diff --git a/core-image.rla b/core-image.rla
index f9cf792..da70159 100644
--- a/core-image.rla
+++ b/core-image.rla
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
               #(1 #f)
               #()
               1
-              "\x02\x80\x01\x00"; (set! 128 (cons 1 0))
-              254
-              128
-              2
-              255
+              "\x02\x80\x01\x00"; (set! f0 (cons g1 nil))
+              0xfe
+              0x80
+              0x02
+              0xff
             )
             #S(#="template"
               #(
@@ -21,57 +21,57 @@
                   #(#f)
                   "\x40\xff\xfe" ; i0 ctx k
                   1
-                  "\x00\x80\x03\xfd\; (set! 128 (car 253))
-                  \x0a\x80\x40\x80\; (set! 128 (fix* 64 128))
-                  \x02\x80\x80\x00"; (set! 128 (cons 128 0))
-                  66
-                  128
-                  1
-                  65
+                  "\x00\x80\x03\xfd\; (set! f0 (car argv))
+                   \x0a\x80\x40\x80\; (set! f0 (fix* i0 f0))
+                   \x02\x80\x80\x00"; (set! f0 (cons f0 nil))
+                  0x42  ; i2
+                  0x80  ; f0
+                  0x01  ; g1
+                  0x41  ; i1
                 )
                 1
               )
               "\x80" ; f0
               2
-              "\x09\x80\x40\x03\; (set! 128 (fix- 64 3))
-              \x02\x80\x80\x00\; (set! 128 (cons 128 0))
-              \x00\x81\x1b\x02"; (set! 129 (lambda 2))
-              1
-              128
-              129
-              255
+              "\x09\x80\x40\x03\; (set! f0 (fix- i0 g3))
+               \x02\x80\x80\x00\; (set! f0 (cons f0 nil))
+               \x00\x81\x1b\x02"; (set! f1 (lambda g2))
+              0x01
+              0x80
+              0x81
+              0xff
             )
             1
           )
           #()
           2
-          "\x00\x80\x03\xfd\; (set! 128 (car 253))
-          \x0d\x81\x80\x03\; (set! 129 (fix< 128 3))
-          \x81\x81\x01\x02\; (set! 129 (if 129 1 2))
-          \x00\x81\x1b\x81"; (set! 129 (lambda 129))
-          129
-          0
-          254
-          255
+          "\x00\x80\x03\xfd\; (set! f0 (car argv))
+           \x0d\x81\x80\x03\; (set! f1 (fix< f0 g3))
+           \x81\x81\x01\x02\; (set! f1 (if f1 g1 g2))
+           \x00\x81\x1b\x81"; (set! f1 (lambda f1))
+          0x81
+          0x00
+          0xfe
+          0xff
         )
         #f
       )
       "\xfe\xff"  ; k ctx
       0
       ""
-      1
-      253
-      64
-      65
+      0x01
+      0xfd
+      0x40
+      0x41
     )
     #="string->number"
   )
   #()
   1
-  "\x00\x80\x1b\x01"; (set! 128 (lambda 1))
-  2
-  253
-  128
-  255
+  "\x00\x80\x1b\x01"; (set! f0 (lambda g1))
+  0x02
+  0xfd
+  0x80
+  0xff
 )
-; vim:set sw=2 expandtab syntax=:
+; vim:set syntax= sw=2 expandtab:
diff --git a/reader.c b/reader.c
index 9abaf77..fe9d476 100644
--- a/reader.c
+++ b/reader.c
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ static value_t read_list(reader_state_t *state)
 
 static value_t read_number(reader_state_t *state)
 {
+  fixnum_t radix = 10;
   fixnum_t num = 0;
   bool negative = false;
 
@@ -230,11 +231,40 @@ static value_t read_number(reader_state_t *state)
 
   release_assert(isdigit(state->ch));
 
-  while (isdigit(state->ch))
+  if (state->ch == '0')
   {
-    release_assert(num <= (FIXNUM_MAX/10));
-    num *= 10;
-    num += (state->ch - '0');
+    next_char(state);
+
+    switch (state->ch)
+    {
+    case 'X':
+    case 'x':
+      next_char(state);
+      radix = 16;
+      break;
+    case 'B':
+    case 'b':
+      next_char(state);
+      radix = 2;
+      break;
+    default:
+      radix = 8;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  while (isxdigit(state->ch))
+  {
+    fixnum_t digit = isdigit(state->ch)
+                       ? (state->ch - '0')
+                       : (10 + (toupper(state->ch) - 'A'));
+
+    release_assert(digit < radix);
+    release_assert(num <= (FIXNUM_MAX/radix));
+
+    num *= radix;
+    num += digit;
+
     next_char(state);
   }
 
@@ -346,11 +376,26 @@ static value_t read_string(reader_state_t *state)
 
     if (skip_ws)
     {
-      /* Slightly different from the normal skip_whitespace();
-       * Assumes first char is space, and bounded by '\n' afterward. */
+      bool hit_eol = false;
+
+      /* Slightly different from the normal skip_whitespace(); skips
+       * whitespace through the _second_ EOL following the backslash. */
       do {
+        if (state->ch == '\n')
+        {
+          if (!hit_eol)
+          {
+            hit_eol = true;
+          }
+          else
+          {
+            next_char(state);
+            break;
+          }
+        }
+
         next_char(state);
-      } while (isspace(state->ch) && (state->ch != '\n'));
+      } while (isspace(state->ch));
     }
     else
     {
@@ -585,21 +630,29 @@ static void next_char(reader_state_t *state)
 
 static void skip_whitespace(reader_state_t *state)
 {
-  while (isspace(state->ch))
-    next_char(state);
-
-  /* Comments count as whitespace */
-  if (state->ch == ';')
+  for (;;)
   {
-    do {
+    if (isspace(state->ch))
+    {
       next_char(state);
-
-      if (state->ch == '\n')
-      {
+    }
+    else if (state->ch == ';')
+    {
+      /* Comments count as whitespace */
+      do {
         next_char(state);
-        break;
-      }
-    } while (state->ch != EOF);
+
+        if (state->ch == '\n')
+        {
+          next_char(state);
+          break;
+        }
+      } while (state->ch != EOF);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      break;
+    }
   }
 }