diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 53e9bd0332..e777ab080e 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -25,8 +25,10 @@ node.path = new function () {
   };
 
   this.dirname = function (path) {
+    if (path.charAt(0) !== "/") 
+      path = "./" + path;
     var parts = path.split("/");
-    return parts.slice(0, parts.length-1);
+    return parts.slice(0, parts.length-1).join("/");
   };
 };
 
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ node.path = new function () {
       throw "absolute module paths are not yet supported.";
 
     var filename = node.path.join(base_directory, name) + ".js";
+
     File.exists(filename, function (status) {
       callback(status ? filename : null);
     });
@@ -51,6 +54,7 @@ node.path = new function () {
     this.target = target;
 
     this.load = function (base_directory, callback) {
+      node.debug("sub.load from <" + base_directory + ">  " + this.toString());
       findScript(base_directory, name, function (filename) {
         if (filename === null) {
           stderr.puts("Cannot find a script matching: " + name);
@@ -79,6 +83,10 @@ node.path = new function () {
     // returns the function       
     var compiled = node.compile(source, filename);
 
+    if (module.__on_load) {
+      node.debug("<"+ filename+"> has onload! this is bad");
+    }
+
     module.__subs = [];
     module.__require = function (name) {
       var target = {};
@@ -92,6 +100,7 @@ node.path = new function () {
     compiled.apply(module, [filename]);
 
     // The module still needs to have its submodules loaded.
+    this.filename = filename;
     this.module  = module;
     this.subs    = module.__subs;
     this.on_load = module.__on_load;
@@ -112,9 +121,15 @@ node.path = new function () {
       
       var scaffold = new Scaffold(content, filename, target);
 
+      node.debug("after scaffold <" + filename + ">");
+
       function finish() {
-        if (scaffold.on_load instanceof Function)
+        node.debug("finish 1 load <" + filename + ">");
+        if (scaffold.on_load instanceof Function) {
+          node.debug("foo bar <" + filename + ">"); 
           scaffold.on_load(); 
+        }
+        node.debug("finish 2 load <" + filename + ">");
 
         if (callback instanceof Function)
           callback();
@@ -126,10 +141,13 @@ node.path = new function () {
       if (scaffold.subs.length == 0) {
         finish(); 
       } else {
-        while (scaffold.subs.length > 0) {
-          var sub = scaffold.subs.shift();
+        var ncomplete = 0;
+        for (var i = 0; i < scaffold.subs.length; i++) {
+          var sub = scaffold.subs[i];
           sub.load(node.path.dirname(filename), function () {
-            if(scaffold.subs.length == 0) 
+            ncomplete += 1;
+            node.debug("<" + filename + "> ncomplete = " + ncomplete.toString() + " scaffold.subs.length = " + scaffold.subs.length.toString());
+            if (ncomplete === scaffold.subs.length)
               finish();
           });
         }
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 480dd77624..96578393cb 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -70,14 +70,18 @@ ExecuteString(v8::Handle<v8::String> source,
               v8::Handle<v8::Value> filename)
 {
   HandleScope scope;
+  TryCatch try_catch;
+
   Handle<Script> script = Script::Compile(source, filename);
   if (script.IsEmpty()) {
-    return ThrowException(String::New("Error compiling string"));
+    ReportException(&try_catch);
+    exit(1);
   }
 
   Handle<Value> result = script->Run();
   if (result.IsEmpty()) {
-    return ThrowException(String::New("Error running string"));
+    ReportException(&try_catch);
+    exit(1);
   }
 
   return scope.Close(result);
@@ -98,6 +102,15 @@ JS_METHOD(compile)
   return scope.Close(result);
 }
 
+JS_METHOD(debug) 
+{
+  if (args.Length() < 1) 
+    return Undefined();
+  HandleScope scope;
+  String::Utf8Value msg(args[0]->ToString());
+  fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG: %s\n", *msg);
+  return Undefined();
+}
 
 static void
 OnFatalError (const char* location, const char* message)
@@ -182,6 +195,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   g->Set(String::New("node"), node);
 
   JS_SET_METHOD(node, "compile", compile);
+  JS_SET_METHOD(node, "debug", debug);
 
   Local<Array> arguments = Array::New(argc);
   for (int i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/a.js b/test/fixtures/a.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..111417ac1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/a.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+var c = require("b/c");
+exports.A = function () {
+  return "A";
+}
+exports.C = function () { return c.C(); }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/b/c.js b/test/fixtures/b/c.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3524a64601
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/b/c.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+exports.C = function () {
+  return "C";
+}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/x.txt b/test/fixtures/x.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cd470e6190
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/x.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+xyz
diff --git a/test/test-file-open.js b/test/test-file-open.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6a738f1a75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-file-open.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+include("mjsunit");
+var assert_count = 0;
+
+function onload () {
+  var fixtures = node.path.join(script.dirname, "fixtures");
+  var x = node.path.join(fixtures, "x.txt");
+
+  file = new File;
+  file.open(x, "r", function (status) {
+    assertTrue(status == 0);
+    assert_count += 1;
+  });
+};
diff --git a/test/test-setTimeout.js b/test/test-setTimeout.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4a05be25b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-setTimeout.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+include("mjsunit");
+
+function on_load () {
+  assertInstanceof(setTimeout, Function);
+  var starttime = new Date;
+  setTimeout(function () {
+      var endtime = new Date;
+      var diff = endtime - starttime;
+      if (diff < 0) diff = -diff;
+      assertTrue(900 < diff || diff < 1100);
+  }, 1000);
+}
diff --git a/test/test-test.js b/test/test-test.js
index ac9d89bbf2..e8bd677aa8 100644
--- a/test/test-test.js
+++ b/test/test-test.js
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
-puts(__filename);
 include("mjsunit");
-puts(__filename);
+var a = require("fixtures/a");
 
 function on_load () {
+  stderr.puts("hello world");
   assertFalse(false, "testing the test program.");
-  puts("i think everything is okay.");
-  //mjsunit.assertEquals("test-test.js", __file__);
+
+  assertInstanceof(a.A, Function);
+  assertEquals("A", a.A());
+
+  assertInstanceof(a.C, Function);
+  assertEquals("C", a.C());
 }