diff --git a/include/data.s b/include/data.s
index c3f113f..452018e 100644
--- a/include/data.s
+++ b/include/data.s
@@ -81,48 +81,10 @@ BLE_info_table:
 	cell 0
 BLE_code:
 	# if we hit this, we've got a pure loop in a program, and it is never
-	# going to actually progress. So let's just shoot it down with a
-	# helpful message or so.
-	mov 010(%rbp), %r15
-
-	mov $1, %rdi #stdout
-
-	mov $14, %rdx
-	mov $BLE_msg, %rsi
-	mov $1, %rax #write
-	syscall
-
-	mov $1, %rdx
-	BLE_loop:
-	mov %r15, %rcx
-	and $0xf, %rcx
-	mov $BLE_hex, %rsi
-	add %rcx, %rsi
-	mov $1, %rax
-	syscall
-	shr $4, %r15
-	jnz BLE_loop
-
-	mov $BLE_nl, %rsi
-	mov $1, %rax
-	syscall
-
-	# shot self down (and retry if it doesn't succeed)
-	BLE_retry_sigkill:
-	mov $39, %rax
-	syscall # getpid
-	mov %rax, %rdi
-	mov $6, %rsi # SIGABRT
-	mov $62, %rax # kill
-	syscall
-	jmp BLE_retry_sigkill
-
-BLE_msg:
-	.ascii "diverged at 0x"
-BLE_hex:
-	.ascii "0123456789abcdef"
-BLE_nl:
-	.ascii "\n"
+	# going to actually progress. So let's just shoot it down.
+	mov 0, %rax
+	jmp BLE_code
+	# this might eventually generate an actual IO-style exception or something.
 
 # List
 # | ptr | 0 |           # [] case
diff --git a/include/main_exit.s b/include/main_exit.s
index 5ce6c76..3982e32 100644
--- a/include/main_exit.s
+++ b/include/main_exit.s
@@ -6,5 +6,8 @@ _main_exit_s_file:
 	mov 010(%rsi), %rdi # result INT goes to syscall exitcode
 	mov $60, %rax  # exit=60
 	syscall # exit %rdi
+	# syscall might also die; at that point let's die more elaborately
+	mov 0, %rax
+	jmp main_exit
 
 .endif # _main_exit_s_file