diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 98f36bef3..52e792e64 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ include util/led/build.mk
 include util/topgen/build.mk
 
 include lang/cem/build.mk
+include lang/basic/build.mk
 
 include mach/proto/as/build.mk
 include mach/proto/ncg/build.mk
diff --git a/first/core.mk b/first/core.mk
index 143748d98..f1530d4d9 100644
--- a/first/core.mk
+++ b/first/core.mk
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ define ackfile-rule
 $o: $s $(ACK) \
 		$(CCOMPILER) \
 		$(PLATFORM_$(PLATFORM)) \
-		$(EM_ENCODE)
+		$(ACK_CORE_TOOLS)
 	@echo ACK $o
 	@mkdir -p $(dir $o)
 	$(hide) ACKDIR=$(INSDIR) $(ACK) $(ACKFLAGS) $(ackflags) -m$(PLATFORM) -c -o $o $s
diff --git a/lang/basic/build.mk b/lang/basic/build.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a61c3578
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/basic/build.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+include lang/basic/lib/build.mk
+#include lang/cem/cemcom.ansi/build.mk
+#include lang/cem/libcc.ansi/build.mk
+
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/atn.c b/lang/basic/lib/atn.c
index db53b81bd..18c4dc6ef 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/atn.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/atn.c
@@ -7,62 +7,7 @@
 
 /* $Id$ */
 
-#define __NO_DEFS
 #include <math.h>
 
-double
-_atn(x)
-	double x;
-{
-	/*	Algorithm and coefficients from:
-			"Software manual for the elementary functions"
-			by W.J. Cody and W. Waite, Prentice-Hall, 1980
-	*/
+double _atn(double x) { return atan(x); }
 
-	static double p[] = {
-		-0.13688768894191926929e+2,
-		-0.20505855195861651981e+2,
-		-0.84946240351320683534e+1,
-		-0.83758299368150059274e+0
-	};
-	static double q[] = {
-		 0.41066306682575781263e+2,
-		 0.86157349597130242515e+2,
-		 0.59578436142597344465e+2,
-		 0.15024001160028576121e+2,
-		 1.0
-	};
-	static double a[] = {
-		0.0,
-		0.52359877559829887307710723554658381,	/* pi/6 */
-		M_PI_2,
-		1.04719755119659774615421446109316763	/* pi/3 */
-	};
-
-	int	neg = x < 0;
-	int	n;
-	double	g;
-
-	if (neg) {
-		x = -x;
-	}
-	if (x > 1.0) {
-		x = 1.0/x;
-		n = 2;
-	}
-	else	n = 0;
-
-	if (x > 0.26794919243112270647) {	/* 2-sqtr(3) */
-		n = n + 1;
-		x = (((0.73205080756887729353*x-0.5)-0.5)+x)/
-			(1.73205080756887729353+x);
-	}
-
-	/* ??? avoid underflow ??? */
-
-	g = x * x;
-	x += x * g * POLYNOM3(g, p) / POLYNOM4(g, q);
-	if (n > 1) x = -x;
-	x += a[n];
-	return neg ? -x : x;
-}
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/build.mk b/lang/basic/lib/build.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9f54a4b4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/build.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+define build-runtime-libbasic-impl
+
+$(call reset)
+$(eval objdir := $(PLATFORM))
+
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/fif.e)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/fef.e)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/setline.e)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/abs.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/asc.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/asrt.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/atn.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/chr.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/conversion.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/error.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/exp.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/file.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/hlt.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/io.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/log.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/mki.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/oct.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/peek.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/power.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/print.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/random.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/read.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/return.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/salloc.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/sgn.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/sin.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/sqt.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/stop.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/string.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/swap.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/trace.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/trap.c)
+$(call ackfile, lang/basic/lib/write.c)
+
+$(call acklibrary, $(LIBDIR)/$(PLATFORM)/libbasic.a)
+$(call installto, $(PLATIND)/$(PLATFORM)/libbasic.a)
+
+endef
+
+build-runtime-libbasic = $(eval $(build-runtime-libbasic-impl))
+
+$(eval RUNTIMES += libbasic)
+
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/error.c b/lang/basic/lib/error.c
index 6d8f9aa3c..b2d893adc 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/error.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/error.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-/* $Id$ */
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 
 /* error takes an error value in the range of 0-255 */
 /* and generates a trap */
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/exp.c b/lang/basic/lib/exp.c
index 32cb9eff9..c16344e56 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/exp.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/exp.c
@@ -10,88 +10,7 @@
 #define __NO_DEFS
 #include <math.h>
 
-static double
-ldexp(fl,exp)
-	double fl;
-	int exp;
+double _exp(double x)
 {
-	extern double _fef();
-	int sign = 1;
-	int currexp;
-
-	if (fl<0) {
-		fl = -fl;
-		sign = -1;
-	}
-	fl = _fef(fl,&currexp);
-	exp += currexp;
-	if (exp > 0) {
-		while (exp>30) {
-			fl *= (double) (1L << 30);
-			exp -= 30;
-		}
-		fl *= (double) (1L << exp);
-	}
-	else	{
-		while (exp<-30) {
-			fl /= (double) (1L << 30);
-			exp += 30;
-		}
-		fl /= (double) (1L << -exp);
-	}
-	return sign * fl;
-}
-
-double
-_exp(x)
-	double	x;
-{
-	/*	Algorithm and coefficients from:
-			"Software manual for the elementary functions"
-			by W.J. Cody and W. Waite, Prentice-Hall, 1980
-	*/
-
-	static double p[] = {
-	        0.25000000000000000000e+0,
-	        0.75753180159422776666e-2,
-		0.31555192765684646356e-4
-	};
-
-	static double q[] = {
-	        0.50000000000000000000e+0,
-	        0.56817302698551221787e-1,
-	        0.63121894374398503557e-3,
-		0.75104028399870046114e-6
-	};
-	double	xn, g;
-	int	n;
-	int	negative = x < 0;
-
-	if (x <= M_LN_MIN_D) {
-		return M_MIN_D;
-	}
-	if (x >= M_LN_MAX_D) {
-		if (x > M_LN_MAX_D) error(3);
-		return M_MAX_D;
-	}
-	if (negative) x = -x;
-
-	/* ??? avoid underflow ??? */
-
-	n = x * M_LOG2E + 0.5;	/* 1/ln(2) = log2(e), 0.5 added for rounding */
-	xn = n;
-	{
-		double	x1 = (long) x;
-		double	x2 = x - x1;
-
-		g = ((x1-xn*0.693359375)+x2) - xn*(-2.1219444005469058277e-4);
-	}
-	if (negative) {
-		g = -g;
-		n = -n;
-	}
-	xn = g * g;
-	x = g * POLYNOM2(xn, p);
-	n += 1;
-	return (ldexp(0.5 + x/(POLYNOM3(xn, q) - x), n));
+	return exp(x);
 }
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/hlt.c b/lang/basic/lib/hlt.c
index 3ba8a681f..20f4d5276 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/hlt.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/hlt.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $Id$ */
+#include <stdlib.h>
 
 _hlt(nr)
 int nr;
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/io.c b/lang/basic/lib/io.c
index b7343e278..e0d7581f0 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/io.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/io.c
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 #include "bc_io.h"
-#include <sgtty.h>
 
-/* $Id$ */
-
-struct sgttyb _ttydef;
+/* dtrg --- this originally used sgtty.h to do clever tty manipulation.
+ * Strictly this should be converted to use termios, but for simplicity
+ * we're going to stick with plain stdio for now. */
 
 /* BASIC has some nasty io characteristics */
 
@@ -65,9 +64,6 @@ char *buf;
 	if( _chann == -1)
 	{
 		pos= _pos;
-		gtty(0,_ttydef);
-		_ttydef.sg_flags &= ~ECHO;
-		stty(0,_ttydef);
 	}else pos= _fdtable[_chann].pos;
 	c= buf;
 	while( (holder = fgetc(_chanrd)) != EOF && holder != '\n'){
@@ -79,8 +75,6 @@ char *buf;
 	if( _chann== -1) 
 	{
 		_pos=pos;
-		_ttydef.sg_flags |= ECHO;
-		stty(0,_ttydef);
 	} else _fdtable[_chann].pos= pos;
 }
 _tab(x)
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/log.c b/lang/basic/lib/log.c
index 06833cd0a..e194f51d7 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/log.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/log.c
@@ -10,48 +10,7 @@
 #define __NO_DEFS
 #include <math.h>
 
-double
-_log(x)
-	double x;
+double _log(double x)
 {
-	/*	Algorithm and coefficients from:
-			"Software manual for the elementary functions"
-			by W.J. Cody and W. Waite, Prentice-Hall, 1980
-	*/
-	static double a[] = {
-		-0.64124943423745581147e2,
-		 0.16383943563021534222e2,
-		-0.78956112887491257267e0
-	};
-	static double b[] = {
-		-0.76949932108494879777e3,
-		 0.31203222091924532844e3,
-		-0.35667977739034646171e2,
-		 1.0
-	};
-
-	extern double _fef();
-	double	znum, zden, z, w;
-	int	exponent;
-
-	if (x <= 0) {
-		error(3);
-		return -HUGE;
-	}
-
-	x = _fef(x, &exponent);
-	if (x > M_1_SQRT2) {
-		znum = (x - 0.5) - 0.5;
-		zden = x * 0.5 + 0.5;
-	}
-	else {
-		znum = x - 0.5;
-		zden = znum * 0.5 + 0.5;
-		exponent--;
-	}
-	z = znum/zden; w = z * z;
-	x = z + z * w * (POLYNOM2(w,a)/POLYNOM3(w,b));
-	z = exponent;
-	x += z * (-2.121944400546905827679e-4);
-	return x + z * 0.693359375;
+	return log(x);
 }
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/oct.c b/lang/basic/lib/oct.c
index 29a9040c3..ea73bc11d 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/oct.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/oct.c
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include "bc_string.h"
 
 /* $Id$ */
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/power.c b/lang/basic/lib/power.c
index 517262342..4a33806cd 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/power.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/power.c
@@ -1,32 +1,4 @@
-/* $Id$ */
+#include <math.h>
 
-/*
-	computes a^b.
-	uses log and exp
-*/
+double _power(double x, double y) { return pow(x, y); }
 
-double _log(), _exp();
-
-double
-_power(base,pownr)
-double pownr, base;
-{
-	double temp;
-	long l;
-
-	if(pownr <= 0.0) {
-		if(pownr == 0.0) {
-			if(base <= 0.0)
-				error(3);
-			return(0.0);
-		}
-		l = base;
-		if(l != base)
-			error(3);
-		temp = _exp(base * _log(-pownr));
-		if(l & 1)
-			temp = -temp;
-		return(temp);
-	}
-	return(_exp(base * _log(pownr)));
-}
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/print.c b/lang/basic/lib/print.c
index 4ed9806bf..a4bdebfc1 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/print.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/print.c
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include "bc_string.h"
 #include "bc_io.h"
 
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/random.c b/lang/basic/lib/random.c
index 3707d1e70..17340eddb 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/random.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/random.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-/* $Id$ */
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 
 #if !defined(EM_WSIZE)
 #define EM_WSIZE _EM_WSIZE
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/salloc.c b/lang/basic/lib/salloc.c
index c8e36b372..ef221a273 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/salloc.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/salloc.c
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-/* $Id$ */
-
-extern char *malloc() ;
+#include <stdlib.h>
 
 char * salloc(length)
 unsigned length;
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/sin.c b/lang/basic/lib/sin.c
index b6c3daab6..6503d92e6 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/sin.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/sin.c
@@ -10,96 +10,7 @@
 #define __NO_DEFS
 #include <math.h>
 
-static double
-sinus(x, cos_flag)
-	double x;
-{
-	/*	Algorithm and coefficients from:
-			"Software manual for the elementary functions"
-			by W.J. Cody and W. Waite, Prentice-Hall, 1980
-	*/
+double _sin(double x) { return sin(x); }
+double _cos(double x) { return cos(x); }
+double _tan(double x) { return tan(x); }
 
-	static double r[] = {
-		-0.16666666666666665052e+0,
-		 0.83333333333331650314e-2,
-		-0.19841269841201840457e-3,
-		 0.27557319210152756119e-5,
-		-0.25052106798274584544e-7,
-		 0.16058936490371589114e-9,
-		-0.76429178068910467734e-12,
-		 0.27204790957888846175e-14
-	};
-
-	double	xsqr;
-	double	y;
-	int	neg = 0;
-
-	if (x < 0) {
-		x = -x;
-		neg = 1;
-	}
-	if (cos_flag) {
-		neg = 0;
-		y = M_PI_2 + x;
-	}
-	else	y = x;
-
-	/* ??? avoid loss of significance, if y is too large, error ??? */
-
-	y = y * M_1_PI + 0.5;
-
-	/*	Use extended precision to calculate reduced argument.
-		Here we used 12 bits of the mantissa for a1.
-		Also split x in integer part x1 and fraction part x2.
-	*/
-#define A1 3.1416015625
-#define A2 -8.908910206761537356617e-6
-	{
-		double x1, x2;
-		extern double	_fif();
-
-		_fif(y, 1.0,  &y);
-		if (_fif(y, 0.5, &x1)) neg = !neg;
-		if (cos_flag) y -= 0.5;
-		x2 = _fif(x, 1.0, &x1);
-		x = x1 - y * A1;
-		x += x2;
-		x -= y * A2;
-#undef A1
-#undef A2
-	}
-
-	if (x < 0) {
-		neg = !neg;
-		x = -x;
-	}
-
-	/* ??? avoid underflow ??? */
-
-	y = x * x;
-	x += x * y * POLYNOM7(y, r);
-	return neg ? -x : x;
-}
-
-double
-_sin(x)
-	double x;
-{
-	return sinus(x, 0);
-}
-
-double
-_cos(x)
-	double x;
-{
-	if (x < 0) x = -x;
-	return sinus(x, 1);
-}
-
-/* EXTENSION */
-double
-_tan(x)
-	double x;
-{
-	return _sin(x)/_cos(x);
-}
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/sqt.c b/lang/basic/lib/sqt.c
index dbc9fa7a3..b71483ef7 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/sqt.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/sqt.c
@@ -10,62 +10,5 @@
 #define __NO_DEFS
 #include <math.h>
 
-#define NITER	5
+double _sqt(double x) { return sqrt(x); }
 
-static double
-ldexp(fl,exp)
-	double fl;
-	int exp;
-{
-	extern double _fef();
-	int sign = 1;
-	int currexp;
-
-	if (fl<0) {
-		fl = -fl;
-		sign = -1;
-	}
-	fl = _fef(fl,&currexp);
-	exp += currexp;
-	if (exp > 0) {
-		while (exp>30) {
-			fl *= (double) (1L << 30);
-			exp -= 30;
-		}
-		fl *= (double) (1L << exp);
-	}
-	else	{
-		while (exp<-30) {
-			fl /= (double) (1L << 30);
-			exp += 30;
-		}
-		fl /= (double) (1L << -exp);
-	}
-	return sign * fl;
-}
-
-double
-_sqt(x)
-	double x;
-{
-	extern double _fef();
-	int exponent;
-	double val;
-
-	if (x <= 0) {
-		if (x < 0) error(3);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	val = _fef(x, &exponent);
-	if (exponent & 1) {
-		exponent--;
-		val *= 2;
-	}
-	val = ldexp(val + 1.0, exponent/2 - 1);
-	/* was: val = (val + 1.0)/2.0; val = ldexp(val, exponent/2); */
-	for (exponent = NITER - 1; exponent >= 0; exponent--) {
-		val = (val + x / val) / 2.0;
-	}
-	return val;
-}
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/stop.c b/lang/basic/lib/stop.c
index 571562a89..8ef27cabf 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/stop.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/stop.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-/* $Id$ */
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 
 _stop()
 {
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/string.c b/lang/basic/lib/string.c
index bc8485991..4ccc69191 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/string.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/string.c
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include "bc_string.h"
 
 /* $Id$ */
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/trap.c b/lang/basic/lib/trap.c
index 6079686d0..4bcf742ee 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/trap.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/trap.c
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <setjmp.h>
 
diff --git a/plat/build.mk b/plat/build.mk
index 3f8994fc9..89acb8c2e 100644
--- a/plat/build.mk
+++ b/plat/build.mk
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ define build-platform-impl
 	$(eval q := $D/descr)
 	$(call installto, $(PLATIND)/descr/$(PLATFORM))
 
+	$(foreach f, $(platform-headers), $(call build-platform-headers, $f))
+
 	$(eval PLATFORM_$(PLATFORM) := \
 			$(PLATIND)/descr/$(PLATFORM) \
 			$(PLATFORM_HEADERS_$(PLATFORM)) \
@@ -18,8 +20,6 @@ define build-platform-impl
 			$(PLATDEP)/$(PLATFORM)/ncg \
 			$(ARCHITECTURE_$(ARCH)))
 
-	$(foreach f, $(platform-headers), $(call build-platform-headers, $f))
-
 	# libsys
 
 	$(call reset)
diff --git a/util/arch/build.mk b/util/arch/build.mk
index b70893f41..4d283f881 100644
--- a/util/arch/build.mk
+++ b/util/arch/build.mk
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ define build-aal-impl
 	$(call cprogram, $(BINDIR)/aal)
 	$(call installto, $(INSDIR)/bin/aal)
 	$(eval AAL := $o)
+	$(eval ACK_CORE_TOOLS += $o)
 
 	$(call reset)
 	$(eval q := $D/aal.1)
diff --git a/util/misc/build.mk b/util/misc/build.mk
index 52367113c..dfa8ac7c1 100644
--- a/util/misc/build.mk
+++ b/util/misc/build.mk
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ define build-misc-impl
 	$(call cprogram, $(BINDIR)/em_encode)
 	$(call installto, $(PLATDEP)/em_encode)
 	$(eval EM_ENCODE := $o)
+	$(eval ACK_CORE_TOOLS += $o)
 
 	$(call reset)
 	$(eval objdir := decode)
diff --git a/util/opt/build.mk b/util/opt/build.mk
index bb3c464a6..9928d40cf 100644
--- a/util/opt/build.mk
+++ b/util/opt/build.mk
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ $(eval $q: $(INCDIR)/em_spec.h)
 $(call cprogram, $(BINDIR)/em_opt)
 $(call installto, $(PLATDEP)/em_opt)
 $(eval EM_OPT := $o)
+$(eval ACK_CORE_TOOLS += $o)
 
 $(call reset)
 $(eval q := $D/em_opt.6)