diff --git a/vm/debug.c b/vm/debug.c
index b374aceb9f..0869d6a885 100755
--- a/vm/debug.c
+++ b/vm/debug.c
@@ -325,6 +325,12 @@ void find_code_references(CELL look_for_)
 
 void factorbug(void)
 {
+	if(fep_disabled)
+	{
+		printf("Low level debugger disabled\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
 	open_console();
 
 	printf("Starting low level debugger...\n");
@@ -366,6 +372,8 @@ void factorbug(void)
 				dump stacks. This is useful for builder and
 				other cases where Factor is run with stdin
 				redirected to /dev/null */
+				fep_disabled = true;
+
 				print_datastack();
 				print_retainstack();
 				print_callstack();
diff --git a/vm/debug.h b/vm/debug.h
index 2ca6f8944c..547fdba436 100755
--- a/vm/debug.h
+++ b/vm/debug.h
@@ -4,4 +4,6 @@ void dump_generations(void);
 void factorbug(void);
 void dump_zone(F_ZONE *z);
 
+bool fep_disabled;
+
 DECLARE_PRIMITIVE(die);
diff --git a/vm/errors.c b/vm/errors.c
index f2147041a2..7a23e3e53f 100755
--- a/vm/errors.c
+++ b/vm/errors.c
@@ -57,10 +57,10 @@ void throw_error(CELL error, F_STACK_FRAME *callstack_top)
 	crash. */
 	else
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr,"You have triggered a bug in Factor. Please report.\n");
-		fprintf(stderr,"early_error: ");
+		printf("You have triggered a bug in Factor. Please report.\n");
+		printf("early_error: ");
 		print_obj(error);
-		fprintf(stderr,"\n");
+		printf("\n");
 		factorbug();
 	}
 }