diff --git a/basis/cocoa/apple-script/apple-script-docs.factor b/basis/cocoa/apple-script/apple-script-docs.factor
index bcecb53248..b0872170f2 100644
--- a/basis/cocoa/apple-script/apple-script-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/cocoa/apple-script/apple-script-docs.factor
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ IN: cocoa.apple-script
 
 HELP: quote-apple-script 
 { $values { "str" string } }
-{ $description { "Escape special characters in a string to make it suitable as a literal string in AppleScript code." }
-{ $notes "Because this word is a port from Barney Gale's Elevate.py ("{ $vocab-link elevate }"), the only characters escaped are keys in " { $link apple-script-charmap } "; other special characters are unchanged." } ;
+{ $description "Escape special characters in a string to make it suitable as a literal string in AppleScript code." } ;
 
 HELP: run-apple-script
 { $values { "str" string } }
diff --git a/basis/cocoa/apple-script/apple-script.factor b/basis/cocoa/apple-script/apple-script.factor
index 94cff2da82..52d9c6ade9 100644
--- a/basis/cocoa/apple-script/apple-script.factor
+++ b/basis/cocoa/apple-script/apple-script.factor
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2013 John Benediktsson
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license
-USING: cocoa cocoa.application cocoa.classes kernel parser
-multiline words ;
+USING: assocs cocoa cocoa.application cocoa.classes kernel
+multiline parser sequences strings words ;
 IN: cocoa.apple-script
 
 <PRIVATE
@@ -15,10 +15,8 @@ CONSTANT: apple-script-charmap H{
 PRIVATE>
 
 : quote-apple-script ( str -- str' )
-    [
-      1string [ apple-script-charmap at ] [ ] bi or
-    ] { } map-as
-    "" join "\"" dup surround ;
+    [ 1string apple-script-charmap ?at drop ] { } map-as
+    "" concat-as "\"" dup surround ;
 
 : run-apple-script ( str -- )
     [ NSAppleScript -> alloc ] dip
diff --git a/basis/elevate/elevate.factor b/basis/elevate/elevate.factor
index 820e16996e..439ed145fd 100644
--- a/basis/elevate/elevate.factor
+++ b/basis/elevate/elevate.factor
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ HOOK: lowered  os ( -- )
 
 : elevate ( win-console? posix-graphical? -- ) [ (command-line) t ] 2dip elevated drop ;
 
+os unix? [ "elevate.unix" require ] when
+
 {
     { [ os windows? ] [ "elevate.windows" require ] }
     { [ os linux? ] [ "elevate.linux" require ] }
diff --git a/basis/elevate/macosx/macosx.factor b/basis/elevate/macosx/macosx.factor
index 69a0e04abe..d64462fdf2 100644
--- a/basis/elevate/macosx/macosx.factor
+++ b/basis/elevate/macosx/macosx.factor
@@ -1,20 +1,25 @@
-USING: cocoa.apple-script elevate elevate.unix ;
+USING: accessors arrays cocoa.apple-script elevate
+elevate.unix.private formatting io.launcher kernel locals
+sequences system ;
 IN: elevate.macosx
 
 <PRIVATE
 : apple-script-elevated ( command -- )
-    quote-apple-script
+    first quote-apple-script
     "do shell script %s with administrator privileges without altering line endings"
     sprintf run-apple-script ;
 
 ! TODO
 M:: macosx elevated ( command replace? win-console? posix-graphical? -- process )
-    already-root? [ <process> command >>command 1array ] [
-        posix-graphical? [ ! graphical through applescript
+    already-root? [
+        <process> command >>command 1array
+    ] [
+        ! graphical through applescript
+        posix-graphical? [
             command apple-script-elevated
         ] when
-        posix-elevated
-    ] if ;
+        posix-elevated  "lol3" throw
+    ] if "lol" throw ;
 
 M: macosx lowered
     posix-lowered ;