diff --git a/src/main/tock/compiler.cljc b/src/main/tock/compiler.cljc
index 88dfa84..24174ad 100644
--- a/src/main/tock/compiler.cljc
+++ b/src/main/tock/compiler.cljc
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
             [tock.compiler.bind :refer [bind]]
             [tock.compiler.specials :refer [specials]]
             [tock.compiler.type :refer [typecheck]]
-            [tock.compiler.wasm :refer [collect-definitions]]))
+            [tock.compiler.wasm :refer [make-empty-program collect-definitions]]))
 
 ;; compiler structure:
 ;; a quoted form is passed through a series of passes:
@@ -39,16 +39,18 @@
 ;; 6. codegen pass
 ;;    * function expression trees are recursively walked to generate linear wasm bytecode
 
-(def empty-program tock.compiler.wasm/empty-program)
 (def generate-wasm tock.compiler.wasm/generate-wasm)
 
 (defn compile-form [program form]
-  (-> form
-      (desugar specials)
-      (bind specials [(atom (:globals program))])
-      (typecheck specials)
-      (collect-definitions program)))
+  (let [specials (:specials program)]
+    (-> form
+        (desugar specials)
+        (bind specials [(atom (:globals program))])
+        (typecheck specials)
+        (collect-definitions program))))
 
-(defn compile [forms]
-  (-> (reduce compile-form empty-program forms)
-      generate-wasm))
+(defn compile 
+  ([forms] (compile forms specials))
+  ([forms specials]
+   (-> (reduce compile-form (make-empty-program specials) forms)
+       generate-wasm)))
diff --git a/src/main/tock/compiler/specials.cljc b/src/main/tock/compiler/specials.cljc
index 613b896..325fd54 100644
--- a/src/main/tock/compiler/specials.cljc
+++ b/src/main/tock/compiler/specials.cljc
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 (ns tock.compiler.specials
   (:require [meander.epsilon :as m]
             [meander.strategy.epsilon :as r]
+            [helins.wasm.bin :as op]
             [tock.compiler.meander :refer [parse-type to-sym label m+]]))
 
 ;; no namespace - source symbol
@@ -35,23 +36,28 @@
               ('i/if ?m) ('do ?m)
               ('i/if _ ?else) (label ?else "else block")
               ('i/if ?m ?cond ?body & ?more) ('l/if ?m (label ?cond "condition")
-                                                  (label ?body "body")
-                                                  ('i/if {} & ?more)))
+                                                    (label ?body "body")
+                                                    ('i/if {} & ?more)))
     :validate (r/rewrite ('if _) "if statement needs at least a condition and a body"
                          ('if _ _) "if statement needs at least one body expression")
-    :typecheck (r/rewrite (_ ?cond ?l ?r) [[?l 'bool ?l ?l] [?r 'bool ?r ?r] ['void 'bool 'void 'void]])}
-   
+    :typecheck (r/rewrite (_ ?cond ?l ?r) [[?l 'bool ?l ?l] [?r 'bool ?r ?r] ['void 'bool 'void 'void]])
+    :emit (fn [form emit]
+            (m/match form
+              ('l/if {:type ?type} ?cond ?l ?r)
+              (concat (emit ?cond)
+                      [[op/if- [:wasm/valtype ?type] (emit ?l) (emit ?r)]])))}
+
    'l/fn
    {:desugar (r/rewrite
-              ('fn {& ?m} (m/pred symbol? ?name) & ?rest)     
+              ('fn {& ?m} (m/pred symbol? ?name) & ?rest)
               ('def {:name ?name} ('fn {:name ?name & ?m} & ?rest))
 
               ('fn {& ?m} [(m/app (fn [params] [params (parse-type (meta params))]) [(m/pred symbol? !names) {:type !types}]) ...
                            (m/app to-sym '->) (m/app parse-type {:type !types})] & ?body)
               ('l/fn (m/app merge ?m {:type ['fn . !types ...]
                                       :params [!names ...]})
-                ('do {} & ?body))
-              
+                     ('do {} & ?body))
+
               ('fn {& ?m} [(m/app (fn [params] [params (parse-type (meta params))]) [(m/pred symbol? !names) {:type !types}]) ...] & ?body)
               ('l/fn (m/app merge ?m {:type ['fn . !types ... 'void]
                                       :params [!names ...]})
@@ -60,29 +66,73 @@
     :scope {:local-counter 0 :valid-binding-forms #{'l/local 'l/param}}
     :new-bindings (fn [form _ctx]
                     (into {} (map-indexed (fn [index [name type]] [name (list 'l/param {:type type :name name :index index})])
-                                          (m/rewrite form 
+                                          (m/rewrite form
                                                      ('l/fn {:params [!names ...] :type ['fn . !types ... _]} _)
-                                                     [[!names !types] ...]))))}
+                                                     [[!names !types] ...]))))
+    :emit (fn [form emit]
+            (m/match form ('l/fn _ ?expr) (emit ?expr)))}
    '+ {:desugar (left-binop-desugar '+)
-       :typecheck (combinator-typecheck numerical-type?)}
+       :typecheck (combinator-typecheck numerical-type?)
+       :ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-add]]
+             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-add]]
+             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-add]]}}
    '- {:desugar (r/choice
                  (r/rewrite ('- ?m ?v) ('- ?m ('l/lit {:value 0 :type 'i64}) ?v))
                  (left-associative '-))
-       :typecheck (combinator-typecheck numerical-type?)}
+       :typecheck (combinator-typecheck numerical-type?)
+       :ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-sub]]
+             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-sub]]
+             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-sub]]}}
    '* {:desugar (left-binop-desugar '*)
-       :typecheck (combinator-typecheck numerical-type?)} 
+       :typecheck (combinator-typecheck numerical-type?)
+       :ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-mul]]
+             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-mul]]
+             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-mul]]}}
    '/ {:desugar (left-binop-desugar '/)
-       :typecheck (combinator-typecheck numerical-type?)}
-   '= {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck equatable-type?)}
-   'not= {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck equatable-type?)}
-   '< {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck ordered-type?)}
-   '<= {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck ordered-type?)}
-   '> {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck ordered-type?)}
-   '>= {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck ordered-type?)}
+       :typecheck (combinator-typecheck numerical-type?)
+       :ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-div_s]]
+             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-div_s]]
+             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-div]]}}
+   '= {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck equatable-type?)
+       :ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-eq]]
+             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-eq]]
+             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-eq]]
+             ['fn  'fn]   [[op/i32-eq]]
+             ['bool 'bool] [[op/i32-eq]]}}
+   'not= {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck equatable-type?)
+          :ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-ne]]
+                ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-ne]]
+                ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-eq] [op/i32-eqz]]
+                ['fn  'fn]  [[op/i32-ne]]
+                ['bool 'bool] [[op/i32-ne]]}}
+   '< {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck ordered-type?)
+       :ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-lt_s]]
+             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-lt_s]]
+             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-lt]]}}
+   '<= {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck ordered-type?)
+        :ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-le_s]]
+              ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-le_s]]
+              ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-le]]}}
+   '> {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck ordered-type?)
+       :ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-gt_s]]
+             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-gt_s]]
+             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-gt]]}}
+   '>= {:typecheck (comparitor-typecheck ordered-type?)
+        :ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-ge_s]]
+              ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-ge_s]]
+              ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-ge]]}}
    'and {:desugar (left-binop-desugar 'and)
-         :typecheck (comparitor-typecheck logical-type?)}
+         :typecheck (comparitor-typecheck logical-type?)
+         :emit (fn [form emit]
+                 (m/match form
+                   ('and _ ?l ?r)
+                   [[op/if- [:wasm/valtype 'i32] (emit ?l) (emit ?r) [[op/i32-const 0]]]]))}
    'or {:desugar (left-binop-desugar 'or)
-        :typecheck (comparitor-typecheck logical-type?)}
+        :typecheck (comparitor-typecheck logical-type?)
+        :emit (fn [form emit]
+                (m/match form
+                  ('or _ ?l ?r)
+                  [[op/if- [:wasm/valtype 'i32] (emit ?l) [[op/i32-const -1]] (emit ?r)]]))}
    'def {:desugar (r/rewrite
                    ('def (m/pred symbol? ?name) ?expr) ('def {:name ?name} ?expr))
          :typecheck (r/rewrite (_ ?t) [[?t ?t]])
@@ -90,12 +140,59 @@
          :mark-bound-subexpressions (r/rewrite ('def (m/and ?m {:name ?symbol}) ?expr) ('def ?m (m+ {:binding ?symbol} ?expr)))}
    'do {:typecheck (r/rewrite (_) [['void]]
                               (_ . !stmt ... ?last) [[?last . (m/app (constantly 'void) !stmt) ... ?last]])
-        :scope {}}
+        :scope {}
+        :emit (fn [form emit]
+                (m/match form
+                  ('do _ . !exprs ...)
+                  (mapcat emit !exprs)))}
    'l/lookup {}
    'l/local {}
-   'l/param {}
-   'l/lit {}
-   'l/call 
+   'l/param
+   {:emit (fn [form _emit]
+            (m/match form
+              ('l/param {:index ?id}) [[op/local-get ?id]]))}
+   'l/lit
+   {:emit (fn [form _emit]
+            (m/match form
+              ('l/lit {:type 'i64 :value ?num}) [[op/i64-const ?num]]
+              ('l/lit {:type 'i32 :value ?num}) [[op/i32-const ?num]]
+              ('l/lit {:type 'bool :value ?b}) [[op/i32-const (if ?b -1 0)]]))}
+
+   'l/call
    {:typecheck (r/rewrite (_ (m/and ['fn . !param-types ... ?return-type] ?fn-type) . _ ...)
-                          [[?return-type ?fn-type . !param-types ...]])}
-   })
+                          [[?return-type ?fn-type . !param-types ...]])
+    :emit-meta (fn [form {:keys [emit program]}]
+                 (m/match form
+                   ('l/call _ ('l/funcref {:id ?id}) . !args ...)
+                   (concat (mapcat emit !args) [[op/call ?id]])
+
+                   ('l/call _ (typed ?expr ?fntype) . !args ...)
+                   (concat (mapcat emit !args)
+                           [[op/call_indirect (get-in program [:fntypes ?fntype])]])))}
+   'l/cast
+   {:emit (fn [form emit]
+            (m/match form
+              ('l/cast {:type ?type} (typed ?expr ?type))
+              (emit ?expr)
+
+              ('l/cast {:type 'void} ?expr)
+              (concat (emit ?expr) [[op/drop]])
+
+              ('l/cast {:type 'f64} ('l/lit {:type (m/or 'i32 'i64) :value ?val}))
+              [[op/f64-const ?val]]
+
+              ('l/cast {:type 'i64} ('l/lit {:type 'i32 :value ?val}))
+              [[op/i32-const ?val]]
+
+              ('l/cast {:type 'i64} (typed ?expr 'i32))
+              (concat (emit ?expr) [[op/i64-extend_i32_s]])
+
+              ('l/cast {:type 'f64} (typed ?expr 'i32))
+              (concat (emit ?expr) [[op/f64-convert_i32_s]])
+
+              ('l/cast {:type 'f64} (typed ?expr 'i64))
+              (concat (emit ?expr) [[op/f64-convert_i64_s]])))}
+   'l/funcref
+   {:emit (fn [form _emit]
+            (m/match form
+              ('l/funcref {:id ?id}) [[op/i32-const ?id]]))}})
diff --git a/src/main/tock/compiler/wasm.cljc b/src/main/tock/compiler/wasm.cljc
index cca53cd..ec6973c 100644
--- a/src/main/tock/compiler/wasm.cljc
+++ b/src/main/tock/compiler/wasm.cljc
@@ -44,137 +44,28 @@
       (r/attempt collect-function-types)))
     collect-globals)))
 
-(def wasm-specials
-  {'l/if
-   {:emit (fn [form emit]
-            (m/match form
-              ('l/if {:type ?type} ?cond ?l ?r)
-              (concat (emit ?cond)
-                      [[op/if- [:wasm/valtype ?type] (emit ?l) (emit ?r)]])))}
-   '+ {:ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-add]]
-             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-add]]
-             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-add]]}}
-   '- {:ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-sub]]
-             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-sub]]
-             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-sub]]}}
-   '* {:ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-mul]]
-             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-mul]]
-             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-mul]]}}
-   '/ {:ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-div_s]]
-             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-div_s]]
-             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-div]]}}
-   '= {:ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-eq]]
-             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-eq]]
-             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-eq]]
-             ['fn  'fn]   [[op/i32-eq]]
-             ['bool 'bool] [[op/i32-eq]]}}
-   'not= {:ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-ne]]
-                ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-ne]]
-                ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-eq] [op/i32-eqz]]
-                ['fn  'fn]  [[op/i32-ne]]
-                ['bool 'bool] [[op/i32-ne]]}}
-   '< {:ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-lt_s]]
-             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-lt_s]]
-             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-lt]]}}
-   '<= {:ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-le_s]]
-              ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-le_s]]
-              ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-le]]}}
-   '> {:ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-gt_s]]
-             ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-gt_s]]
-             ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-gt]]}}
-   '>= {:ops {['i64 'i64] [[op/i64-ge_s]]
-              ['i32 'i32] [[op/i32-ge_s]]
-              ['f64 'f64] [[op/f64-ge]]}}
-   'not {:ops {['bool] [[op/i32-eqz]]}}
-   'and
-   {:emit (fn [form emit]
-            (m/match form
-              ('and _ ?l ?r)
-              [[op/if- [:wasm/valtype 'i32] (emit ?l) (emit ?r) [[op/i32-const 0]]]]))}
-   'or
-   {:emit (fn [form emit]
-            (m/match form
-              ('or _ ?l ?r)
-              [[op/if- [:wasm/valtype 'i32] (emit ?l) [[op/i32-const -1]] (emit ?r)]]))}
-   'do
-   {:emit (fn [form emit]
-            (m/match form
-              ('do _ . !exprs ...)
-              (mapcat emit !exprs)))}
-   'l/call
-   {:emit-meta (fn [form {:keys [emit program]}]
-                 (m/match form
-                   ('l/call _ ('l/funcref {:id ?id}) . !args ...)
-                   (concat (mapcat emit !args) [[op/call ?id]])
-
-                   ('l/call _ (typed ?expr ?fntype) . !args ...)
-                   (concat (mapcat emit !args) 
-                           [[op/call_indirect (get-in program [:fntypes ?fntype])]])))}
-   'l/funcref
-   {:emit (fn [form _emit]
-            (m/match form
-              ('l/funcref {:id ?id}) [[op/i32-const ?id]]))}
-   'l/lit
-   {:emit (fn [form _emit]
-            (m/match form
-              ('l/lit {:type 'i64 :value ?num}) [[op/i64-const ?num]]
-              ('l/lit {:type 'i32 :value ?num}) [[op/i32-const ?num]]
-              ('l/lit {:type 'bool :value ?b}) [[op/i32-const (if ?b -1 0)]]))}
-   'l/param
-   {:emit (fn [form _emit]
-            (m/match form
-              ('l/param {:index ?id}) [[op/local-get ?id]]))}
-   'l/cast
-   {:emit (fn [form emit]
-            (m/match form
-              ('l/cast {:type ?type} (typed ?expr ?type))
-              (emit ?expr)
-
-              ('l/cast {:type 'void} ?expr)
-              (concat (emit ?expr) [[op/drop]])
-
-              ('l/cast {:type 'f64} ('l/lit {:type (m/or 'i32 'i64) :value ?val}))
-              [[op/f64-const ?val]]
-
-              ('l/cast {:type 'i64} ('l/lit {:type 'i32 :value ?val}))
-              [[op/i32-const ?val]]
-
-              ('l/cast {:type 'i64} (typed ?expr 'i32))
-              (concat (emit ?expr) [[op/i64-extend_i32_s]])
-
-              ('l/cast {:type 'f64} (typed ?expr 'i32))
-              (concat (emit ?expr) [[op/f64-convert_i32_s]])
-
-              ('l/cast {:type 'f64} (typed ?expr 'i64))
-              (concat (emit ?expr) [[op/f64-convert_i64_s]])))}
-   'l/fn
-   {:emit (fn [form emit]
-            (m/match form ('l/fn _ ?expr) (emit ?expr)))}})
-
 (defn type-based-emit [form opmap emit]
   (let [subexprs (rest (rest form))
         types (into [] (map #(get-meta % :type) subexprs))
         ops (get opmap types)]
     (or (concat (mapcat emit subexprs) ops) [[:compile-error form "Unexpected types" types]])))
 
-(defn make-emitter [specials]
-  (fn [form program]
-    ((fn emit [form]
-       (let [special (first form)
-             emitter (get specials special)]
-         (try
-           (cond
-             (contains? emitter :ops) (type-based-emit form (:ops emitter) emit)
-             (contains? emitter :emit) ((:emit emitter) form emit)
-             (contains? emitter :emit-meta) ((:emit-meta emitter) form {:emit emit :program program})
-             :else [[:compile-error form "No wasm emitter defined for special" special]])
-           (catch :default e
-             [[:compile-error form "Error during emission:" e]]))))
-     form)))
+(defn make-emitter [program]
+  (fn emit [form]
+    (let [specials (:specials program)
+          special (first form)
+          emitter (get specials special)]
+      (try
+        (cond
+          (contains? emitter :ops) (type-based-emit form (:ops emitter) emit)
+          (contains? emitter :emit) ((:emit emitter) form emit)
+          (contains? emitter :emit-meta) ((:emit-meta emitter) form {:emit emit :program program})
+          :else [[:compile-error form "No wasm emitter defined for special" special]])
+        (catch :default e
+          [[:compile-error form "Error during emission:" e]])))))
 
-(def wasm-emit (make-emitter wasm-specials))
-
-(def empty-program {:fndefs [] :fntypes {} :globals {}})
+(defn make-empty-program [specials] 
+  {:fndefs [] :fntypes {} :globals {} :specials specials})
 
 (defn type-to-wasmtype [type]
   (m/match type
@@ -190,8 +81,9 @@
     [(apply vector (map type-to-wasmtype !types))
      (if (= ?return-type 'void) [] [(type-to-wasmtype ?return-type)])]))
 
-(defn generate-wasm [{:keys [fndefs fntypes globals]}]
-  (let [index-to-fntype (into {} (map (fn [[sym index]] [index sym]) fntypes))
+(defn generate-wasm [{:keys [fndefs fntypes globals] :as program}]
+  (let [wasm-emit (make-emitter program)
+        index-to-fntype (into {} (map (fn [[sym index]] [index sym]) fntypes))
         fntypes (into [] (map #(get index-to-fntype %) (range (count index-to-fntype))))]
     (as-> (wasm/ctx) wasm
       (reduce (fn [wasm fntype]
diff --git a/src/main/tock/experiment.cljs b/src/main/tock/experiment.cljs
index df7b5a3..01ab63e 100644
--- a/src/main/tock/experiment.cljs
+++ b/src/main/tock/experiment.cljs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 (ns tock.experiment
   (:require [helins.wasm :as wasm]
             [helins.binf :as binf]
-            [tock.compiler :refer [compile compile-form empty-program]]
+            [tock.compiler :refer [compile]]
             [cljs.pprint :as pp]))