diff --git a/basic/.args.mal b/basic/.args.mal
index ff9a4f61..db54c0e9 100644
--- a/basic/.args.mal
+++ b/basic/.args.mal
@@ -1 +1 @@
-(list )
+(def! -*ARGS*- (list ))
diff --git a/basic/run b/basic/run
index df853cbc..fac3d8c5 100755
--- a/basic/run
+++ b/basic/run
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 cd $(dirname $0)
-(echo "(list $(for a in "${@}"; do echo -n "\"${a}\""; done))") > .args.mal
+(echo "(def! -*ARGS*- (list $(for a in "${@}"; do echo -n " \"${a}\""; done)))") > .args.mal
 case ${basic_MODE:-cbm} in
     cbm)    exec cbmbasic ${STEP:-stepA_mal}.bas "${@}" ;;
     qbasic) exec ./${STEP:-stepA_mal} "${@}" ;;
diff --git a/basic/step6_file.in.bas b/basic/step6_file.in.bas
index 5d894d3c..a5c28db0 100755
--- a/basic/step6_file.in.bas
+++ b/basic/step6_file.in.bas
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ MAIN:
   GOSUB RE:AY=R:GOSUB RELEASE
 
   REM load the args file
-  A$="(def! -*ARGS*- (load-file "+CHR$(34)+".args.mal"+CHR$(34)+"))"
+  A$="(load-file "+CHR$(34)+".args.mal"+CHR$(34)+")"
   GOSUB RE:AY=R:GOSUB RELEASE
 
   IF ER>-2 THEN GOSUB PRINT_ERROR:END
diff --git a/basic/step7_quote.in.bas b/basic/step7_quote.in.bas
index 75b91cc3..86689a13 100755
--- a/basic/step7_quote.in.bas
+++ b/basic/step7_quote.in.bas
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ MAIN:
   GOSUB RE:AY=R:GOSUB RELEASE
 
   REM load the args file
-  A$="(def! -*ARGS*- (load-file "+CHR$(34)+".args.mal"+CHR$(34)+"))"
+  A$="(load-file "+CHR$(34)+".args.mal"+CHR$(34)+")"
   GOSUB RE:AY=R:GOSUB RELEASE
 
   IF ER>-2 THEN GOSUB PRINT_ERROR:END
diff --git a/basic/step8_macros.in.bas b/basic/step8_macros.in.bas
index 09397a18..ed1733d0 100755
--- a/basic/step8_macros.in.bas
+++ b/basic/step8_macros.in.bas
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ MAIN:
   GOSUB RE:AY=R:GOSUB RELEASE
 
   REM load the args file
-  A$="(def! -*ARGS*- (load-file "+CHR$(34)+".args.mal"+CHR$(34)+"))"
+  A$="(load-file "+CHR$(34)+".args.mal"+CHR$(34)+")"
   GOSUB RE:AY=R:GOSUB RELEASE
 
   IF ER>-2 THEN GOSUB PRINT_ERROR:END
diff --git a/basic/step9_try.in.bas b/basic/step9_try.in.bas
index d5e76c3c..25a22c9b 100755
--- a/basic/step9_try.in.bas
+++ b/basic/step9_try.in.bas
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ MAIN:
   GOSUB RE:AY=R:GOSUB RELEASE
 
   REM load the args file
-  A$="(def! -*ARGS*- (load-file "+CHR$(34)+".args.mal"+CHR$(34)+"))"
+  A$="(load-file "+CHR$(34)+".args.mal"+CHR$(34)+")"
   GOSUB RE:AY=R:GOSUB RELEASE
 
   IF ER>-2 THEN GOSUB PRINT_ERROR:END
diff --git a/basic/stepA_mal.in.bas b/basic/stepA_mal.in.bas
index bfbef857..132957d4 100755
--- a/basic/stepA_mal.in.bas
+++ b/basic/stepA_mal.in.bas
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ MAIN:
   GOSUB RE:AY=R:GOSUB RELEASE
 
   REM load the args file
-  A$="(def! -*ARGS*- (load-file "+CHR$(34)+".args.mal"+CHR$(34)+"))"
+  A$="(load-file "+CHR$(34)+".args.mal"+CHR$(34)+")"
   GOSUB RE:AY=R:GOSUB RELEASE
 
   IF ER>-2 THEN GOSUB PRINT_ERROR:END