diff --git a/src/ikarus.boot b/src/ikarus.boot
index faa1754..6cc2ce8 100644
Binary files a/src/ikarus.boot and b/src/ikarus.boot differ
diff --git a/src/ikarus.chars.ss b/src/ikarus.chars.ss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d719959
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ikarus.chars.ss
@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+
+(library (ikarus chars)
+  (export char=? char<? char<=? char>? char>=?)
+  (import 
+    (except (ikarus) char=? char<? char<=? char>? char>=?)
+    (only (scheme) 
+          $car $cdr
+          $char= $char< $char<= $char> $char>=))
+
+  ;;; FIXME: this file is embarrasing
+  (define char=?
+    (let ()
+      (define (err x)
+        (error 'char=? "~s is not a character" x))
+      (case-lambda
+        [(c1 c2)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (if (char? c2)
+                 ($char= c1 c2)
+                 (err c2))
+             (err c1))]
+        [(c1 c2 c3)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (if (char? c2)
+                 (if (char? c3)
+                     (and ($char= c1 c2)
+                          ($char= c2 c3))
+                     (err c3))
+                 (err c2))
+             (err c1))]
+        [(c1 . c*)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (let f ([c* c*])
+               (or (null? c*) 
+                   (let ([c2 ($car c*)])
+                     (if (char? c2)
+                         (if ($char= c1 c2)
+                             (f ($cdr c*))
+                             (let g ([c* ($cdr c*)])
+                               (if (null? c*)
+                                   #f
+                                   (if (char? ($car c*))
+                                       (g ($cdr c*))
+                                       (err ($car c*))))))
+                         (err c2)))))
+             (err c1))])))
+
+  (define char<?
+    (let ()
+      (define (err x)
+        (error 'char<? "~s is not a character" x))
+      (case-lambda
+        [(c1 c2)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (if (char? c2)
+                 ($char< c1 c2)
+                 (err c2))
+             (err c1))]
+        [(c1 c2 c3)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (if (char? c2)
+                 (if (char? c3)
+                     (and ($char< c1 c2)
+                          ($char< c2 c3))
+                     (err c3))
+                 (err c2))
+             (err c1))]
+        [(c1 . c*)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (let f ([c1 c1] [c* c*])
+               (or (null? c*) 
+                   (let ([c2 ($car c*)])
+                     (if (char? c2)
+                         (if ($char< c1 c2)
+                             (f c2 ($cdr c*))
+                             (let g ([c* ($cdr c*)])
+                               (if (null? c*)
+                                   #f
+                                   (if (char? ($car c*))
+                                       (g ($cdr c*))
+                                       (err ($car c*))))))
+                         (err c2)))))
+             (err c1))])))
+
+  (define char<=?
+    (let ()
+      (define (err x)
+        (error 'char<=? "~s is not a character" x))
+      (case-lambda
+        [(c1 c2)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (if (char? c2)
+                 ($char<= c1 c2)
+                 (err c2))
+             (err c1))]
+        [(c1 c2 c3)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (if (char? c2)
+                 (if (char? c3)
+                     (and ($char<= c1 c2)
+                          ($char<= c2 c3))
+                     (err c3))
+                 (err c2))
+             (err c1))]
+        [(c1 . c*)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (let f ([c1 c1] [c* c*])
+               (or (null? c*) 
+                   (let ([c2 ($car c*)])
+                     (if (char? c2)
+                         (if ($char<= c1 c2)
+                             (f c2 ($cdr c*))
+                             (let g ([c* ($cdr c*)])
+                               (if (null? c*)
+                                   #f
+                                   (if (char? ($car c*))
+                                       (g ($cdr c*))
+                                       (err ($car c*))))))
+                         (err c2)))))
+             (err c1))])))
+
+  (define char>?
+    (let ()
+      (define (err x)
+        (error 'char>? "~s is not a character" x))
+      (case-lambda
+        [(c1 c2)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (if (char? c2)
+                 ($char> c1 c2)
+                 (err c2))
+             (err c1))]
+        [(c1 c2 c3)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (if (char? c2)
+                 (if (char? c3)
+                     (and ($char> c1 c2)
+                          ($char> c2 c3))
+                     (err c3))
+                 (err c2))
+             (err c1))]
+        [(c1 . c*)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (let f ([c1 c1] [c* c*])
+               (or (null? c*) 
+                   (let ([c2 ($car c*)])
+                     (if (char? c2)
+                         (if ($char> c1 c2)
+                             (f c2 ($cdr c*))
+                             (let g ([c* ($cdr c*)])
+                               (if (null? c*)
+                                   #f
+                                   (if (char? ($car c*))
+                                       (g ($cdr c*))
+                                       (err ($car c*))))))
+                         (err c2)))))
+             (err c1))])))
+
+  (define char>=?
+    (let ()
+      (define (err x)
+        (error 'char>=? "~s is not a character" x))
+      (case-lambda
+        [(c1 c2)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (if (char? c2)
+                 ($char>= c1 c2)
+                 (err c2))
+             (err c1))]
+        [(c1 c2 c3)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (if (char? c2)
+                 (if (char? c3)
+                     (and ($char>= c1 c2)
+                          ($char>= c2 c3))
+                     (err c3))
+                 (err c2))
+             (err c1))]
+        [(c1 . c*)
+         (if (char? c1)
+             (let f ([c1 c1] [c* c*])
+               (or (null? c*) 
+                   (let ([c2 ($car c*)])
+                     (if (char? c2)
+                         (if ($char>= c1 c2)
+                             (f c2 ($cdr c*))
+                             (let g ([c* ($cdr c*)])
+                               (if (null? c*)
+                                   #f
+                                   (if (char? ($car c*))
+                                       (g ($cdr c*))
+                                       (err ($car c*))))))
+                         (err c2)))))
+             (err c1))])))
+)
diff --git a/src/ikarus.core.ss b/src/ikarus.core.ss
index 9f98144..32a0b4b 100644
--- a/src/ikarus.core.ss
+++ b/src/ikarus.core.ss
@@ -66,191 +66,11 @@
  
  
 
-(primitive-set! 'char=?
-  (let ()
-    (define (err x)
-      (error 'char=? "~s is not a character" x))
-    (case-lambda
-      [(c1 c2)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (if (char? c2)
-               ($char= c1 c2)
-               (err c2))
-           (err c1))]
-      [(c1 c2 c3)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (if (char? c2)
-               (if (char? c3)
-                   (and ($char= c1 c2)
-                        ($char= c2 c3))
-                   (err c3))
-               (err c2))
-           (err c1))]
-      [(c1 . c*)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (let f ([c* c*])
-             (or (null? c*) 
-                 (let ([c2 ($car c*)])
-                   (if (char? c2)
-                       (if ($char= c1 c2)
-                           (f ($cdr c*))
-                           (let g ([c* ($cdr c*)])
-                             (if (null? c*)
-                                 #f
-                                 (if (char? ($car c*))
-                                     (g ($cdr c*))
-                                     (err ($car c*))))))
-                       (err c2)))))
-           (err c1))])))
 
 
-(primitive-set! 'char<?
-  (let ()
-    (define (err x)
-      (error 'char<? "~s is not a character" x))
-    (case-lambda
-      [(c1 c2)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (if (char? c2)
-               ($char< c1 c2)
-               (err c2))
-           (err c1))]
-      [(c1 c2 c3)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (if (char? c2)
-               (if (char? c3)
-                   (and ($char< c1 c2)
-                        ($char< c2 c3))
-                   (err c3))
-               (err c2))
-           (err c1))]
-      [(c1 . c*)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (let f ([c1 c1] [c* c*])
-             (or (null? c*) 
-                 (let ([c2 ($car c*)])
-                   (if (char? c2)
-                       (if ($char< c1 c2)
-                           (f c2 ($cdr c*))
-                           (let g ([c* ($cdr c*)])
-                             (if (null? c*)
-                                 #f
-                                 (if (char? ($car c*))
-                                     (g ($cdr c*))
-                                     (err ($car c*))))))
-                       (err c2)))))
-           (err c1))])))
 
-(primitive-set! 'char<=?
-  (let ()
-    (define (err x)
-      (error 'char<=? "~s is not a character" x))
-    (case-lambda
-      [(c1 c2)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (if (char? c2)
-               ($char<= c1 c2)
-               (err c2))
-           (err c1))]
-      [(c1 c2 c3)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (if (char? c2)
-               (if (char? c3)
-                   (and ($char<= c1 c2)
-                        ($char<= c2 c3))
-                   (err c3))
-               (err c2))
-           (err c1))]
-      [(c1 . c*)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (let f ([c1 c1] [c* c*])
-             (or (null? c*) 
-                 (let ([c2 ($car c*)])
-                   (if (char? c2)
-                       (if ($char<= c1 c2)
-                           (f c2 ($cdr c*))
-                           (let g ([c* ($cdr c*)])
-                             (if (null? c*)
-                                 #f
-                                 (if (char? ($car c*))
-                                     (g ($cdr c*))
-                                     (err ($car c*))))))
-                       (err c2)))))
-           (err c1))])))
 
-(primitive-set! 'char>?
-  (let ()
-    (define (err x)
-      (error 'char>? "~s is not a character" x))
-    (case-lambda
-      [(c1 c2)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (if (char? c2)
-               ($char> c1 c2)
-               (err c2))
-           (err c1))]
-      [(c1 c2 c3)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (if (char? c2)
-               (if (char? c3)
-                   (and ($char> c1 c2)
-                        ($char> c2 c3))
-                   (err c3))
-               (err c2))
-           (err c1))]
-      [(c1 . c*)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (let f ([c1 c1] [c* c*])
-             (or (null? c*) 
-                 (let ([c2 ($car c*)])
-                   (if (char? c2)
-                       (if ($char> c1 c2)
-                           (f c2 ($cdr c*))
-                           (let g ([c* ($cdr c*)])
-                             (if (null? c*)
-                                 #f
-                                 (if (char? ($car c*))
-                                     (g ($cdr c*))
-                                     (err ($car c*))))))
-                       (err c2)))))
-           (err c1))])))
 
-(primitive-set! 'char>=?
-  (let ()
-    (define (err x)
-      (error 'char>=? "~s is not a character" x))
-    (case-lambda
-      [(c1 c2)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (if (char? c2)
-               ($char>= c1 c2)
-               (err c2))
-           (err c1))]
-      [(c1 c2 c3)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (if (char? c2)
-               (if (char? c3)
-                   (and ($char>= c1 c2)
-                        ($char>= c2 c3))
-                   (err c3))
-               (err c2))
-           (err c1))]
-      [(c1 . c*)
-       (if (char? c1)
-           (let f ([c1 c1] [c* c*])
-             (or (null? c*) 
-                 (let ([c2 ($car c*)])
-                   (if (char? c2)
-                       (if ($char>= c1 c2)
-                           (f c2 ($cdr c*))
-                           (let g ([c* ($cdr c*)])
-                             (if (null? c*)
-                                 #f
-                                 (if (char? ($car c*))
-                                     (g ($cdr c*))
-                                     (err ($car c*))))))
-                       (err c2)))))
-           (err c1))])))
 
 (primitive-set! '$memq
   (lambda (x ls)
diff --git a/src/makefile.ss b/src/makefile.ss
index 4fe68da..af2a16c 100755
--- a/src/makefile.ss
+++ b/src/makefile.ss
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@
     ;;;
     '("ikarus.handlers.ss"
       "ikarus.multiple-values.ss"
-      "ikarus.predicates.ss"
-      "ikarus.fixnums.ss"
       "ikarus.control.ss"
       "ikarus.collect.ss"
+      "ikarus.predicates.ss"
+      "ikarus.fixnums.ss"
+      "ikarus.chars.ss"
       "ikarus.records.ss"
       "ikarus.cxr.ss"
       "ikarus.strings.ss"