
 
+#if __CELLOS_LV2__
+#   include <sys/paths.h>
+#   include <cell/cell_fs.h>
+#endif
+
 #include "core.h"
 
+/* HACK: use fopen() for now so that we get FIOS. */
+#if 0//__CELLOS_LV2__
+extern "C" {
+#   include <stdio.h>
+}
+#   undef __CELLOS_LV2__
+#   define HAVE_STDIO_H 1
+#   undef BUFSIZ
+#   define BUFSIZ 1024
+#endif
+
 namespace lol
 {
 
@@ -24,35 +40,69 @@ class FileData
     void Open(String const &file, FileAccess mode)
     {
 #if __CELLOS_LV2__
+        String realfile = String(SYS_APP_HOME) + '/' + file;
+        CellFsErrno err = cellFsOpen(realfile.C(), CELL_FS_O_RDONLY,
+                                     &m_fd, NULL, 0);
+        if (err != CELL_FS_SUCCEEDED)
+            m_fd = -1;
 #elif HAVE_STDIO_H
         /* FIXME: no modes, no error checking, no nothing */
         m_fd = fopen(file.C(), "r");
 #endif
     }
 
-    String ReadString()
+    inline bool IsValid() const
     {
-        String ret;
 #if __CELLOS_LV2__
+        return m_fd > -1;
+#elif HAVE_STDIO_H
+        return !!m_fd;
+#endif
+    }
+
+    int Read(uint8_t *buf, int count)
+    {
+#if __CELLOS_LV2__
+        uint64_t done;
+        CellFsErrno err = cellFsRead(m_fd, buf, count, &done);
+
+        if (err != CELL_FS_SUCCEEDED)
+            return -1;
+
+        return (int)done;
 #elif HAVE_STDIO_H
-        while (m_fd && !feof(m_fd))
+        size_t done = fread(buf, 1, count, m_fd);
+        if (done <= 0)
+            return -1;
+
+        return (int)done;
+#endif
+    }
+
+    String ReadString()
+    {
+        String ret;
+        while (IsValid())
         {
-            char buf[BUFSIZ];
-            size_t count = fread(buf, 1, BUFSIZ, m_fd);
-            if (count <= 0)
+	    /* XXX: BUFSIZ would overflow the stack here */
+            uint8_t buf[1024];
+            int done = Read(buf, 1024);
+
+            if (done <= 0)
                 break;
 
             int oldsize = ret.Count();
-            ret.Resize(oldsize + count);
-            memcpy(&ret[oldsize], buf, count);
+            ret.Resize(oldsize + done);
+            memcpy(&ret[oldsize], buf, done);
         }
-#endif
         return ret;
     }
 
     void Close()
     {
 #if __CELLOS_LV2__
+        if (m_fd >= 0)
+            cellFsClose(m_fd);
 #elif HAVE_STDIO_H
         if (m_fd)
             fclose(m_fd);
@@ -61,6 +111,7 @@ class FileData
     }
 
 #if __CELLOS_LV2__
+    int m_fd;
 #elif HAVE_STDIO_H
     FILE *m_fd;
 #endif
@@ -84,6 +135,7 @@ File &File::operator =(File const &that)
     if (this == &that)
         return *this;
 
+    /* FIXME: this needs auditing */
     int refcount = --m_data->m_refcount;
     if (refcount == 0)
     {
@@ -112,6 +164,16 @@ void File::Open(String const &file, FileAccess mode)
     return m_data->Open(file, mode);
 }
 
+bool File::IsValid() const
+{
+    return m_data->IsValid();
+}
+
+int File::Read(uint8_t *buf, int count)
+{
+    return m_data->Read(buf, count);
+}
+
 String File::ReadString()
 {
     return m_data->ReadString();
diff --git a/src/world.cpp b/src/world.cpp
index c4592976..6364c43b 100644
--- a/src/world.cpp
+++ b/src/world.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ class WorldData
 {
     friend class World;
 
+    static int LuaPanic(lua_State* L)
+    {
+        DebugAbort();
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     lua_State *m_lua_state;
 };
 
@@ -44,6 +50,7 @@ World g_world;
 World::World()
 {
     g_world_data.m_lua_state = luaL_newstate();
+    lua_atpanic(g_world_data.m_lua_state, WorldData::LuaPanic);
     luaL_openlibs(g_world_data.m_lua_state);
 }
 
@@ -55,18 +62,32 @@ World::~World()
 bool World::ExecLua(String const &lua)
 {
     Array<String> pathlist = System::GetPathList(lua);
+    File f;
     for (int i = 0; i < pathlist.Count(); ++i)
     {
-        luaL_dofile(g_world_data.m_lua_state, pathlist[i].C());
+        f.Open(pathlist[i], FileAccess::Read);
+        if (f.IsValid())
+        {
+            String s = f.ReadString();
+            f.Close();
+
+            luaL_dostring(g_world_data.m_lua_state, s.C());
+            Log::Debug("loaded Lua file %s\n", pathlist[i].C());
+            return true;
+        }
     }
 
-    return true;
+    Log::Error("could not find Lua file %s\n", lua.C());
+    return false;
 }
 
 double World::GetLuaNumber(String const &var)
 {
+    double ret;
     lua_getglobal(g_world_data.m_lua_state, var.C());
-    return lua_tonumber(g_world_data.m_lua_state, -1);
+    ret = lua_tonumber(g_world_data.m_lua_state, -1);
+    lua_pop(g_world_data.m_lua_state, 1);
+    return ret;
 }
 
 } /* namespace lol */