diff --git a/include/cyclone/runtime.h b/include/cyclone/runtime.h
index ed85c563..8f98be30 100644
--- a/include/cyclone/runtime.h
+++ b/include/cyclone/runtime.h
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ object Cyc_get_cvar(object var);
 object Cyc_set_cvar(object var, object value);
 object apply(void *data, object cont, object func, object args);
 void Cyc_apply(void *data, int argc, closure cont, object prim, ...);
-integer_type Cyc_string_cmp(void *data, object str1, object str2);
+object Cyc_string_cmp(void *data, object str1, object str2);
 object Cyc_string_cmp2(void *data, object str1, object str2);
 void dispatch_string_91append(void *data, int argc, object clo, object cont, object str1, ...);
 list mcons(object,object);
@@ -150,9 +150,9 @@ object Cyc_eq(object x, object y);
 object Cyc_set_car(void *, object l, object val) ;
 object Cyc_set_cdr(void *, object l, object val) ;
 integer_type Cyc_length(void *d, object l);
-integer_type Cyc_vector_length(void *data, object v);
-object Cyc_length2(void *d, object l);
+object Cyc_vector_length(void *data, object v);
 object Cyc_vector_length2(void *data, object v);
+object Cyc_length2(void *d, object l);
 object Cyc_vector_ref(void *d, object v, object k);
 object Cyc_vector_set(void *d, object v, object k, object obj);
 object Cyc_make_vector(void *data, object cont, object len, object fill);
@@ -167,16 +167,16 @@ int binstr2int(const char *str);
 int octstr2int(const char *str);
 int hexstr2int(const char *str);
 object Cyc_string_append(void *data, object cont, int argc, object str1, ...);
-integer_type Cyc_string_length(void *data, object str);
+object Cyc_string_length(void *data, object str);
 object Cyc_string_length2(void *data, object str);
 object Cyc_substring(void *data, object cont, object str, object start, object end);
 object Cyc_string_ref(void *data, object str, object k);
 object Cyc_string_set(void *data, object str, object k, object chr);
 object Cyc_installation_dir(void *data, object cont, object type);
 object Cyc_command_line_arguments(void *data, object cont);
-integer_type Cyc_system(object cmd);
+object Cyc_system(object cmd);
 object Cyc_system2(object cmd);
-integer_type Cyc_char2integer(object chr);
+object Cyc_char2integer(object chr);
 object Cyc_char2integer2(object chr);
 object Cyc_integer2char(void *data, object n);
 void Cyc_halt(closure);
diff --git a/runtime.c b/runtime.c
index 26f3a7da..be7e9c50 100644
--- a/runtime.c
+++ b/runtime.c
@@ -977,13 +977,6 @@ object Cyc_vector_ref(void *data, object v, object k) {
   return ((vector)v)->elts[idx];
 }
 
-integer_type Cyc_vector_length(void *data, object v) {
-    if (!nullp(v) && !is_value_type(v) && ((list)v)->tag == vector_tag) {
-      make_int(len, ((vector)v)->num_elt);
-      return len;
-    }
-    Cyc_rt_raise_msg(data, "vector-length - invalid parameter, expected vector\n"); }
-
 integer_type Cyc_length(void *data, object l){
     make_int(len, 0);
     while(!nullp(l)){
@@ -996,12 +989,15 @@ integer_type Cyc_length(void *data, object l){
     return len;
 }
 
-object Cyc_vector_length2(void *data, object v) {
+object Cyc_vector_length(void *data, object v) {
     if (!nullp(v) && !is_value_type(v) && ((list)v)->tag == vector_tag) {
       return obj_int2obj(((vector)v)->num_elt);
     }
     Cyc_rt_raise_msg(data, "vector-length - invalid parameter, expected vector\n"); }
 
+object Cyc_vector_length2(void *data, object v) {
+  return Cyc_vector_length(data, v); }
+
 object Cyc_length2(void *data, object l){
     int len = 0;
     while(!nullp(l)){
@@ -1157,23 +1153,16 @@ int hexstr2int(const char *str)
   return num;
 }
 
-integer_type Cyc_string_cmp(void *data, object str1, object str2) {
-  Cyc_check_str(data, str1);
-  Cyc_check_str(data, str2);
-  {
-    make_int(cmp, strcmp(((string_type *)str1)->str,
-                        ((string_type *)str2)->str));
-    return cmp;
-  }
-}
-
-object Cyc_string_cmp2(void *data, object str1, object str2) {
+object Cyc_string_cmp(void *data, object str1, object str2) {
   Cyc_check_str(data, str1);
   Cyc_check_str(data, str2);
   return obj_int2obj( strcmp(((string_type *)str1)->str,
                              ((string_type *)str2)->str) );
 }
 
+object Cyc_string_cmp2(void *data, object str1, object str2) {
+  return Cyc_string_cmp(data, str1, str2); }
+
 #define Cyc_string_append_va_list(data, argc) { \
     int i = 0, total_len = 1; \
     int *len = alloca(sizeof(int) * argc); \
@@ -1215,17 +1204,14 @@ object Cyc_string_append(void *data, object cont, int _argc, object str1, ...) {
     Cyc_string_append_va_list(data, _argc);
 }
 
-integer_type Cyc_string_length(void *data, object str) {
-  Cyc_check_obj(data, string_tag, str);
-  Cyc_check_str(data, str);
-  { make_int(len, strlen(string_str(str)));
-    return len; }}
-
-object Cyc_string_length2(void *data, object str) {
+object Cyc_string_length(void *data, object str) {
   Cyc_check_obj(data, string_tag, str);
   Cyc_check_str(data, str);
   return obj_int2obj(strlen(string_str(str))); }
 
+object Cyc_string_length2(void *data, object str) {
+  return Cyc_string_length(data, str); }
+
 object Cyc_string_set(void *data, object str, object k, object chr) {
   char *raw;
   int idx, len;
@@ -1393,31 +1379,22 @@ object Cyc_list2vector(void *data, object cont, object l) {
   return_closcall1(data, cont, v);
 }
 
-integer_type Cyc_system(object cmd) {
-  if (nullp(cmd) || is_value_type(cmd) || type_of(cmd) != string_tag) {
-    make_int(n, -1);
-    return n;
-  } else {
-    make_int(n, system(((string_type *)cmd)->str));
-    return n;
-  }
-}
-
-object Cyc_system2(object cmd) {
+object Cyc_system(object cmd) {
   if (nullp(cmd) || is_value_type(cmd) || type_of(cmd) != string_tag) {
     return obj_int2obj(-1);
   }
   return obj_int2obj(system(((string_type *)cmd)->str));
 }
 
-integer_type Cyc_char2integer(object chr){
-    make_int(n, obj_obj2char(chr));
-    return n;
+object Cyc_system2(object cmd) {
+  return Cyc_system(cmd); }
+
+object Cyc_char2integer(object chr){
+    return obj_int2obj(obj_obj2char(chr));
 }
 
 object Cyc_char2integer2(object chr){
-    return obj_int2obj(obj_obj2char(chr));
-}
+  return Cyc_char2integer(chr); }
 
 object Cyc_integer2char(void *data, object n){
     int val = 0;