diff --git a/cgen.scm b/cgen.scm
index 8269e1b3..90866e9d 100644
--- a/cgen.scm
+++ b/cgen.scm
@@ -423,6 +423,7 @@
      ((eq? p 'Cyc-set-cvar!)         "Cyc_set_cvar")
      ((eq? p 'Cyc-cvar?)             "Cyc_is_cvar")
      ((eq? p 'Cyc-has-cycle?)        "Cyc_has_cycle")
+     ((eq? p 'Cyc-stdout)            "Cyc_stdout")
      ((eq? p '+)                     "Cyc_sum")
      ((eq? p '-)                     "Cyc_sub")
      ((eq? p '*)                     "Cyc_mul")
@@ -526,6 +527,7 @@
 ;; EG: int v = prim();
 (define (prim/c-var-assign p)
   (cond
+    ((eq? p 'Cyc-stdout) "port_type")
     ((eq? p 'current-input-port) "port_type")
     ((eq? p 'open-input-file) "port_type")
     ((eq? p 'length) "integer_type")
@@ -550,6 +552,7 @@
 (define (prim/cvar? exp)
     (and (prim? exp)
          (member exp '(
+             Cyc-stdout
              current-input-port open-input-file
              char->integer system string->number 
              string-append string-cmp list->string string->list
diff --git a/runtime-main.h b/runtime-main.h
index b0ba5a45..ce360427 100644
--- a/runtime-main.h
+++ b/runtime-main.h
@@ -48,11 +48,8 @@ static void main_main (stack_size,heap_size,stack_base)
  /* Do initializations of Lisp objects and rewrite rules.
  quote_list_f = mlist1(boolean_f); quote_list_t = mlist1(boolean_t); */
 
- /* Make temporary short names for certain atoms. */
  {
 
-  /* Define the rules, but only those that are actually referenced. */
-
   /* Create closure for the test function. */
   mclosure0(run_test,&c_entry_pt);
   gc_cont = &run_test;
diff --git a/runtime.c b/runtime.c
index a2b8ec41..0adcdc46 100644
--- a/runtime.c
+++ b/runtime.c
@@ -955,6 +955,11 @@ common_type Cyc_num_op_va_list(int argc, common_type (fn_op(object, object)), ob
 
 /* I/O functions */
 
+port_type Cyc_stdout() {
+  make_port(_stdout, stdout, 0);
+  return _stdout;
+}
+
 port_type Cyc_io_current_input_port() {
     make_port(p, stdin, 0);
     return p;
diff --git a/runtime.h b/runtime.h
index 0ccc695f..a76240c6 100644
--- a/runtime.h
+++ b/runtime.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ extern object Cyc_global_variables;
 object Cyc_get_global_variables();
 object Cyc_get_cvar(object var);
 object Cyc_set_cvar(object var, object value);
+port_type Cyc_stdout(void);
 object apply(object cont, object func, object args);
 void Cyc_apply(int argc, closure cont, object prim, ...);
 integer_type Cyc_string_cmp(object str1, object str2);
diff --git a/test.scm b/test.scm
index 7de7ba0d..373ab700 100644
--- a/test.scm
+++ b/test.scm
@@ -24,3 +24,4 @@
   (lambda () (values 1 1))
   (lambda (a) (write a)))
 
+(write (Cyc-stdout))
diff --git a/trans.scm b/trans.scm
index 7e403e50..8957e785 100644
--- a/trans.scm
+++ b/trans.scm
@@ -484,6 +484,7 @@
      Cyc-set-cvar!
      Cyc-cvar? ;; Cyclone-specific
      Cyc-has-cycle?
+     Cyc-stdout
      +
      -
      *
@@ -570,6 +571,7 @@
                   Cyc-get-cvar
                   Cyc-set-cvar!
                   Cyc-cvar?
+                  Cyc-stdout
                   apply
                   %halt
                   exit