diff --git a/bin/hcl.c b/bin/hcl.c
index 67f1241..65f743b 100644
--- a/bin/hcl.c
+++ b/bin/hcl.c
@@ -533,14 +533,13 @@ static int on_fed_cnode_in_interactive_mode (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_cnode_t* obj)
 
 	if (hcl_compile(hcl, obj, flags) <= -1)
 	{
-		print_error(hcl, "failed to compile");
+		/*print_error(hcl, "failed to compile"); */
 		xtn->feed.pos = xtn->feed.len; /* arrange to discard the rest of the line */
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		xtn->feed.ncompexprs++;
+		return -1; /* this causes the feed function to fail and
+		              the error hander for to print the error message */
 	}
 
+	xtn->feed.ncompexprs++;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -641,6 +640,11 @@ static int feed_loop (hcl_t* hcl, xtn_t* xtn, int verbose)
 			{
 				print_error (hcl, "failed to feed");
 				if (len > 0) show_prompt (hcl, 0);
+
+				/* clear the compiled code but not executed yet */
+				hcl_clearcode(hcl);
+				hcl_clearfnblks(hcl);
+				xtn->feed.ncompexprs = 0;
 			}
 			else
 			{
diff --git a/lib/comp.c b/lib/comp.c
index 86af99d..cb5ed3b 100644
--- a/lib/comp.c
+++ b/lib/comp.c
@@ -1242,6 +1242,12 @@ static void pop_fnblk (hcl_t* hcl)
 	}
 }
 
+void hcl_clearfnblks (hcl_t* hcl)
+{
+	while (hcl->c->fnblk.depth >= 0) pop_fnblk (hcl);
+	HCL_ASSERT (hcl, hcl->c->fnblk.depth == -1);
+}
+
 /* ========================================================================= */
 static HCL_INLINE int _insert_cframe (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_ooi_t index, int opcode, hcl_cnode_t* operand)
 {
@@ -5891,8 +5897,7 @@ int hcl_compile (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_cnode_t* obj, int flags)
 		 * in the interactive mode, the information doesn't have
 		 * to get carried over.
 		 */
-		while (hcl->c->fnblk.depth >= 0) pop_fnblk (hcl);
-		HCL_ASSERT (hcl, hcl->c->fnblk.depth == -1);
+		hcl_clearfnblks (hcl);
 		/* it will be recreated below */
 	}
 	if (flags & HCL_COMPILE_CLEAR_CODE) hcl_clearcode (hcl);
diff --git a/lib/exec.c b/lib/exec.c
index 94a20c3..5c2b23c 100644
--- a/lib/exec.c
+++ b/lib/exec.c
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ static void vm_checkbc (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_oob_t bcode)
 static HCL_INLINE hcl_oop_context_t make_context (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_ooi_t ntmprs)
 {
 	HCL_ASSERT (hcl, ntmprs >= 0);
-	//return (hcl_oop_context_t)hcl_allocoopobj(hcl, HCL_BRAND_CONTEXT, HCL_CONTEXT_NAMED_INSTVARS + (hcl_oow_t)ntmprs);
+	/*return (hcl_oop_context_t)hcl_allocoopobj(hcl, HCL_BRAND_CONTEXT, HCL_CONTEXT_NAMED_INSTVARS + (hcl_oow_t)ntmprs);*/
 	return (hcl_oop_context_t)hcl_instantiatewithtrailer(hcl, hcl->c_block_context, ntmprs, HCL_NULL, 0);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/hcl.h b/lib/hcl.h
index 4e8aa2e..a5d1e39 100644
--- a/lib/hcl.h
+++ b/lib/hcl.h
@@ -2568,6 +2568,10 @@ HCL_EXPORT void hcl_clearcode (
 	hcl_t* hcl
 );
 
+HCL_EXPORT void hcl_clearfnblks (
+	hcl_t* hcl
+);
+
 #if defined(HCL_HAVE_INLINE)
 static HCL_INLINE hcl_code_t* hcl_getcode (hcl_t* hcl) { return &hcl->code; }
 static HCL_INLINE hcl_oob_t* hcl_getbcptr (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->code.bc.ptr; }
diff --git a/lib/read.c b/lib/read.c
index a8e1bfb..9869862 100644
--- a/lib/read.c
+++ b/lib/read.c
@@ -1144,7 +1144,10 @@ static int feed_begin_include (hcl_t* hcl)
 	return 0;
 
 oops:
-	if (arg) hcl_freemem (hcl, arg);
+	if (arg)
+	{
+		hcl_freemem (hcl, arg);
+	}
 	return -1;
 }
 
@@ -3100,7 +3103,7 @@ static int feed_from_includee (hcl_t* hcl)
 				{
 					const hcl_ooch_t* orgmsg = hcl_backuperrmsg(hcl);
 					hcl_seterrbfmt (hcl, HCL_ERRNUM(hcl), "unable to read bytes from %js - %js", curinp->name, orgmsg);
-					return -1;
+					goto oops;
 				}
 
 				if (curinp->xlen <= 0)
@@ -3109,7 +3112,7 @@ static int feed_from_includee (hcl_t* hcl)
 					if (curinp->rsd.len > 0)
 					{
 						hcl_seterrbfmt (hcl, HCL_EECERR, "incomplete byte sequence in %js", curinp->name);
-						return -1;
+						goto oops;
 					}
 					feed_end_include (hcl);
 					curinp = hcl->c->curinp;
@@ -3139,7 +3142,7 @@ static int feed_from_includee (hcl_t* hcl)
 			{
 				/* TODO: more accurate location of the invalid byte sequence */
 				hcl_seterrbfmt (hcl, HCL_EECERR, "invalid byte sequence in %js", curinp->name);
-				return -1;
+				goto oops;
 			}
 			if (n > inplen) /* incomplete sequence */
 			{
@@ -3172,7 +3175,7 @@ static int feed_from_includee (hcl_t* hcl)
 					/* TODO: more accurate location of failure */
 					const hcl_ooch_t* orgmsg = hcl_backuperrmsg(hcl);
 					hcl_seterrbfmt (hcl, HCL_ERRNUM(hcl), "unable to read %js - %js", curinp->name, orgmsg);
-					return -1;
+					goto oops;
 				}
 				if (curinp->xlen <= 0)
 				{
@@ -3193,7 +3196,7 @@ static int feed_from_includee (hcl_t* hcl)
 	#endif
 
 		x = feed_char(hcl, c);
-		if (x <= -1) return -1;
+		if (x <= -1) goto oops;
 		if (x >= 1)
 		{
 			/* consumed */
@@ -3211,13 +3214,17 @@ static int feed_from_includee (hcl_t* hcl)
 			 * to include the file. the file inclusion is attempted here after the return
 			 * value of feed_char() is used to advance the hcl->c->curinp->b.pos pointer. */
 			hcl->c->feed.rd.do_include_file = 0; /* clear this regardless of inclusion result */
-			if (feed_begin_include(hcl) <= -1) return -1;
+			if (feed_begin_include(hcl) <= -1) goto oops;
 			curinp = hcl->c->curinp;
 		}
 	}
 	while (curinp != &hcl->c->cci_arg);
 
 	return 0;
+
+oops:
+	while (feed_end_include(hcl) >= 1) /* loop */; /* roll back the entire inclusion chain */
+	return -1;
 }
 
 int hcl_beginfeed (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_on_cnode_t on_cnode)
diff --git a/lib/std.c b/lib/std.c
index 967d292..9a956fb 100644
--- a/lib/std.c
+++ b/lib/std.c
@@ -3442,7 +3442,7 @@ static HCL_INLINE int read_cci_stream (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_io_cciarg_t* arg)
 		{
 			if (ferror((FILE*)bb->fp))
 			{
-				hcl_seterrnum (hcl, HCL_EIOERR);
+				hcl_seterrbfmt (hcl, HCL_EIOERR, "I/O error - %hs", strerror(errno));
 				return -1;
 			}
 			break;