diff --git a/es.h b/es.h
index ff00040..4064163 100644
--- a/es.h
+++ b/es.h
@@ -150,11 +150,9 @@ extern Binding *reversebindings(Binding *binding);
 /* eval.c */
 
 extern Binding *bindargs(Tree *params, List *args, Binding *binding);
-extern List *forkexec(char *file, List *list, Boolean inchild);
 extern List *walk(Tree *tree, Binding *binding, int flags);
 extern List *eval(List *list, Binding *binding, int flags);
 extern List *eval1(Term *term, int flags);
-extern List *pathsearch(Term *term);
 
 extern unsigned long evaldepth, maxevaldepth;
 #define	MINmaxevaldepth		100
diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index be50054..a5701d1 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -4,47 +4,6 @@
 
 unsigned long evaldepth = 0, maxevaldepth = MAXmaxevaldepth;
 
-static Noreturn failexec(char *file, List *args) {
-	List *fn;
-	assert(gcisblocked());
-	fn = varlookup("fn-%exec-failure", NULL);
-	if (fn != NULL) {
-		int olderror = errno;
-		Ref(List *, list, append(fn, mklist(mkstr(file), args)));
-		RefAdd(file);
-		gcenable();
-		RefRemove(file);
-		eval(list, NULL, 0);
-		RefEnd(list);
-		errno = olderror;
-	}
-	eprint("%s: %s\n", file, esstrerror(errno));
-	esexit(1);
-}
-
-/* forkexec -- fork (if necessary) and exec */
-extern List *forkexec(char *file, List *list, Boolean inchild) {
-	int pid, status;
-	Vector *env;
-	gcdisable();
-	env = mkenv();
-	pid = efork(!inchild, FALSE);
-	if (pid == 0) {
-		execve(file, vectorize(list)->vector, env->vector);
-		failexec(file, list);
-	}
-	gcenable();
-	status = ewaitfor(pid);
-	if ((status & 0xff) == 0) {
-		sigint_newline = FALSE;
-		SIGCHK();
-		sigint_newline = TRUE;
-	} else
-		SIGCHK();
-	printstatus(0, status);
-	return mklist(mkterm(mkstatus(status), NULL), NULL);
-}
-
 /* assign -- bind a list of values to a list of variables */
 static List *assign(Tree *varform, Tree *valueform0, Binding *binding0) {
 	Ref(List *, result, NULL);
@@ -345,17 +304,19 @@ extern Binding *bindargs(Tree *params, List *args, Binding *binding) {
 	RefReturn(result);
 }
 
-/* pathsearch -- evaluate fn %pathsearch + some argument */
-extern List *pathsearch(Term *term) {
-	List *list;
-	Ref(List *, search, NULL);
-	search = varlookup("fn-%pathsearch", NULL);
+/* whatis -- evaluate fn %whatis + some argument */
+static List *whatis(Term *term, char *name) {
+	Ref(List *, list, NULL);
+	Ref(List *, search, varlookup("fn-%whatis", NULL));
 	if (search == NULL)
-		fail("es:pathsearch", "%E: fn %%pathsearch undefined", term);
-	list = mklist(term, NULL);
+		fail("es:whatis", "%E: fn %%whatis undefined", term);
+	gcdisable();
+	list = mklist(term, name == NULL ? NULL : mklist(mkstr(name), NULL));
 	list = append(search, list);
 	RefEnd(search);
-	return eval(list, NULL, 0);
+	gcenable();
+	list = eval(list, NULL, 0);
+	RefReturn(list);
 }
 
 /* eval -- evaluate a list, producing a list */
@@ -439,8 +400,6 @@ extern List *eval(List *list0, Binding *binding0, int flags) {
 		goto done;
 	}
 
-	/* the logic here is duplicated in $&whatis */
-
 	Ref(char *, name, getstr(list->term));
 	fn = varlookup2("fn-", name, binding);
 	if (fn != NULL) {
@@ -449,28 +408,9 @@ extern List *eval(List *list0, Binding *binding0, int flags) {
 		RefPop(name);
 		goto restart;
 	}
-	if (isabsolute(name)) {
-		char *error = checkexecutable(name);
-		if (error != NULL)
-			fail("$&whatis", "%s: %s", name, error);
-		if (funcname != NULL) {
-			Term *fn = mkstr(funcname);
-			list = mklist(fn, list->next);
-		}
-		list = forkexec(name, list, flags & eval_inchild);
-		RefPop(name);
-		goto done;
-	}
 	RefEnd(name);
 
-	fn = pathsearch(list->term);
-	if (fn != NULL && fn->next == NULL
-	    && (cp = getclosure(fn->term)) == NULL) {
-		char *name = getstr(fn->term);
-		list = forkexec(name, list, flags & eval_inchild);
-		goto done;
-	}
-
+	fn = whatis(list->term, funcname);
 	if (fn != NULL)
 		funcname = getstr(list->term);
 	list = append(fn, list->next);
diff --git a/initial.es b/initial.es
index 987919a..1b56499 100644
--- a/initial.es
+++ b/initial.es
@@ -147,7 +147,27 @@ fn-%newfd	= $&newfd
 fn-%run         = $&run
 fn-%split       = $&split
 fn-%var		= $&var
-fn-%whatis	= $&whatis
+
+#	The %whatis function is called by the shell to convert anything that
+#	isn't a function into a function that it can call.  The shell performs
+#	its own function lookup, but %whatis does too for user convenience.
+#
+#	$name is the optional name used to refer to the current term being
+#	looked up, which comes up in cases like `fn-name = /path/to/bin`.
+
+fn %whatis term name {
+	if {~ $#name 0} {
+		name = $term
+	}
+	if {!~ $#(fn-$term) 0} {
+		result $(fn-$term)
+	} {~ $term /* ./* ../*} {
+		result %run $term $name
+	} {
+		let (searched = <={%pathsearch $term})
+		result %run $searched(1) $name $searched(2 ...)
+	}
+}
 
 #	These builtins are only around as a matter of convenience, so
 #	users don't have to type the infamous <= (nee <>) operator.
@@ -165,7 +185,14 @@ fn whatis {
 				echo >[1=2] $message
 				result = $result 1
 			} {
-				echo <={%whatis $i}
+				# Hide the %run call in this "sugary" case.
+				let (r = <={%whatis $i}) {
+					if {~ $r(1) %run} {
+						echo $r(2) $r(4 ...)
+					} {
+						echo $r
+					}
+				}
 				result = $result 0
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/prim-etc.c b/prim-etc.c
index c2dd788..c58dc68 100644
--- a/prim-etc.c
+++ b/prim-etc.c
@@ -88,32 +88,6 @@ PRIM(flatten) {
 	RefReturn(lp);
 }
 
-PRIM(whatis) {
-	/* the logic in here is duplicated in eval() */
-	if (list == NULL || list->next != NULL)
-		fail("$&whatis", "usage: $&whatis program");
-	Ref(Term *, term, list->term);
-	if (getclosure(term) == NULL) {
-		List *fn;
-		Ref(char *, prog, getstr(term));
-		assert(prog != NULL);
-		fn = varlookup2("fn-", prog, NULL);
-		if (fn != NULL)
-			list = fn;
-		else {
-			if (isabsolute(prog)) {
-				char *error = checkexecutable(prog);
-				if (error != NULL)
-					fail("$&whatis", "%s: %s", prog, error);
-			} else
-				list = pathsearch(term);
-		}
-		RefEnd(prog);
-	}
-	RefEnd(term);
-	return list;
-}
-
 PRIM(split) {
 	char *sep;
 	if (list == NULL)
@@ -355,7 +329,6 @@ extern Dict *initprims_etc(Dict *primdict) {
 	X(exec);
 	X(dot);
 	X(flatten);
-	X(whatis);
 	X(split);
 	X(fsplit);
 	X(var);
diff --git a/prim-sys.c b/prim-sys.c
index 29c2006..a40a386 100644
--- a/prim-sys.c
+++ b/prim-sys.c
@@ -60,6 +60,47 @@ PRIM(fork) {
 	return mklist(mkstr(mkstatus(status)), NULL);
 }
 
+static Noreturn failexec(char *file, List *args) {
+	List *fn;
+	assert(gcisblocked());
+	fn = varlookup("fn-%exec-failure", NULL);
+	if (fn != NULL) {
+		int olderror = errno;
+		Ref(List *, list, append(fn, mklist(mkstr(file), args)));
+		RefAdd(file);
+		gcenable();
+		RefRemove(file);
+		eval(list, NULL, 0);
+		RefEnd(list);
+		errno = olderror;
+	}
+	eprint("%s: %s\n", file, esstrerror(errno));
+	esexit(1);
+}
+
+/* forkexec -- fork (if necessary) and exec */
+static List *forkexec(char *file, List *list, Boolean inchild) {
+	int pid, status;
+	Vector *env;
+	gcdisable();
+	env = mkenv();
+	pid = efork(!inchild, FALSE);
+	if (pid == 0) {
+		execve(file, vectorize(list)->vector, env->vector);
+		failexec(file, list);
+	}
+	gcenable();
+	status = ewaitfor(pid);
+	if ((status & 0xff) == 0) {
+		sigint_newline = FALSE;
+		SIGCHK();
+		sigint_newline = TRUE;
+	} else
+		SIGCHK();
+	printstatus(0, status);
+	return mklist(mkterm(mkstatus(status), NULL), NULL);
+}
+
 PRIM(run) {
 	char *file;
 	if (list == NULL)