diff --git a/src/ikarus.boot b/src/ikarus.boot
index 97d8108..3a4e2cd 100644
Binary files a/src/ikarus.boot and b/src/ikarus.boot differ
diff --git a/src/ikarus.io-primitives.unsafe.ss b/src/ikarus.io-primitives.unsafe.ss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5da4cd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ikarus.io-primitives.unsafe.ss
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+
+(library (ikarus io-primitives unsafe)
+  (export $write-char $read-char $unread-char $peek-char
+          $reset-input-port! $flush-output-port 
+          $close-input-port $close-output-port)
+  (import
+    (ikarus)
+    (only (scheme) $port-handler $port-output-buffer
+          $set-port-output-index! $port-output-size
+          $set-port-input-index! $port-input-buffer $port-input-size
+          $set-port-input-size!
+          $port-input-index
+          $fxadd1 $fxsub1 $fx< $fx>= $string-ref
+          $string-length $string-set!))
+
+  (define $write-char
+    (lambda (c p)
+      (let ([idx (port-output-index p)])
+        (if ($fx< idx ($port-output-size p))
+            (begin
+              ($string-set! ($port-output-buffer p) idx c)
+              ($set-port-output-index! p ($fxadd1 idx)))
+            (($port-handler p) 'write-char c p)))))
+
+  (define $read-char
+    (lambda (p)
+      (let ([idx ($port-input-index p)])
+        (if ($fx< idx ($port-input-size p))
+            (begin
+              ($set-port-input-index! p ($fxadd1 idx))
+              ($string-ref ($port-input-buffer p) idx))
+            (begin
+              (($port-handler p) 'read-char p))))))
+
+  (define $peek-char
+    (lambda (p)
+      (let ([idx ($port-input-index p)])
+        (if ($fx< idx ($port-input-size p))
+            ($string-ref ($port-input-buffer p) idx)
+            (($port-handler p) 'peek-char p)))))
+
+  (define $unread-char
+    (lambda (c p)
+      (let ([idx ($fxsub1 ($port-input-index p))])
+        (if (and ($fx>= idx 0)
+                 ($fx< idx ($port-input-size p)))
+            (begin
+              ($set-port-input-index! p idx)
+              ($string-set! ($port-input-buffer p) idx c))
+            (($port-handler p) 'unread-char c p)))))
+
+  (define $reset-input-port!
+    (lambda (p)
+      ($set-port-input-size! p 0)))
+
+  (define $close-input-port
+    (lambda (p)
+      (($port-handler p) 'close-port p)))
+
+  (define $close-output-port
+    (lambda (p)
+      (($port-handler p) 'close-port p)))
+
+  (define $flush-output-port
+    (lambda (p)
+      (($port-handler p) 'flush-output-port p))))
diff --git a/src/libchezio.ss b/src/libchezio.ss
index f9493dd..0310b8f 100644
--- a/src/libchezio.ss
+++ b/src/libchezio.ss
@@ -33,14 +33,6 @@
   
   (let () ;;; IO PRIMITIVES
     ;;;
-    (primitive-set! '$write-char
-      (lambda (c p)
-        (let ([idx (port-output-index p)])
-          (if ($fx< idx ($port-output-size p))
-              (begin
-                ($string-set! ($port-output-buffer p) idx c)
-                ($set-port-output-index! p ($fxadd1 idx)))
-              (($port-handler p) 'write-char c p)))))
     ;;;
     (primitive-set! 'write-char
       (case-lambda
@@ -74,15 +66,6 @@
             (error 'port-name "~s is not a port" p))))
     (primitive-set! 'input-port-name port-name)
     (primitive-set! 'output-port-name port-name)
-    (primitive-set! '$read-char
-      (lambda (p)
-        (let ([idx ($port-input-index p)])
-          (if ($fx< idx ($port-input-size p))
-              (begin
-                ($set-port-input-index! p ($fxadd1 idx))
-                ($string-ref ($port-input-buffer p) idx))
-              (begin
-                (($port-handler p) 'read-char p))))))
     ;;;
     (primitive-set! 'read-char
       (case-lambda
@@ -92,15 +75,6 @@
              ($read-char p)
              (error 'read-char "~s is not an input-port" p))]))
     ;;;
-    (primitive-set! '$unread-char
-      (lambda (c p)
-        (let ([idx ($fxsub1 ($port-input-index p))])
-          (if (and ($fx>= idx 0)
-                   ($fx< idx ($port-input-size p)))
-              (begin
-                ($set-port-input-index! p idx)
-                ($string-set! ($port-input-buffer p) idx c))
-              (($port-handler p) 'unread-char c p)))))
     ;;;
     (primitive-set! 'unread-char
       (case-lambda
@@ -114,12 +88,6 @@
                  (error 'unread-char "~s is not a character" c))
              (error 'unread-char "~s is not an input-port" p))]))
     ;;;
-    (primitive-set! '$peek-char
-      (lambda (p)
-        (let ([idx ($port-input-index p)])
-          (if ($fx< idx ($port-input-size p))
-              ($string-ref ($port-input-buffer p) idx)
-              (($port-handler p) 'peek-char p)))))
     ;;;
     (primitive-set! 'peek-char
       (case-lambda
@@ -129,19 +97,7 @@
              ($peek-char p)
              (error 'peek-char "~s is not an input-port" p))]))
     ;;;
-    (primitive-set! '$unread-char
-      (lambda (c p)
-        (let ([idx ($fxsub1 ($port-input-index p))])
-          (if (and ($fx>= idx 0)
-                   ($fx< idx ($port-input-size p)))
-              (begin
-                ($set-port-input-index! p idx)
-                ($string-set! ($port-input-buffer p) idx c))
-              (($port-handler p) 'unread-char c p)))))
     ;;;
-    (primitive-set! '$reset-input-port!
-      (lambda (p)
-        ($set-port-input-size! p 0)))
     ;;;
     (primitive-set! 'reset-input-port!
       (case-lambda
@@ -151,9 +107,6 @@
              ($reset-input-port! p)
              (error 'reset-input-port! "~s is not an input-port" p))]))
     ;;;
-    (primitive-set! '$close-input-port
-      (lambda (p)
-        (($port-handler p) 'close-port p)))
     ;;;
     (primitive-set! 'close-input-port
       (case-lambda
@@ -163,9 +116,6 @@
              ($close-input-port p)
              (error 'close-input-port! "~s is not an input-port" p))]))
     ;;;
-    (primitive-set! '$close-output-port
-      (lambda (p)
-        (($port-handler p) 'close-port p)))
     ;;;
     (primitive-set! 'close-output-port
       (case-lambda
@@ -175,9 +125,6 @@
              ($close-output-port p)
              (error 'close-output-port "~s is not an output-port" p))]))
     ;;;
-    (primitive-set! '$flush-output-port
-      (lambda (p)
-        (($port-handler p) 'flush-output-port p)))
     ;;;
     (primitive-set! 'flush-output-port
       (case-lambda
diff --git a/src/makefile.ss b/src/makefile.ss
index 45f718b..f8b1e04 100755
--- a/src/makefile.ss
+++ b/src/makefile.ss
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@
       "ikarus.command-line.ss"
 
       "ikarus.core.ss"
+
       "ikarus.io-ports.ss"
+      "ikarus.io-primitives.unsafe.ss"
 
       "libchezio.ss"
       "libhash.ss"