diff --git a/startup.4th b/startup.4th
index e1a779a..e2d8d4a 100644
--- a/startup.4th
+++ b/startup.4th
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ DEFER QUIT ( -- <noreturn> )
 \ Non-standard system error codes (-4095 ... -256)
 -256 CONSTANT EXCP-HEAP-OVERFLOW
 
+\ THROWN-STRING holds the address and size of the string passed to FAIL
+\ It may also be used to hold context strings for other system exception codes
+CREATE THROWN-STRING 0 , 0 ,
+
 \ This is called by THROW when n is nonzero
 \ The initial value (DEFAULT-UNWIND) performs the function of ABORT
 \ CATCH saves and restores the current target and substitutes its own version
@@ -52,23 +56,24 @@ DEFER THROW-UNWIND ( k*x n -- i*x <noreturn> )
 \ If there is no CATCH, perform the function of ABORT (clear data stack and QUIT)
 \ Absent CATCH, whether a message is displayed depends on the value of n:
 \   -1 (ABORT) no message
-\   -2 (FAIL) the string passed to FAIL
+\   -2 (FAIL) the string passed to THROW-STRING
 \   otherwise message is implementation-dependent
-: THROW ( k*x n -- k*x | i*x n <noreturn> )
+: THROW-STRING ( k*x n c-addr u -- k*x | i*x n <noreturn> )
+   THROWN-STRING 2!
    ?DUP IF THROW-UNWIND THEN ;
 
+\ Same but without the string (default to zero-length)
+: THROW ( k*x n c-addr u -- k*x | i*x n <noreturn> )
+   0 0 THROW-STRING ;
+
 \ By default, clear the data stack and QUIT without any message
 \ This behavior can be overridden with CATCH
 : ABORT ( i*x -- ) ( R: j*x -- ) EXCP-ABORT THROW ;
 
-\ THROWN-STRING holds the address and size of the string passed to FAIL
-\ It may also be used to hold context strings for other system exception codes
-CREATE THROWN-STRING 0 , 0 ,
-
 \ Display a message and ABORT
 \ This behavior can be overridden with CATCH
 : FAIL ( c-addr u -- <none> | <noreturn> )
-   THROWN-STRING 2! EXCP-FAIL THROW ;
+   EXCP-FAIL -ROT THROW-STRING ;
 
 \ If flag is non-zero, display a message and ABORT
 \ This behavior can be overridden with CATCH
@@ -868,7 +873,7 @@ VARIABLE ORDER-FREELIST
 
 \ Same as FIND except that unknown words are reported and result in a call to THROW
 : FIND-OR-THROW ( c-addr u -- xt 1 | xt -1 )
-   FIND ?DUP 0= IF THROWN-STRING 2! EXCP-UNDEFINED-WORD THROW THEN ;
+   FIND ?DUP 0= IF EXCP-UNDEFINED-WORD -ROT THROW-STRING THEN ;
 
 \ Read a word from the input (during runtime) and return its execution token
 \ Aborts if the word is not found in the current (runtime) search order list