diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 68aeb29575..4ed97ccb12 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-CC = gcc34
-CFLAGS = -Os -ffast-math -march=pentium4 -Wall -fomit-frame-pointer
+CC = gcc
+CFLAGS = -g -Wall
 LIBS = -lm
 STRIP = strip
 
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ OBJS = native/arithmetic.o native/array.o native/bignum.o \
 
 f: $(OBJS)
 	$(CC) $(LIBS) -o $@ $(OBJS)
-	$(STRIP) $@
+#	$(STRIP) $@
 
 clean:
 	rm -f $(OBJS)
diff --git a/TODO.FACTOR.txt b/TODO.FACTOR.txt
index 3b2515ca93..6508c2527c 100644
--- a/TODO.FACTOR.txt
+++ b/TODO.FACTOR.txt
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@
 
 + native:
 
+- fix error postoning -- not all errors thrown by i/o code are
+  postponed
 - sbuf-hashcode
 - vector-hashcode
 - irc: stack underflow?
diff --git a/library/cross-compiler.factor b/library/cross-compiler.factor
index 573f20eb70..2d115962bc 100644
--- a/library/cross-compiler.factor
+++ b/library/cross-compiler.factor
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ DEFER: can-write?
 DEFER: add-write-io-task
 DEFER: write-fd-8
 DEFER: add-copy-io-task
+DEFER: pending-io-error
 DEFER: next-io-task
 
 IN: math
@@ -247,6 +248,7 @@ IN: cross-compiler
         add-write-io-task
         write-fd-8
         add-copy-io-task
+        pending-io-error
         next-io-task
         room
         os-env
diff --git a/library/platform/native/io-internals.factor b/library/platform/native/io-internals.factor
index b3ce88c243..47302832a9 100644
--- a/library/platform/native/io-internals.factor
+++ b/library/platform/native/io-internals.factor
@@ -73,4 +73,5 @@ USE: threads
     dup wait-to-accept accept-fd ;
 
 : blocking-copy ( in out -- )
-    [ add-copy-io-task (yield) ] callcc0 2drop ;
+    [ add-copy-io-task (yield) ] callcc0
+    pending-io-error pending-io-error ;
diff --git a/native/port.c b/native/port.c
index 25e5d876ec..88c468dc4e 100644
--- a/native/port.c
+++ b/native/port.c
@@ -100,3 +100,8 @@ void pending_io_error(PORT* port)
 		general_error(ERROR_IO,io_error);
 	}
 }
+
+void primitive_pending_io_error(void)
+{
+	pending_io_error(untag_port(dpop()));
+}
diff --git a/native/port.h b/native/port.h
index 3553a037aa..fa2d0d9df9 100644
--- a/native/port.h
+++ b/native/port.h
@@ -42,3 +42,4 @@ void collect_port(PORT* port);
 void postpone_io_error(PORT* port, const char* func);
 void io_error(const char* func);
 void pending_io_error(PORT* port);
+void primitive_pending_io_error(void);
diff --git a/native/primitives.c b/native/primitives.c
index e845e32604..b2607d68f1 100644
--- a/native/primitives.c
+++ b/native/primitives.c
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ XT primitives[] = {
 	primitive_add_write_io_task,
 	primitive_write_8,
 	primitive_add_copy_io_task,
+	primitive_pending_io_error,
 	primitive_next_io_task,
 	primitive_room,
 	primitive_os_env,
diff --git a/native/primitives.h b/native/primitives.h
index 66097546ab..95ef45ac2f 100644
--- a/native/primitives.h
+++ b/native/primitives.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 extern XT primitives[];
-#define PRIMITIVE_COUNT 147
+#define PRIMITIVE_COUNT 148
 
 CELL primitive_to_xt(CELL primitive);
diff --git a/native/write.c b/native/write.c
index 917d335524..c918a9adc0 100644
--- a/native/write.c
+++ b/native/write.c
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ bool can_write(PORT* port, FIXNUM len)
 {
 	CELL buf_capacity;
 
-	pending_io_error(port);
-
 	if(port->type != PORT_WRITE)
 		general_error(ERROR_INCOMPATIBLE_PORT,tag_object(port));
 
@@ -42,6 +40,7 @@ void primitive_can_write(void)
 {
 	PORT* port = untag_port(dpop());
 	FIXNUM len = to_fixnum(dpop());
+	pending_io_error(port);
 	dpush(tag_boolean(can_write(port,len)));
 }
 
@@ -73,6 +72,8 @@ void write_char_8(PORT* port, FIXNUM ch)
 {
 	char c = (char)ch;
 
+	pending_io_error(port);
+
 	if(!can_write(port,1))
 		io_error(__FUNCTION__);
 
@@ -94,6 +95,8 @@ void write_string_8(PORT* port, STRING* str)
 {
 	char* c_str;
 	
+	pending_io_error(port);
+
 	/* Note this ensures the buffer is large enough to fit the string */
 	if(!can_write(port,str->capacity))
 		io_error(__FUNCTION__);