diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 86fa86e..fc7a20e 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -354,7 +354,6 @@ pdfdir = @pdfdir@
 prefix = @prefix@
 program_transform_name = @program_transform_name@
 psdir = @psdir@
-runstatedir = @runstatedir@
 sbindir = @sbindir@
 sharedstatedir = @sharedstatedir@
 srcdir = @srcdir@
@@ -585,7 +584,7 @@ distdir: $(DISTFILES)
 	  ! -type d ! -perm -444 -exec $(install_sh) -c -m a+r {} {} \; \
 	|| chmod -R a+r "$(distdir)"
 dist-gzip: distdir
-	tardir=$(distdir) && $(am__tar) | GZIP=$(GZIP_ENV) gzip -c >$(distdir).tar.gz
+	tardir=$(distdir) && $(am__tar) | eval GZIP= gzip $(GZIP_ENV) -c >$(distdir).tar.gz
 	$(am__post_remove_distdir)
 
 dist-bzip2: distdir
@@ -611,7 +610,7 @@ dist-shar: distdir
 	@echo WARNING: "Support for shar distribution archives is" \
 	               "deprecated." >&2
 	@echo WARNING: "It will be removed altogether in Automake 2.0" >&2
-	shar $(distdir) | GZIP=$(GZIP_ENV) gzip -c >$(distdir).shar.gz
+	shar $(distdir) | eval GZIP= gzip $(GZIP_ENV) -c >$(distdir).shar.gz
 	$(am__post_remove_distdir)
 
 dist-zip: distdir
@@ -629,7 +628,7 @@ dist dist-all:
 distcheck: dist
 	case '$(DIST_ARCHIVES)' in \
 	*.tar.gz*) \
-	  GZIP=$(GZIP_ENV) gzip -dc $(distdir).tar.gz | $(am__untar) ;;\
+	  eval GZIP= gzip $(GZIP_ENV) -dc $(distdir).tar.gz | $(am__untar) ;;\
 	*.tar.bz2*) \
 	  bzip2 -dc $(distdir).tar.bz2 | $(am__untar) ;;\
 	*.tar.lz*) \
@@ -639,7 +638,7 @@ distcheck: dist
 	*.tar.Z*) \
 	  uncompress -c $(distdir).tar.Z | $(am__untar) ;;\
 	*.shar.gz*) \
-	  GZIP=$(GZIP_ENV) gzip -dc $(distdir).shar.gz | unshar ;;\
+	  eval GZIP= gzip $(GZIP_ENV) -dc $(distdir).shar.gz | unshar ;;\
 	*.zip*) \
 	  unzip $(distdir).zip ;;\
 	esac
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index ab7e16a..001d80a 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -784,7 +784,6 @@ infodir
 docdir
 oldincludedir
 includedir
-runstatedir
 localstatedir
 sharedstatedir
 sysconfdir
@@ -819,6 +818,7 @@ with_sysroot
 enable_libtool_lock
 enable_debug
 enable_unicode
+enable_full_liw
 enable_cxx
 enable_dynamic_module
 enable_static_module
@@ -878,7 +878,6 @@ datadir='${datarootdir}'
 sysconfdir='${prefix}/etc'
 sharedstatedir='${prefix}/com'
 localstatedir='${prefix}/var'
-runstatedir='${localstatedir}/run'
 includedir='${prefix}/include'
 oldincludedir='/usr/include'
 docdir='${datarootdir}/doc/${PACKAGE_TARNAME}'
@@ -1131,15 +1130,6 @@ do
   | -silent | --silent | --silen | --sile | --sil)
     silent=yes ;;
 
-  -runstatedir | --runstatedir | --runstatedi | --runstated \
-  | --runstate | --runstat | --runsta | --runst | --runs \
-  | --run | --ru | --r)
-    ac_prev=runstatedir ;;
-  -runstatedir=* | --runstatedir=* | --runstatedi=* | --runstated=* \
-  | --runstate=* | --runstat=* | --runsta=* | --runst=* | --runs=* \
-  | --run=* | --ru=* | --r=*)
-    runstatedir=$ac_optarg ;;
-
   -sbindir | --sbindir | --sbindi | --sbind | --sbin | --sbi | --sb)
     ac_prev=sbindir ;;
   -sbindir=* | --sbindir=* | --sbindi=* | --sbind=* | --sbin=* \
@@ -1277,7 +1267,7 @@ fi
 for ac_var in	exec_prefix prefix bindir sbindir libexecdir datarootdir \
 		datadir sysconfdir sharedstatedir localstatedir includedir \
 		oldincludedir docdir infodir htmldir dvidir pdfdir psdir \
-		libdir localedir mandir runstatedir
+		libdir localedir mandir
 do
   eval ac_val=\$$ac_var
   # Remove trailing slashes.
@@ -1430,7 +1420,6 @@ Fine tuning of the installation directories:
   --sysconfdir=DIR        read-only single-machine data [PREFIX/etc]
   --sharedstatedir=DIR    modifiable architecture-independent data [PREFIX/com]
   --localstatedir=DIR     modifiable single-machine data [PREFIX/var]
-  --runstatedir=DIR       modifiable per-process data [LOCALSTATEDIR/run]
   --libdir=DIR            object code libraries [EPREFIX/lib]
   --includedir=DIR        C header files [PREFIX/include]
   --oldincludedir=DIR     C header files for non-gcc [/usr/include]
@@ -1484,6 +1473,8 @@ Optional Features:
   --enable-unicode        Use the unicode character type as the default
                           character type. one of yes, no, yes:2, yes:4, no:2,
                           no:4 (default. yes)
+  --enable-full-liw       Use a full word as a large integer word (default.
+                          no)
   --enable-cxx            build the library for C++ if a C++ compiler is
                           available (default. yes)
   --enable-dynamic-module enable dynamic module capability(default. yes)
@@ -21139,6 +21130,22 @@ $as_echo "#define HCL_UNICODE_SIZE 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 fi
 
+# Check whether --enable-full-liw was given.
+if test "${enable_full_liw+set}" = set; then :
+  enableval=$enable_full_liw; enable_full_liw=$enableval
+else
+  enable_full_liw=no
+
+fi
+
+if test "${enable_full_liw}" = "yes"
+then
+
+$as_echo "#define HCL_ENABLE_FULL_LIW 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+fi
+
+
 # Check whether --enable-cxx was given.
 if test "${enable_cxx+set}" = set; then :
   enableval=$enable_cxx; enable_cxx_is=$enableval
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9da9bef..8c5f767 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -599,6 +599,17 @@ else
 	AC_DEFINE([HCL_UNICODE_SIZE],[1],[Unicode character type size])
 fi
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([full-liw],
+	[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-full-liw],[Use a full word as a large integer word (default. no)])],
+	enable_full_liw=$enableval,
+	enable_full_liw=no
+)
+if test "${enable_full_liw}" = "yes"
+then
+	AC_DEFINE([HCL_ENABLE_FULL_LIW],[1],[Use a full word as a large integer word])
+fi
+
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([cxx], 
 	[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-cxx],[build the library for C++ if a C++ compiler is available (default. yes)])],
 	enable_cxx_is=$enableval,
diff --git a/lib/exec.c b/lib/exec.c
index 434b999..e770cce 100644
--- a/lib/exec.c
+++ b/lib/exec.c
@@ -1000,6 +1000,10 @@ static HCL_INLINE int call_primitive (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_ooi_t nargs)
 }
 
 
+
+#if 0
+/* EXPERIMENTAL CODE INTEGRATING EXTERNAL COMMANDS */
+
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -1172,6 +1176,8 @@ oops:
 	return -1;
 }
 
+#endif
+
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 static hcl_oop_process_t start_initial_process (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_oop_context_t ctx)
 {
diff --git a/lib/hcl-cfg.h.in b/lib/hcl-cfg.h.in
index 105047d..a6b36e6 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-cfg.h.in
+++ b/lib/hcl-cfg.h.in
@@ -273,6 +273,9 @@
 /* enable dynamic module capability */
 #undef HCL_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_MODULE
 
+/* Use a full word as a large integer word */
+#undef HCL_ENABLE_FULL_LIW
+
 /* use libltdl when loading a dynamic module */
 #undef HCL_ENABLE_LIBLTDL
 
diff --git a/lib/hcl.h b/lib/hcl.h
index 201237e..1412798 100644
--- a/lib/hcl.h
+++ b/lib/hcl.h
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ typedef struct hcl_obj_word_t*     hcl_oop_word_t;
 /* =========================================================================
  * BIGINT TYPES AND MACROS
  * ========================================================================= */
-#if (HCL_SIZEOF_UINTMAX_T > HCL_SIZEOF_OOW_T)
+#if defined(HCL_ENABLE_FULL_LIW) && (HCL_SIZEOF_UINTMAX_T > HCL_SIZEOF_OOW_T)
 #	define HCL_USE_FULL_WORD
 #endif