diff --git a/calc.leg b/calc.leg
index e62b8aa..b3d300a 100644
--- a/calc.leg
+++ b/calc.leg
@@ -6,27 +6,13 @@
  * run:		( echo a=2*3; echo b=3+4; echo c=a*b ) | ./calc
  */
 
-#define SYMBOL_PAYLOAD			\
-    oop     value;				\
-    int     defined
-
-#define SYMBOL_INITIALISE(S)	\
-    S.value = null;				\
-    S.defined = false
-
 #include "object.c"
 
 // this is the global scope
-oop globals;
+// oop globals;
 
 // this should stay out of object.c because it manipulates Symbol members defined in this file
 
-oop update_symbol_value(oop symbol, oop integer)
-{
-    set(symbol, Symbol, value, integer);
-    return symbol;
-}
-
 oop apply(oop function, oop parameters)
 {
     return get(function, Function, primitive)(parameters);
@@ -40,7 +26,7 @@ YYSTYPE yylval;
 
 start   = - e:exp               { yylval = e }
 
-exp     =   l:IDENT                             EQUAL p:exp	{ $$ = update_symbol_value(l, p) }
+exp     =   l:IDENT                             EQUAL p:exp	{ $$ = variableSet(l, p) }
             |   l:postfix DOT   i:IDENT         EQUAL p:exp	{ $$ = map_set(l, i, p) }
             |   l:postfix LBRAC i:exp   RBRAC   EQUAL p:exp	{ $$ = map_set(l, i, p) }
             |   s:sum                                       { $$ = s }
@@ -78,7 +64,7 @@ value   =   n:NUMBER                { $$ = n }
         |   s:symbol                { $$ = s }
         |   m:map                   { $$ = m }
         |   NULL                    { $$ = null }
-        |   i:IDENT                 { $$ = get(i, Symbol, value) }
+        |   i:IDENT                 { $$ = variableGet(i) }
         |   LPAREN i:exp RPAREN     { $$ = i }
 
 string  =   SQUOTE < (!SQUOTE .)* > SQUOTE      { $$ = makeString(yytext) }
@@ -136,7 +122,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     globals = makeMap();
 
-    set(intern(globals, "exit"), Symbol, value, makeFunction(prim_exit)); // map_set(globals, intern("exit"), makeFunction(prim_exit));
+    variableSet(intern(globals, "exit"), makeFunction(prim_exit));
+    // map_set(globals, intern("exit"), makeFunction(prim_exit));
 
     while (yyparse()) {
         println(yylval);
diff --git a/object.c b/object.c
index 67c85b3..dfaf765 100644
--- a/object.c
+++ b/object.c
@@ -37,13 +37,12 @@ struct String {
 struct Symbol {
     type_t type;
     char *name;
-#if defined(SYMBOL_PAYLOAD)
-    SYMBOL_PAYLOAD;
-#endif // defined(SYMBOL_PAYLOAD)
 };
 
 typedef oop (*primitive_t)(oop params);
 
+oop globals;
+
 struct Function {
     type_t type;
     primitive_t primitive;
@@ -131,9 +130,6 @@ oop makeSymbol(char *name)
     oop newSymb = memcheck(malloc(sizeof(union object)));
     newSymb->type = Symbol;
     newSymb->Symbol.name = name;
-#if defined(SYMBOL_INITIALISE)
-    SYMBOL_INITIALISE(newSymb->Symbol);
-#endif // defined(SYMBOL_INITIALISE)
     return newSymb;
 }
 
@@ -185,6 +181,13 @@ ssize_t map_search(oop map, oop key)
     return -1 - l; // negative result => 'not found', reflected around -1 instead of 0 to allow 'not found' at index 0
 }
 
+bool map_hasKey(oop map, oop key)
+{
+    assert(is(Map, map));
+    assert(key);
+    return map_search >= 0;
+}
+
 oop map_get(oop map, oop key)
 {
     assert(is(Map, map));
@@ -257,6 +260,26 @@ oop map_append(oop map, oop value)
     return map_set(map, makeInteger(get(map, Map, size)), value);
 }
 
+bool variableIsDefined(oop aSymbol)
+{
+    assert(is(Symbol, aSymbol));
+    return map_hasKey(globals, aSymbol);
+}
+
+oop variableSet(oop aSymbol, oop value)
+{
+    assert(is(Symbol, aSymbol));
+    assert(value);
+    map_set(globals, aSymbol, value);
+    return value;
+}
+
+oop variableGet(oop aSymbol)
+{
+    assert(is(Symbol, aSymbol));
+    return map_get(globals, aSymbol);
+}
+
 void print(oop ast)
 {
     assert(ast);
@@ -271,8 +294,7 @@ void print(oop ast)
         printf("'%s'", get(ast, String, value));
         return;
     case Symbol:
-        printf("%s=", get(ast, Symbol, name));
-        print(get(ast, Symbol, value));
+        printf("%s", get(ast, Symbol, name));
         return;
     case Function:
         printf("Function@%p", get(ast, Function, primitive));