diff --git a/scsh/syscalls.scm b/scsh/syscalls.scm
index f777671..43114bc 100644
--- a/scsh/syscalls.scm
+++ b/scsh/syscalls.scm
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
   ignore)
 
 (define (%exit . maybe-status)
-  (%exit/errno (optional-arg maybe-status 0))
+  (%exit/errno (:optional maybe-status 0))
   (error "Yikes! %exit returned."))
 
 
@@ -125,9 +125,22 @@
   (multi-rep (to-scheme pid_t errno_or_false)
              pid_t))
 
-(define-errno-syscall (%%fork) %%fork/errno
-  pid)
+;;; If the fork fails, and we are doing early zombie reaping, then reap
+;;; some zombies to try and free up a some space in the process table,
+;;; and try again.
+;;;
+;;; This ugly little hack will have to stay in until I do early
+;;; zombie reaping with SIGCHLD interrupts.
 
+(define (%%fork-with-retry/errno)
+  (receive (err pid) (%%fork/errno)
+    (cond ((and err (eq? 'early (autoreap-policy)))
+	   (reap-zombies)
+	   (%%fork/errno))
+	  (else (values err pid)))))
+
+(define-errno-syscall (%%fork) %%fork-with-retry/errno
+  pid)
 
 ;;; Posix waitpid(2) call.
 (define-foreign %wait-pid/errno (wait_pid (integer pid) (integer options))
@@ -148,7 +161,7 @@
 (define-simple-errno-syscall (%chdir dir) %chdir/errno)
 
 (define (chdir . maybe-dir)
-  (let ((dir (optional-arg maybe-dir ".")))
+  (let ((dir (:optional maybe-dir ".")))
     (%chdir (ensure-file-name-is-nondirectory dir))))
 
 
@@ -358,7 +371,7 @@
   (to-scheme integer errno_or_false))
 
 (define (create-directory path . maybe-mode)
-  (let ((mode (optional-arg maybe-mode #o777))
+  (let ((mode (:optional maybe-mode #o777))
 	(fname (ensure-file-name-is-nondirectory path)))
     (cond ((create-directory/errno fname mode) =>
            (lambda (err)
@@ -481,7 +494,7 @@
 						      (vector-ref ans-vec 13))))))))
 		
 (define (file-info fd/port/fname . maybe-chase?)
-  (let ((chase? (optional-arg maybe-chase? #t)))
+  (let ((chase? (:optional maybe-chase? #t)))
     (receive (err info) (file-info/errno fd/port/fname chase?)
       (if err (errno-error err file-info fd/port/fname chase?)
 	  info))))
@@ -585,7 +598,7 @@
 (define seek/end 2)
 
 (define (seek fd/port offset . maybe-whence)
-  (let ((whence (optional-arg maybe-whence seek/set)))
+  (let ((whence (:optional maybe-whence seek/set)))
     (receive (err cursor)  
 	((if (integer? fd/port) %fd-seek/errno %fdport-seek/errno)
 	 fd/port
@@ -622,7 +635,7 @@
    fd)
 
 (define (open-fdes path flags . maybe-mode) ; mode defaults to 0666
-  (%open path flags (optional-arg maybe-mode #o666)))
+  (%open path flags (:optional maybe-mode #o666)))
 
 
 (define-foreign pipe-fdes/errno (scheme_pipe)
@@ -837,8 +850,8 @@
   ignore)
 
 (define (directory-files . args)
-  (receive (dir dotfiles?)
-           (parse-optionals args "." #f)
+  (let-optionals args ((dir       ".")
+		       (dotfiles? #f))
     (check-arg string? dir directory-files)
     (receive (err cvec numfiles)
 	     (%open-dir (ensure-file-name-is-nondirectory dir))
@@ -850,7 +863,7 @@
 		    files))))))
 
 (define (match-files regexp . maybe-dir)
-  (let ((dir (optional-arg maybe-dir ".")))
+  (let ((dir (:optional maybe-dir ".")))
     (check-arg string? dir match-files)
     (receive (err cvec numfiles)
 	     (%open-dir (ensure-file-name-is-nondirectory dir))