diff --git a/cgen.scm b/cgen.scm
index 1f168339..47c3357e 100644
--- a/cgen.scm
+++ b/cgen.scm
@@ -445,6 +445,7 @@
      ((eq? p 'peek-char)             "Cyc_io_peek_char")
      ((eq? p 'Cyc-display)           "Cyc_display_va")
      ((eq? p 'Cyc-write)             "Cyc_write_va")
+     ((eq? p 'Cyc-write-char)        "Cyc_write_char")
      ((eq? p 'car)           "car")
      ((eq? p 'cdr)           "cdr")
      ((eq? p 'caar)          "caar")
diff --git a/eval.scm b/eval.scm
index 4235beb2..df70d0e6 100644
--- a/eval.scm
+++ b/eval.scm
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@
       (list 'close-input-port close-input-port)
       (list 'read-char read-char)
       (list 'peek-char peek-char)
+      (list 'Cyc-write-char Cyc-write-char)
       (list 'Cyc-write Cyc-write)
       (list 'Cyc-display Cyc-display)))
 
diff --git a/runtime.c b/runtime.c
index ab98e108..63a1bcae 100644
--- a/runtime.c
+++ b/runtime.c
@@ -483,6 +483,16 @@ object Cyc_write(object x, FILE *port)
  fprintf(port, "\n");
  return y;}
 
+object Cyc_write_char(object c, object port) 
+{
+  if (obj_is_char(c)) {
+    fprintf(((port_type *)port)->fp, "%c", obj_obj2char(c)); return c;
+  } else {
+    Cyc_rt_raise2("Argument is not a character", c);
+  }
+  return c;
+}
+
 /* Some of these non-consing functions have been optimized from CPS. */
 
 // TODO: should not be a predicate, may end up moving these to Scheme code
@@ -1258,6 +1268,8 @@ void _read_91char(object cont, object args) {
     return_funcall1(cont, Cyc_io_read_char(car(args)));}
 void _peek_91char(object cont, object args) {  
     return_funcall1(cont, Cyc_io_peek_char(car(args)));}
+void _Cyc_91write_91char(object cont, object args) {  
+    return_funcall1(cont, Cyc_write_char(car(args), cadr(args)));}
 void _Cyc_91write(object cont, object args) {  
     integer_type argc = Cyc_length(args);
     dispatch(argc.value, (function_type)dispatch_write_va, cont, cont, args); }
@@ -1948,6 +1960,7 @@ static primitive_type close_91input_91port_primitive = {primitive_tag, "close-in
 static primitive_type read_91char_primitive = {primitive_tag, "read-char", &_read_91char};
 static primitive_type peek_91char_primitive = {primitive_tag, "peek-char", &_peek_91char};
 static primitive_type Cyc_91write_primitive = {primitive_tag, "Cyc-write", &_Cyc_91write};
+static primitive_type Cyc_91write_91char_primitive = {primitive_tag, "Cyc-write-char", &_Cyc_91write_91char};
 static primitive_type Cyc_91display_primitive = {primitive_tag, "Cyc-display", &_display};
 static primitive_type call_95cc_primitive = {primitive_tag, "call/cc", &_call_95cc};
 
@@ -2050,6 +2063,7 @@ const object primitive_open_91input_91file = &open_91input_91file_primitive;
 const object primitive_close_91input_91port = &close_91input_91port_primitive;
 const object primitive_read_91char = &read_91char_primitive;
 const object primitive_peek_91char = &peek_91char_primitive;
+const object primitive_Cyc_91write_91char = &Cyc_91write_91char_primitive;
 const object primitive_Cyc_91write = &Cyc_91write_primitive;
 const object primitive_Cyc_91display = &Cyc_91display_primitive;
 const object primitive_call_95cc = &call_95cc_primitive;
diff --git a/runtime.h b/runtime.h
index c2aff99b..21a92634 100644
--- a/runtime.h
+++ b/runtime.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ object Cyc_display(object, FILE *port);
 object dispatch_display_va(int argc, object clo, object cont, object x, ...);
 object Cyc_display_va(int argc, object x, ...);
 object Cyc_display_va_list(int argc, object x, va_list ap);
+object Cyc_write_char(object c, object port); 
 object Cyc_write(object, FILE *port);
 object dispatch_write_va(int argc, object clo, object cont, object x, ...);
 object Cyc_write_va(int argc, object x, ...);
@@ -324,6 +325,7 @@ extern const object primitive_open_91input_91file;
 extern const object primitive_close_91input_91port;
 extern const object primitive_read_91char;
 extern const object primitive_peek_91char;
+extern const object primitive_Cyc_91write_91char;
 extern const object primitive_Cyc_91write;
 extern const object primitive_Cyc_91display;
 extern const object primitive_call_95cc;
diff --git a/scheme/base.sld b/scheme/base.sld
index 803e23cf..c3266854 100644
--- a/scheme/base.sld
+++ b/scheme/base.sld
@@ -119,11 +119,12 @@
       (if (null? lst)
         end
         (func (car lst) (foldr func end (cdr lst)))))
-    (define (newline) (display "\n"))
     (define (write-char char . port)
       (if (null? port)
         (Cyc-write-char char (current-output-port))
         (Cyc-write-char char (car port))))
+    (define (newline . port) 
+      (apply write-char (cons #\newline port)))
     (define (not x) (if x #f #t))
     (define (list? o)
       (define (_list? obj)
diff --git a/transforms.scm b/transforms.scm
index 07acf597..5c5c3d23 100644
--- a/transforms.scm
+++ b/transforms.scm
@@ -555,6 +555,7 @@
      close-input-port
      read-char
      peek-char
+     Cyc-write-char
      Cyc-write
      Cyc-display))