diff --git a/docs/spec.md b/docs/spec.md
index 692e710..601cf5f 100644
--- a/docs/spec.md
+++ b/docs/spec.md
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ The following mathematical operators are available. A definition is omitted here
 Likewise, the following logical operators are available (`&&` is more tightly bound than `||` due to historical reasons):
 
 ```
-(  )  [  ]  {  }  !  !=  ==  <  >  <=  >=  &&  ||
+(  )  [  ]  {  } ?:  !  !=  ==  <  >  <=  >=  &&  ||
 ```
 
 Other operators used throughout the language are: the assignment, colon, semicolon, comma, dot, rest operators:
@@ -346,14 +346,14 @@ assert false, "This is not"; //Error!
 
 ## Import-As
 
-`import` is used to load variables from the host - several optional libraries will be provided this way, as well. The import keyword can only take a string as it's argument, followed by an optional "as" which stores the results under a different name.
+`import` is used to load variables from the host - several optional libraries will be provided this way, as well. The import keyword can only take a valid variable name as it's argument, followed by an optional "as" which stores the results under a different name.
 
 ```
-import "standard";
+import standard;
 
 print standard.clock(); //the clock function is provided by standard
 
-import "standard" as std;
+import standard as std;
 
 print std.clock(); //standard becomes a dictionary called "std"
 ```
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ The standard library has a number of utility functions available, and is provide
 
 ```
 //gain access to the standard functions
-import "standard";
+import standard;
 ```
 
 The following functions are available in the standard library.
diff --git a/scripts/test/separate-exports.toy b/scripts/test/separate-exports.toy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba381c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test/separate-exports.toy
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+//test exports
+var field: int = 42;
+
+fn function() {
+	return 69;
+}
+
+export field;
+export function;
+
+print "All good";
diff --git a/scripts/test/separate-imports.toy b/scripts/test/separate-imports.toy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..901a660
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test/separate-imports.toy
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+//test imports
+import field;
+//import function;
+
+//assert field == 42, "import field failed";
+
+//assert function() == 69, "import function failed";
+
+print "All good";
+
diff --git a/source/interpreter.c b/source/interpreter.c
index 00e2b93..3d83447 100644
--- a/source/interpreter.c
+++ b/source/interpreter.c
@@ -72,41 +72,19 @@ bool parseIdentifierToValue(Interpreter* interpreter, Literal* literalPtr) {
 }
 
 void initInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter) {
-	initLiteralArray(&interpreter->literalCache);
-	interpreter->scope = pushScope(NULL);
-	interpreter->bytecode = NULL;
-	interpreter->length = 0;
-	interpreter->count = 0;
-	interpreter->codeStart = -1;
-
-	initLiteralArray(&interpreter->stack);
-
+	//NOTE: separate initialization for exports
 	interpreter->exports = ALLOCATE(LiteralDictionary, 1);
 	initLiteralDictionary(interpreter->exports);
 	interpreter->exportTypes = ALLOCATE(LiteralDictionary, 1);
 	initLiteralDictionary(interpreter->exportTypes);
 
+	//set up the output streams
 	setInterpreterPrint(interpreter, printWrapper);
 	setInterpreterAssert(interpreter, assertWrapper);
 	setInterpreterError(interpreter, errorWrapper);
-
-	//globally available functions (tmp?)
-	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_set", _set);
-	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_get", _get);
-	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_push", _push);
-	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_pop", _pop);
-	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_length", _length);
-	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_clear", _clear);
-
-	interpreter->panic = false;
 }
 
 void freeInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter) {
-	//free the interpreter scope
-	while(interpreter->scope != NULL) {
-		interpreter->scope = popScope(interpreter->scope);
-	}
-
 	//BUGFIX: handle scopes/types in the exports
 	for (int i = 0; i < interpreter->exports->capacity; i++) {
 		if (IS_FUNCTION(interpreter->exports->entries[i].key)) {
@@ -125,9 +103,6 @@ void freeInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter) {
 	freeLiteralDictionary(interpreter->exportTypes);
 	FREE(LiteralDictionary, interpreter->exportTypes);
 	interpreter->exportTypes = NULL;
-
-	freeLiteralArray(&interpreter->literalCache);
-	freeLiteralArray(&interpreter->stack);
 }
 
 //utilities for the host program
@@ -1849,6 +1824,32 @@ static void readInterpreterSections(Interpreter* interpreter) {
 }
 
 void runInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter, unsigned char* bytecode, int length) {
+	//check for export zone
+	if (!interpreter->exports || !interpreter->exportTypes) {
+		interpreter->errorOutput("Interpreter has no export region\n");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	//initialize here instead of initInterpreter()
+	initLiteralArray(&interpreter->literalCache);
+	interpreter->scope = pushScope(NULL);
+	interpreter->bytecode = NULL;
+	interpreter->length = 0;
+	interpreter->count = 0;
+	interpreter->codeStart = -1;
+
+	initLiteralArray(&interpreter->stack);
+
+	//globally available functions
+	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_set", _set);
+	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_get", _get);
+	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_push", _push);
+	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_pop", _pop);
+	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_length", _length);
+	injectNativeFn(interpreter, "_clear", _clear);
+
+	interpreter->panic = false;
+
 	//prep the bytecode
 	interpreter->bytecode = bytecode;
 	interpreter->length = length;
@@ -1901,6 +1902,15 @@ void runInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter, unsigned char* bytecode, int lengt
 		freeLiteral(lit);
 	}
 
-	//free the bytecode immediately after use
+	//free the bytecode
 	FREE_ARRAY(unsigned char, interpreter->bytecode, interpreter->length);
+
+	//free the associated data
+	freeLiteralArray(&interpreter->literalCache);
+	freeLiteralArray(&interpreter->stack);
+
+	//free the interpreter scope
+	while(interpreter->scope != NULL) {
+		interpreter->scope = popScope(interpreter->scope);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/source/interpreter.h b/source/interpreter.h
index d72bb4e..2552eee 100644
--- a/source/interpreter.h
+++ b/source/interpreter.h
@@ -35,13 +35,12 @@ typedef int (*NativeFn)(Interpreter* interpreter, LiteralArray* arguments);
 bool injectNativeFn(Interpreter* interpreter, char* name, NativeFn func);
 bool parseIdentifierToValue(Interpreter* interpreter, Literal* literalPtr);
 
-//init & free
-void initInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter);
-void freeInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter);
-
 //utilities for the host program
 void setInterpreterPrint(Interpreter* interpreter, PrintFn printOutput);
 void setInterpreterAssert(Interpreter* interpreter, PrintFn assertOutput);
 void setInterpreterError(Interpreter* interpreter, PrintFn errorOutput);
 
+//main access
+void initInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter);
 void runInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter, unsigned char* bytecode, int length);
+void freeInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter);
diff --git a/test/test_interpreter.c b/test/test_interpreter.c
index 1a09fd1..e67b2b2 100644
--- a/test/test_interpreter.c
+++ b/test/test_interpreter.c
@@ -191,6 +191,34 @@ int main() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	{
+		//read source
+		size_t dummy;
+		size_t exportSize, importSize;
+		char* exportSource = readFile("../scripts/test/separate-exports.toy", &dummy);
+		char* importSource = readFile("../scripts/test/separate-imports.toy", &dummy);
+
+		//compile
+		unsigned char* exportBinary = compileString(exportSource, &exportSize);
+		unsigned char* importBinary = compileString(importSource, &importSize);
+
+		//run the interpreter over both binaries
+		Interpreter interpreter;
+		initInterpreter(&interpreter);
+
+		//NOTE: supress print output for testing
+		setInterpreterPrint(&interpreter, noPrintFn);
+
+		runInterpreter(&interpreter, exportBinary, exportSize); //automatically frees the binary data
+		runInterpreter(&interpreter, importBinary, importSize); //automatically frees the binary data
+
+		freeInterpreter(&interpreter);
+
+		//cleanup
+		free((void*)exportSource);
+		free((void*)importSource);
+	}
+
 	printf(NOTICE "All good\n" RESET);
 	return 0;
 }