diff --git a/C/init.c b/C/init.c
index 4061d940f..080c03c90 100644
--- a/C/init.c
+++ b/C/init.c
@@ -1030,6 +1030,7 @@ InitCodes(void)
   heap_regs->foreign_code_loaded = NULL;
   heap_regs->yap_lib_dir = NULL;
   heap_regs->agc_hook = NULL;
+  heap_regs->parser_error_style = EXCEPTION_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
   heap_regs->size_of_overflow  = 0;
   /* make sure no one else can use these two atoms */
   CurrentModule = 0;
diff --git a/C/iopreds.c b/C/iopreds.c
index 9d9d747e0..45ea98ffd 100644
--- a/C/iopreds.c
+++ b/C/iopreds.c
@@ -170,8 +170,6 @@ STATIC_PROTO (Int GetArgSizeFromChar, (Term *));
 
 
 
-static int parser_error_style = EXCEPTION_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
-
 #if EMACS
 static int first_char;
 #endif
@@ -2794,13 +2792,13 @@ p_set_read_error_handler(void)
   }
   s = RepAtom(AtomOfTerm(t))->StrOfAE;
   if (!strcmp(s, "fail")) {
-    parser_error_style = FAIL_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
+    ParserErrorStyle = FAIL_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
   } else if (!strcmp(s, "error")) {
-    parser_error_style = EXCEPTION_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
+    ParserErrorStyle = EXCEPTION_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
   } else if (!strcmp(s, "quiet")) {
-    parser_error_style = QUIET_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
+    ParserErrorStyle = QUIET_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
   } else if (!strcmp(s, "dec10")) {
-    parser_error_style = CONTINUE_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
+    ParserErrorStyle = CONTINUE_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
   } else {
     Error(DOMAIN_ERROR_SYNTAX_ERROR_HANDLER,t,"bad syntax_error handler");
     return(FALSE);
@@ -2814,7 +2812,7 @@ p_get_read_error_handler(void)
 {
   Term t;
 
-  switch (parser_error_style) {
+  switch (ParserErrorStyle) {
   case FAIL_ON_PARSER_ERROR:
     t = MkAtomTerm(LookupAtom("fail"));
     break;
@@ -2893,10 +2891,10 @@ p_read (void)
 	}
       }
       TR = old_TR;
-      if (parser_error_style == QUIET_ON_PARSER_ERROR) {
+      if (ParserErrorStyle == QUIET_ON_PARSER_ERROR) {
 	/* just fail */
 	return(FALSE);
-      } else if (parser_error_style == CONTINUE_ON_PARSER_ERROR) {
+      } else if (ParserErrorStyle == CONTINUE_ON_PARSER_ERROR) {
 	ErrorMessage = NULL;
 	/* try again */
 	goto repeat_cycle;
@@ -2905,7 +2903,7 @@ p_read (void)
 	if (ErrorMessage == NULL)
 	  ErrorMessage = "SYNTAX ERROR";
 	
-	if (parser_error_style == EXCEPTION_ON_PARSER_ERROR) {
+	if (ParserErrorStyle == EXCEPTION_ON_PARSER_ERROR) {
 	  Error(SYNTAX_ERROR,terr,ErrorMessage);
 	  return(FALSE);
 	} else /* FAIL ON PARSER ERROR */ {
diff --git a/H/Heap.h b/H/Heap.h
index 7a87c6f74..7631820f6 100644
--- a/H/Heap.h
+++ b/H/Heap.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 * File:		Heap.h         						 *
 * mods:									 *
 * comments:	Heap Init Structure					 *
-* version:      $Id: Heap.h,v 1.28 2002-06-04 18:21:54 vsc Exp $	 *
+* version:      $Id: Heap.h,v 1.29 2002-06-05 01:34:06 vsc Exp $	 *
 *************************************************************************/
 
 /* information that can be stored in Code Space */
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ typedef struct various_codes {
   void *foreign_code_loaded;
   char *yap_lib_dir;
   Agc_hook  agc_hook;
+  int parser_error_style;
 #if defined(YAPOR) || defined(TABLING)
   struct global_data global;
   struct local_data remote[MAX_WORKERS];
@@ -485,6 +486,7 @@ typedef struct various_codes {
 #define  ForeignCodeLoaded        heap_regs->foreign_code_loaded
 #define  Yap_LibDir               heap_regs->yap_lib_dir
 #define  AGCHook                  heap_regs->agc_hook
+#define  ParserErrorStyle         heap_regs->parser_error_style
 #define  DeadClauses              heap_regs->dead_clauses
 #define  SizeOfOverflow           heap_regs->size_of_overflow
 #define  LastWtimePtr             heap_regs->last_wtime
diff --git a/H/iopreds.h b/H/iopreds.h
index f2a924c5e..1f6ddd527 100644
--- a/H/iopreds.h
+++ b/H/iopreds.h
@@ -102,11 +102,6 @@ StreamDesc Stream[MaxStreams];
 #define Pipe_Stream_f		0x040000
 #define Popen_Stream_f		0x080000
 
-#define FAIL_ON_PARSER_ERROR      0
-#define QUIET_ON_PARSER_ERROR     1
-#define CONTINUE_ON_PARSER_ERROR  2
-#define EXCEPTION_ON_PARSER_ERROR 3
-
 #define StdInStream	0
 #define StdOutStream	1
 #define	StdErrStream	2
diff --git a/H/yapio.h b/H/yapio.h
index 8f5662384..05971b15c 100644
--- a/H/yapio.h
+++ b/H/yapio.h
@@ -314,6 +314,11 @@ extern int  Portray_delays;
 
 #define HashFunction(CHP,OUT) { (OUT)=0; while(*(CHP) != '\0') (OUT) += *(CHP)++; (OUT) %= MaxHash; }
 
+#define FAIL_ON_PARSER_ERROR      0
+#define QUIET_ON_PARSER_ERROR     1
+#define CONTINUE_ON_PARSER_ERROR  2
+#define EXCEPTION_ON_PARSER_ERROR 3
+
 extern jmp_buf IOBotch;
 
 extern int in_getc;
diff --git a/pl/boot.yap b/pl/boot.yap
index 9f426e2a9..1ad399e43 100644
--- a/pl/boot.yap
+++ b/pl/boot.yap
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ read_sig.
 	(
 	    '$get_value'('$break',0)
 	->
-	    '$set_read_error_handler'(error),
+	    % '$set_read_error_handler'(error), let the user do that
 	    % after an abort, make sure all spy points are gone.
 	    '$clean_debugging_info',
 	    % simple trick to find out if this is we are booting from Prolog.