diff --git a/c/main.c b/c/main.c
index f002d9b..dc5e5a4 100644
--- a/c/main.c
+++ b/c/main.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 
 
 char ** process_args(char **argv,
+                     char* prog_name,
 		     long *heap_size,
 		     long *stack_size,
 		     char **object_file,
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ main(argc, argv)
   char *me = *argv;		/* Save program name. */
   prog_name = *argv++;
 
-  argv=process_args(argv, 		
+  argv=process_args(argv, prog_name, 		
 		    &heap_size, &stack_size,
 		    &object_file, &image_name);
   for(argc=0, argp=argv; *argp; argc++, argp++); /* Recompute argc. */
diff --git a/scsh/process_args.c b/scsh/process_args.c
index 75878fe..daec9db 100644
--- a/scsh/process_args.c
+++ b/scsh/process_args.c
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
-extern char *prog_name;
-
 #define streq(a,b) (strcmp((a),(b))==0)
 
+static char* prog_name;
+
 static void usage(void) {
     fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s [meta-arg] [vm-option+] [end-option scheme-args]\n"
             "meta-arg:    \\ <script file name>\n"
@@ -18,18 +18,22 @@ static void usage(void) {
             "            -a (Terminates vm args. Obsolete.)\n",
             prog_name);}
 
-static void bad_args(int nr) {
-  fprintf(stderr, "reason : %d\n", nr);
-    usage();
-    exit(1); }
+static void bad_args(int reason) {
+  /* fprintf(stderr, "reason : %s\n", reason); */
+  usage();
+  exit(1); 
+}
 
 char ** process_args(char **argv,
+                     char * _prog_name,
                      long *pheap_size,
                      long *pstack_size,
                      char **pobject_file,
                      char **pimage_name) {
     extern char **process_meta_arg(char **);
 
+    prog_name = _prog_name;
+
     /* Handle an initial \ <fname> meta-arg expansion. */
     while ( *argv && streq(*argv, "\\") ) {
         argv++;
@@ -41,10 +45,14 @@ char ** process_args(char **argv,
             exit(1);}}
 
     for (; *argv; argv++)
-        if( argv[0][0] != '-' )
-            bad_args(1); /* die */
-        else
-            switch (argv[0][1]) {
+         if (argv[0][0] == NULL)
+           /* process_meta_arg inserts an empty argument for every space. 
+              Skip it. */
+           continue;
+         else if( argv[0][0] != '-' )
+           bad_args(1); /* die */
+         else
+           switch (argv[0][1]) {
             default:
                 bad_args(2); /* die */
                 break;
@@ -52,6 +60,7 @@ char ** process_args(char **argv,
             case 'h': /* heapsize */
                 argv++;
                 if( !*argv ) bad_args(3); /* die */
+                while (argv[0][0] == NULL)argv++; /* Skip empty arguments */
                 *pheap_size = atoi(*argv);
                 if( *pheap_size <= 0 ) bad_args(4);
                 break;
@@ -59,6 +68,7 @@ char ** process_args(char **argv,
             case 's':
                 argv++;
                 if( !*argv ) bad_args(5); /* die */
+                while (argv[0][0] == NULL) argv++; /* Skip empty arguments */
                 *pstack_size = atoi(*argv);
                 if (*pstack_size <= 0) bad_args(6);
                 break;
@@ -66,6 +76,7 @@ char ** process_args(char **argv,
             case 'o': /* object file */
                 argv++;
                 if( !*argv ) bad_args(7); /* die */
+                while (argv[0][0] == NULL)argv++; /* Skip empty arguments */
                 *pobject_file = *argv;
                 break;
 
@@ -73,6 +84,7 @@ char ** process_args(char **argv,
             case 'i':
                 argv++;
                 if( !*argv ) bad_args(8); /* die */
+                while (argv[0][0] == NULL)argv++; /* Skip empty arguments */
                 *pimage_name = *argv++;
                 return argv;