diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index 2d06a3d2..8f69bf56 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -2130,6 +2130,8 @@ void sexp_set_parameter (sexp ctx, sexp env, sexp name, sexp value) {
       sexp_opcode_data(param) = sexp_cons(ctx, name, value);
     else
       sexp_cdr(sexp_opcode_data(param)) = value;
+  } else {
+    sexp_warn(ctx, "can't set non-parameter: ", name);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index ef45f02f..53675a60 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ static void repl (sexp ctx, sexp env) {
   out = sexp_param_ref(ctx, env, sexp_global(ctx, SEXP_G_CUR_OUT_SYMBOL));
   err = sexp_param_ref(ctx, env, sexp_global(ctx, SEXP_G_CUR_ERR_SYMBOL));
   if (!(sexp_iportp(in) && sexp_oportp(out) && sexp_oportp(err))) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "No standing I/O ports found, aborting.  Maybe a bad -x language?\n");
+    fprintf(stderr, "No standard I/O ports found, aborting.  Maybe a bad -x language?\n");
     exit_failure();
   }
   sexp_port_sourcep(in) = 1;
@@ -370,8 +370,8 @@ void run_main (int argc, char **argv) {
       tmp = check_exception(ctx, sexp_eval_string(ctx, impmod, -1, (c=='x' ? sexp_global(ctx, SEXP_G_META_ENV) : env)));
       free(impmod);
       if (c == 'x') {
+        sexp_set_parameter(ctx, env, sexp_global(ctx, SEXP_G_INTERACTION_ENV_SYMBOL), tmp);
         sexp_context_env(ctx) = env = tmp;
-        sexp_set_parameter(ctx, env, sexp_global(ctx, SEXP_G_INTERACTION_ENV_SYMBOL), env);
       }
 #endif
       break;
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ void run_main (int argc, char **argv) {
         args = sexp_cons(ctx, tmp=sexp_c_string(ctx,argv[j],-1), args);
     if (i >= argc || no_script)
       args = sexp_cons(ctx, tmp=sexp_c_string(ctx,argv[0],-1), args);
-    sexp_set_parameter(ctx, env, sym=sexp_intern(ctx, sexp_argv_symbol, -1), args);
+    sexp_set_parameter(ctx, sexp_global(ctx, SEXP_G_META_ENV), sym=sexp_intern(ctx, sexp_argv_symbol, -1), args);
     if (i >= argc && main_symbol == NULL) {
       /* no script or main, run interactively */
       repl(ctx, env);