diff --git a/src/inc/deps.h b/src/inc/deps.h
index 875186b..8be9ca4 100644
--- a/src/inc/deps.h
+++ b/src/inc/deps.h
@@ -28,10 +28,6 @@
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
-// For tar containers
-#if !defined(__APPLE__)
-#include <sys/sysmacros.h>
-#endif
 // For file handling
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -79,6 +75,8 @@
 #define ENCSTEPODD              2
 #define ENCSTEPEVEN             3
 
+#define PATH                    "/bin/"
+
 // HELP PRINTOUT
 
 #define FUNCTION_HELP "-[Main Functions]-\n Need function information? Use: help <function> \n list:\n" \
@@ -100,7 +98,7 @@
                       "read, " \
                       "write, " \
                       "cat, " \
-                      "exec, unset \n " \
+                      "unset \n " \
                       "\n-[Variables, Pipes, and Backquoting]-\nExample:\n" \
                       " FORK=`isfile \"index.html\"` -> returns 1 on find\n" \
                       " write \"port.txt\" \"8888\" -> writes '8888' to port.txt\n" \
diff --git a/src/inc/util.h b/src/inc/util.h
index 51aff9e..088a079 100644
--- a/src/inc/util.h
+++ b/src/inc/util.h
@@ -42,3 +42,4 @@ char *ss_time();
 void gen_random_string(char *s, const int len);
 char *remove_extension(char *string);
 int check_for_var(char *string);
+int ss_exec(char **argv);
diff --git a/src/lexer.c b/src/lexer.c
index f88a6d1..945f545 100644
--- a/src/lexer.c
+++ b/src/lexer.c
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ char *process_line (char *line)
     char *tok_srch, *retbuf, *filebuf, *compbuf, *loopbuf;
     //printf("%s", &line[strlen(line)-2]);
     static char pathbuf[MAXPATHLENGTH+1];
+    // Needed for strncpy
+    static char line_save[MAXPATHLENGTH+1];
+
+    // save full line if popen is used, and no function is found
+    bzero(line_save, sizeof(line_save));
+    strcpy(line_save, line);
 
     // Check to see if we're dealing with a 
     // variable (for the end if the lexer)
@@ -437,7 +443,7 @@ char *process_line (char *line)
     }
 
     // Print directory
-    else if (strncmp("showdir", tok_srch, 7) == 0 || strncmp("ls", tok_srch, 2) == 0)
+    else if (strncmp("showdir", tok_srch, 7) == 0)
     {
         char *dirname;
 
@@ -1112,38 +1118,6 @@ char *process_line (char *line)
         return retbuf;
     }
 
-    /* system execute function */
-    else if (strncmp("exec", tok_srch, 4) == 0 || strncmp("~", tok_srch, 1) == 0)
-    {
-        char *cmd_line;
-        int return_val;
-        tok_srch = strtok_next ("\"");
-        if (tok_srch == NULL)
-        {
-            x_warn("ss:warn:exec syntax error, missing quote?");
-            return NULL;
-        }
-
-        if (strcmp(tok_srch, "\n") == 0 || strcmp(tok_srch, " \n") == 0)
-        {
-            x_warn("ss:warn:exec syntax error, missing execution switch?");
-            return NULL;
-        }
-
-        if (strtok_next ("\"") == NULL)
-        {
-            x_warn("ss:warn:exec syntax error, missing quote?");
-            return NULL;
-        }
-
-        cmd_line = parse_vars(tok_srch);
-        return_val = system(cmd_line);
-        if (return_val != 0)
-            x_warn("ss:warn:exec returned error code");
-
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     else if (strncmp("search",tok_srch,6) == 0)
     {
         char filename[MAX_FILENAME_BUFSIZE];
@@ -1495,39 +1469,39 @@ char *process_line (char *line)
     // Set variables if needed.
     else if (strcmp(tok_srch, "\n") != 0 && strcmp(tok_srch, "") != 0)
     {
-        if (tok_srch[strlen(tok_srch)-1] == '\n')
+        if(isVar == 1)
         {
-            return NULL;
+            int varc = get_var_count();
+            char *varname_tmp = tok_srch;
+            char *bq_check;
+            tok_srch = strtok_next ("=");
+
+            // Check for back quotes, return string with backquotes processed
+            bq_check = strip_nl(parse_vars(parse_bq(tok_srch)));
+            // Don't check if variable is blank, if so let it fly!
+            set_var(varc, varname_tmp, bq_check);
+            printf("ss: var '%s' -> %s\n", varname_tmp, get_var_data(varname_tmp));
         }
         else
         {
-            if(isVar == 1)
-            {
-                int varc = get_var_count();
-                char *varname_tmp = tok_srch;
-                char *bq_check;
-                tok_srch = strtok_next ("=");
+             FILE* p = popen(line_save, "r");
 
-                // Check for back quotes, return string with backquotes processed
-                bq_check = strip_nl(parse_vars(parse_bq(tok_srch)));
-                // Don't check if variable is blank, if so let it fly!
-                set_var(varc, varname_tmp, bq_check);
-                printf("ss: var '%s' -> %s\n", varname_tmp, get_var_data(varname_tmp));
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                if(tok_srch != NULL) 
-                {
-                    printf("ss:warn:unknown function: %s\n", tok_srch);
-                }
-                else 
-                {
-                    printf("ss:warn:unknown function\n");
-                }
-                return NULL;
-            }
+             if(!p)
+             {
+                 printf("ss:warn:command not found: %s\n", line_save);
+             }
+             else
+             {
+                 char buff[1024];
+                 while (fgets(buff, sizeof(buff), p)) {
+                     printf("%s", buff);
+                 } 
+             }
+
+             pclose(p);
         }
     }
 
     return NULL;
 }
+
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 19c3724..e233a65 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -159,3 +159,19 @@ int check_for_var(char *string)
         return 0;
     }
 }
+
+// Execute - Run programs found within the *nix system
+int ss_exec(char **argv)
+{
+    int exec_ret = execve(argv[0], (char **)argv, NULL);
+
+    if ((exec_ret) == -1)
+    {
+        printf("ss:warn:failed to execute program [%d]", exec_ret);
+        return exec_ret;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        return exec_ret;
+    }
+}