diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 297bc15..4688cf0 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ all: dest
 dest:
 	@ mkdir -p bin
 run: all bin/modal
-	@ bin/modal examples/hello.modal 2> /dev/null
+	@ bin/modal examples/hello.modal
 test: bin/modal-debug bin/modal
 	@ bin/modal -v
 	@ bin/modal-debug examples/test.modal "(arg1) (arg2 (arg3))"
-	@ time bin/modal examples/test.modal "(arg1) (arg2 (arg3))"
+	@ time bin/modal examples/test.modal 2> /dev/null
 install: bin/modal
 	cp bin/modal ~/bin/
 uninstall:
diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index 560d51a..73f7656 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -35,13 +35,14 @@ plode(char *s)
 {
 	int i, depth = 0;
 	char c, *ss;
-	if(s[0] == '(') { /* implode */
+	/* implode */
+	if(s[0] == '(') {
 		ss = walk(s);
-		while(s < ss) {
-			c = *(s++);
+		while(s < ss && (c = *(s++)))
 			if(!spacer(c)) *outp_++ = c;
-		}
-	} else { /* explode */
+	}
+	/* explode */
+	else {
 		while((c = *s++) && !spacer(c))
 			*outp_++ = c, *outp_++ = ' ', *outp_++ = '(', depth++;
 		for(i = 0; i < depth; i++)