diff --git a/femtolisp/builtins.c b/femtolisp/builtins.c
index 8601ee2..d8f3b14 100644
--- a/femtolisp/builtins.c
+++ b/femtolisp/builtins.c
@@ -94,17 +94,6 @@ static value_t fl_intern(value_t *args, u_int32_t nargs)
     return symbol(cvalue_data(args[0]));
 }
 
-static value_t fl_setconstant(value_t *args, u_int32_t nargs)
-{
-    argcount("set-constant!", nargs, 2);
-    symbol_t *sym = tosymbol(args[0], "set-constant!");
-    if (isconstant(args[0]) || sym->binding != UNBOUND)
-        lerror(ArgError, "set-constant!: cannot redefine %s",
-               symbol_name(args[0]));
-    setc(args[0], args[1]);
-    return args[1];
-}
-
 extern value_t LAMBDA;
 
 static value_t fl_setsyntax(value_t *args, u_int32_t nargs)
@@ -137,46 +126,28 @@ static value_t fl_symbolsyntax(value_t *args, u_int32_t nargs)
     return sym->syntax;
 }
 
-static void syntax_env_assoc_list(symbol_t *root, value_t *pv)
+static void global_env_list(symbol_t *root, value_t *pv)
 {
     while (root != NULL) {
-        if (root->syntax && root->syntax != TAG_CONST &&
-            !isspecial(root->syntax)) {
-            PUSH(fl_cons(tagptr(root,TAG_SYM), root->syntax));
-            *pv = fl_cons(POP(), *pv);
+        if (root->name[0] != ':' &&
+            (root->binding != UNBOUND ||
+             (root->syntax && root->syntax != TAG_CONST &&
+              !isspecial(root->syntax)))) {
+            *pv = fl_cons(tagptr(root,TAG_SYM), *pv);
         }
-        syntax_env_assoc_list(root->left, pv);
-        root = root->right;
-    }
-}
-static void global_env_assoc_list(symbol_t *root, value_t *pv)
-{
-    while (root != NULL) {
-        if (root->binding != UNBOUND) {
-            PUSH(fl_cons(tagptr(root,TAG_SYM), root->binding));
-            *pv = fl_cons(POP(), *pv);
-        }
-        global_env_assoc_list(root->left, pv);
+        global_env_list(root->left, pv);
         root = root->right;
     }
 }
 
 extern symbol_t *symtab;
 
-static value_t fl_syntax_env(value_t *args, u_int32_t nargs)
-{
-    (void)args;
-    argcount("syntax-environment", nargs, 0);
-    PUSH(NIL);
-    syntax_env_assoc_list(symtab, &Stack[SP-1]);
-    return POP();
-}
 value_t fl_global_env(value_t *args, u_int32_t nargs)
 {
     (void)args;
     argcount("environment", nargs, 0);
     PUSH(NIL);
-    global_env_assoc_list(symtab, &Stack[SP-1]);
+    global_env_list(symtab, &Stack[SP-1]);
     return POP();
 }
 
@@ -234,16 +205,7 @@ static value_t fl_fixnum(value_t *args, u_int32_t nargs)
         cprim_t *cp = (cprim_t*)ptr(args[0]);
         return fixnum(conv_to_long(cp_data(cp), cp_numtype(cp)));
     }
-    else if (isstring(args[0])) {
-        cvalue_t *cv = (cvalue_t*)ptr(args[0]);
-        char *pend;
-        errno = 0;
-        long i = strtol(cv_data(cv), &pend, 0);
-        if (*pend != '\0' || errno!=0)
-            lerror(ArgError, "fixnum: invalid string");
-        return fixnum(i);
-    }
-    lerror(ArgError, "fixnum: cannot convert argument");
+    type_error("fixnum", "number", args[0]);
 }
 
 static value_t fl_truncate(value_t *args, u_int32_t nargs)
@@ -405,10 +367,8 @@ extern void table_init();
 extern void iostream_init();
 
 static builtinspec_t builtin_info[] = {
-    { "set-constant!", fl_setconstant },
     { "set-syntax!", fl_setsyntax },
     { "symbol-syntax", fl_symbolsyntax },
-    { "syntax-environment", fl_syntax_env },
     { "environment", fl_global_env },
     { "constant?", fl_constantp },
 
diff --git a/femtolisp/flisp.c b/femtolisp/flisp.c
index 6f9c9a0..ee64958 100644
--- a/femtolisp/flisp.c
+++ b/femtolisp/flisp.c
@@ -1522,6 +1522,8 @@ static void lisp_init(void)
     for (; i < F_TRUE; i++) {
         setc(symbol(builtin_names[i]), builtin(i));
     }
+    setc(symbol("eq"), builtin(F_EQ));
+    setc(symbol("equal"), builtin(F_EQUAL));
 
 #ifdef LINUX
     set(symbol("*os-name*"), symbol("linux"));
diff --git a/femtolisp/printcases.lsp b/femtolisp/printcases.lsp
index 702e11f..a94222f 100644
--- a/femtolisp/printcases.lsp
+++ b/femtolisp/printcases.lsp
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 macroexpand
 append
 bq-process
+
+(define (syntax-environment)
+  (map (lambda (s) (cons s (symbol-syntax s)))
+       (filter symbol-syntax (environment))))
+
 (syntax-environment)
 
 (symbol-syntax 'try)
diff --git a/femtolisp/system.lsp b/femtolisp/system.lsp
index 31d6f4d..2d544eb 100644
--- a/femtolisp/system.lsp
+++ b/femtolisp/system.lsp
@@ -3,11 +3,6 @@
 ; by Jeff Bezanson (C) 2009
 ; Distributed under the BSD License
 
-(if (not (bound? 'eq))
-    (begin
-      (set-constant! 'eq       eq?)
-      (set-constant! 'equal    equal?)))
-
 ; convert a sequence of body statements to a single expression.
 ; this allows define, defun, defmacro, let, etc. to contain multiple
 ; body expressions as in Common Lisp.
diff --git a/femtolisp/table.c b/femtolisp/table.c
index ca4a5e7..a0085c2 100644
--- a/femtolisp/table.c
+++ b/femtolisp/table.c
@@ -119,6 +119,11 @@ value_t fl_table_put(value_t *args, uint32_t nargs)
     return args[0];
 }
 
+static void key_error(char *fname, value_t key)
+{
+    lerror(list2(KeyError, key), "%s: key not found", fname);
+}
+
 // (get table key [default])
 value_t fl_table_get(value_t *args, uint32_t nargs)
 {
@@ -129,7 +134,7 @@ value_t fl_table_get(value_t *args, uint32_t nargs)
     if (v == (value_t)HT_NOTFOUND) {
         if (nargs == 3)
             return args[2];
-        lerror(KeyError, "get: key not found");
+        key_error("get", args[1]);
     }
     return v;
 }
@@ -148,7 +153,7 @@ value_t fl_table_del(value_t *args, uint32_t nargs)
     argcount("del!", nargs, 2);
     htable_t *h = totable(args[0], "del!");
     if (!equalhash_remove(h, (void*)args[1]))
-        lerror(KeyError, "del!: key not found");
+        key_error("del!", args[1]);
     return args[0];
 }