diff --git a/help/cellstructure.md b/help/cellstructure.md
index 56c868fc..301bcc5d 100644
--- a/help/cellstructure.md
+++ b/help/cellstructure.md
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ all source for every single part of a cell program are located in the cell shop.
 
 the cell shop looks like this:
 .cell
-  shop.toml <---- shop configuration
   packages
-    gitea.pockle.world/john/cell <--- this is the core cell
+    core <--- this is the core cell
+    gitea.pockle.world/john/cell <---- core contents. this is linked to core
     gitea.pockle.world/john/prosperon
       cell.toml <--- the manifest of the package
       mod1.cm
diff --git a/shop.cm b/shop.cm
index f2ed59a9..94525bc5 100644
--- a/shop.cm
+++ b/shop.cm
@@ -231,13 +231,10 @@ function get_global_build_dir() {
 
 // Get the core directory (in the global shop)
 Shop.get_core_dir = function() {
-  return global_shop_path + '/core'
+  return get_packages_dir() + '/' + core_package
 }
 
-function get_core_package()
-{
-  return "gitea.pockle.world/john/cell"
-}
+var core_package = 'core'
 
 // Get the links file path (in the global shop)
 function get_links_path() {
@@ -800,7 +797,7 @@ var open_dls = {}
 var script_form = function(path, script, pkg) {
   var pkg_arg = pkg ? `'${pkg}'` : 'null'
   var relative_use_fn = `def use = function(path) { return globalThis.use(path, ${pkg_arg});}`
-  var fn = `(function setup_module($_){ ${relative_use_fn}; ${script}})`
+  var fn = `(function setup_module($_, args){ ${relative_use_fn}; ${script}})`
   return fn
 }
 
@@ -823,23 +820,21 @@ Shop.get_flags = get_flags
 function resolve_mod_fn(path, pkg) {
   if (!fd.is_file(path)) throw new Error(`path ${path} is not a file`)
 
-  var content = fd.slurp(path)
-  var obj = pull_from_cache(content)
+  var content = text(fd.slurp(path))
+  var script = script_form(path, content, pkg);
+  
+  var obj = pull_from_cache(utf8.encode(script))
   if (obj) {
     var fn = js.compile_unblob(obj)
     return js.eval_compile(fn)
   }
-
-  var form = script_form
-  
-  var script = form(path, text(content), pkg);
   
   // Compile name is just for debug/stack traces
   var compile_name = pkg ? pkg + ':' + path : 'local:' + path
   
   var fn = js.compile(compile_name, script)
   
-  put_into_cache(content, js.compile_blob(fn))
+  put_into_cache(utf8.encode(script), js.compile_blob(fn))
   
   return js.eval_compile(fn)
 }
@@ -1763,8 +1758,7 @@ Shop.build_package = function(package)
     var link_flags = '-fPIC -shared'
     
     // Link against core package dylib (unless we ARE the core)
-    var core_pkg = get_core_package()
-    if (package != core_pkg) {
+    if (package != core_package) {
         var lib_dir = get_shared_lib_path()
         if (platform == 'macOS') {
             link_flags += ' -L' + lib_dir + ' -Wl,-rpath,@loader_path'
@@ -1773,7 +1767,7 @@ Shop.build_package = function(package)
         } else if (platform == 'Windows') {
             link_flags += ' -L' + lib_dir
         }
-        link_flags += ' -l' + get_core_package()
+        link_flags += ' -l' + core_package
     }
     
     var ldflags = get_flags(config, platform, 'LDFLAGS')
@@ -2016,6 +2010,7 @@ Shop.list_shop_packages = function() {
     var lock = Shop.load_lock()
     var list = []
     for (var k in lock) {
+      log.console(k)
         if (lock[k]) list.push(lock[k])
     }
     return list
diff --git a/source/cell.c b/source/cell.c
index 8c4cb79f..70077339 100644
--- a/source/cell.c
+++ b/source/cell.c
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 #define ENGINE "internal/engine.cm"
 #define CELL_SHOP_DIR ".cell"
-#define CELL_CORE_DIR "core"
+#define CELL_CORE_DIR "packages/core"
 
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
diff --git a/update.ce b/update.ce
index d67d44d8..7eb83b68 100644
--- a/update.ce
+++ b/update.ce
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ for (var i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
 
 var packages = shop.list_shop_packages()
 
-log.console("Checking for updates (" + packages.length + " packages)...")
+log.console("Checking for updates (" + text(packages.length) + " packages)...")
 
 // 1. Update all packages
 for (var info of packages) {