diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index cabb741..043dc45 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 CC=gcc
 CFLAGS=-Wall -pedantic -g -DUNIX_HOST
-LIBS=-lm
+LIBS=-lm -lreadline
 
 TARGET	= picoc
 SRCS	= picoc.c table.c lex.c parse.c expression.c heap.c type.c \
diff --git a/clibrary.c b/clibrary.c
index 4869807..ef6f5f2 100644
--- a/clibrary.c
+++ b/clibrary.c
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ void LibGets(struct ParseState *Parser, struct Value *ReturnValue, struct Value
     char *Result;
 
     ReturnValue->Val->Pointer = NULL;
-    Result = PlatformGetLine(ReadBuffer, GETS_BUF_MAX);
+    Result = PlatformGetLine(ReadBuffer, GETS_BUF_MAX, NULL);
     if (Result == NULL)
         return;
     
diff --git a/lex.c b/lex.c
index 2f955bd..2a494f1 100644
--- a/lex.c
+++ b/lex.c
@@ -556,6 +556,7 @@ enum LexToken LexGetToken(struct ParseState *Parser, struct Value **Value, int I
 {
     enum LexToken Token = TokenNone;
     int ValueSize;
+    char *Prompt = NULL;
     
     do
     { 
@@ -586,13 +587,13 @@ enum LexToken LexGetToken(struct ParseState *Parser, struct Value **Value, int I
                 /* get interactive input */
                 if (LexUseStatementPrompt)
                 {
-                    PlatformPrintf(INTERACTIVE_PROMPT_STATEMENT);
+                    Prompt = INTERACTIVE_PROMPT_STATEMENT;
                     LexUseStatementPrompt = FALSE;
                 }
                 else
-                    PlatformPrintf(INTERACTIVE_PROMPT_LINE);
+                    Prompt = INTERACTIVE_PROMPT_LINE;
                     
-                if (PlatformGetLine(&LineBuffer[0], LINEBUFFER_MAX) == NULL)
+                if (PlatformGetLine(&LineBuffer[0], LINEBUFFER_MAX, Prompt) == NULL)
                     return TokenEOF;
 
                 /* put the new line at the end of the linked list of interactive lines */        
diff --git a/picoc.h b/picoc.h
index e6dedc6..7a73b9a 100644
--- a/picoc.h
+++ b/picoc.h
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ void AssignFail(struct ParseState *Parser, const char *Format, struct ValueType
 void LexFail(struct LexState *Lexer, const char *Message, ...);
 void PlatformCleanup();
 void PlatformScanFile(const char *FileName);
-char *PlatformGetLine(char *Buf, int MaxLen);
+char *PlatformGetLine(char *Buf, int MaxLen, const char *Prompt);
 int PlatformGetCharacter();
 void PlatformPutc(unsigned char OutCh, union OutputStreamInfo *);
 void PlatformErrorPrefix(struct ParseState *Parser);
diff --git a/platform.h b/platform.h
index a517109..4310cd2 100644
--- a/platform.h
+++ b/platform.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 # ifndef NO_FP
 #  include <math.h>
 #  define PICOC_MATH_LIBRARY
-/*#  define NEED_MATH_LIBRARY*/
+#  define USE_READLINE
 #  undef BIG_ENDIAN
 #  if defined(__powerpc__) || defined(__hppa__) || defined(__sparc__)
 #   define BIG_ENDIAN
diff --git a/platform/platform_unix.c b/platform/platform_unix.c
index e3775e6..50f6b57 100644
--- a/platform/platform_unix.c
+++ b/platform/platform_unix.c
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 #include "../picoc.h"
 
+#ifdef USE_READLINE
+#include <readline/readline.h>
+#include <readline/history.h>
+#endif
+
 /* a source file we need to clean up */
 static char *CleanupText = NULL;
 
@@ -11,8 +16,31 @@ void PlatformCleanup()
 }
 
 /* get a line of interactive input */
-char *PlatformGetLine(char *Buf, int MaxLen)
+char *PlatformGetLine(char *Buf, int MaxLen, const char *Prompt)
 {
+#ifdef USE_READLINE
+    if (Prompt != NULL)
+    {
+        /* use GNU readline to read the line */
+        char *InLine = readline(Prompt);
+        if (InLine == NULL)
+            return NULL;
+    
+        Buf[MaxLen] = '\0';
+        strncpy(Buf, InLine, MaxLen-1);
+        strncat(Buf, "\n", MaxLen-1);
+        
+        if (InLine[0] != '\0')
+            add_history(InLine);
+            
+        free(InLine);
+        return Buf;
+    }
+#endif
+
+    if (Prompt != NULL)
+        printf("%s", Prompt);
+        
     fflush(stdout);
     return fgets(Buf, MaxLen, stdin);
 }