diff --git a/common/utils.fs b/common/utils.fs
index 941d3af..b52893a 100644
--- a/common/utils.fs
+++ b/common/utils.fs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 : assert ( f -- ) 0= throw ;
 
 ( Print spaces )
-: spaces ( n -- ) for aft space then next ;
+: spaces ( n -- ) 0 max for aft space then next ;
 
 internals definitions
 
diff --git a/common/utils_tests.fs b/common/utils_tests.fs
index 0287139..ffd045b 100644
--- a/common/utils_tests.fs
+++ b/common/utils_tests.fs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 \ limitations under the License.
 
 ( Tests of utils.fs )
+
 e: test-.s0
   .s
   out: <0> 
@@ -255,3 +256,9 @@ e: test-see-immediate
   out:     123 
   out: ; IMMEDIATE 
 ;e
+
+e: test-negative-spaces
+  : foo -10 spaces ." hi" cr ;
+  foo
+  out: hi
+;e
diff --git a/configure.py b/configure.py
index d0422e7..6325652 100755
--- a/configure.py
+++ b/configure.py
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ rule forth_test
   description = FORTH_TEST $test
   depfile = $out.d
   deps = gcc
-  command = $src/tools/importation.py -i $test -o $out --depsout $depfile --no-out && $interp $forth $test 2>&1 | cat >$out
+  command = $src/tools/importation.py -i $test -o $out --depsout $depfile --no-out && $interp $forth $test >$out 2>&1
 
 rule publish
   description = PUBLISH $pubpath
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ rule publish
   -DSTABLE_VERSION=$STABLE_VERSION \
   -DOLD_STABLE_VERSION=$OLD_STABLE_VERSION \
   -FREVISION=$dst/gen/REVISION \
-  -FREVSHORT=$dst/gen/REVSHORT 2>&1 | cat >/dev/null
+  -FREVSHORT=$dst/gen/REVSHORT >/dev/null 2>&1
 
 rule clean
   description = CLEAN
diff --git a/esp32/BUILD b/esp32/BUILD
index 1dee2ad..b75c7f4 100644
--- a/esp32/BUILD
+++ b/esp32/BUILD
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ ESP32_FILES += [
                     '$dst/esp32-sim/Esp32forth-sim')),
   TestCommand('$dst/tests/esp32_sim_see_all_test.out',
               '$dst/esp32-sim/Esp32forth-sim',
-              'echo internals see-all bye | $dst/esp32-sim/Esp32forth-sim 2>&1 | '
-              'cat >$dst/tests/esp32_sim_see_all_test.out'),
+              'echo internals see-all bye | $dst/esp32-sim/Esp32forth-sim '
+              '>$dst/tests/esp32_sim_see_all_test.out 2>&1'),
 ]
 Compile('$dst/gen/print-esp32-builtins', '$src/esp32/print-builtins.cpp'),
 Run('$dst/gen/esp32_sim_opcodes.h', '$dst/gen/print-esp32-builtins')
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ for board_base in BOARDS:
             f'--build-path ueforth_esp32/{board}_dir/build '
             f'--build-cache-path ueforth_esp32/{board}_dir/cache '
             f'ueforth_esp32/{board}_dir/ESP32forth/ESP32forth.ino ')
-    pipe = f' 2>&1 | cat > ueforth_esp32/{board}_dir/build/build.out && '
+    pipe = f' > ueforth_esp32/{board}_dir/build/build.out 2>&1 && '
     copyout = (f'cd - && '
                f'cp {WINTMP}/ueforth_esp32/{board}_dir/build/*.bin '
                f'$dst/esp32/{board}_build/ && '
diff --git a/pico-ice/BUILD b/pico-ice/BUILD
index 6d19ba5..c2094ad 100644
--- a/pico-ice/BUILD
+++ b/pico-ice/BUILD
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ Command(' '.join(['$dst/pico-ice/ueforth_pico_ice.uf2',
                   '$dst/pico-ice/ueforth_pico_ice.err']),
         ' '.join(['$dst/pico-ice/build.ninja',
                   '$dst/gen/pico_ice_boot.h']),
-        'ninja -C $dst/pico-ice ueforth_pico_ice 2>&1 | cat >$dst/pico-ice/ueforth_pico_ice.err')
+        'ninja -C $dst/pico-ice ueforth_pico_ice >$dst/pico-ice/ueforth_pico_ice.err 2>&1')
 Command(' '.join(['$dst/pico-ice/build.ninja',
                   '$dst/pico-ice/cmake.err']),
         ' '.join(['$src/pico-ice/pico-sdk/README.md',
                   '$src/pico-ice/pico-ice-sdk/README.md',
                   '$src/pico-ice/pico-sdk/lib/tinyusb/README.rst']),
-        'cmake $dst/pico-ice -G Ninja -S pico-ice -B $dst/pico-ice 2>&1 | cat >$dst/pico-ice/cmake.err')
+        'cmake $dst/pico-ice -G Ninja -S pico-ice -B $dst/pico-ice >$dst/pico-ice/cmake.err 2>&1')
 
 # Check out submodules if needed.
 Command(' '.join([
diff --git a/posix/BUILD b/posix/BUILD
index 480abca..344b45b 100644
--- a/posix/BUILD
+++ b/posix/BUILD
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ Alias('posix', ' '.join([
             '$dst/posix/ueforth', '$src/common/all_tests.fs'),
   TestCommand('$dst/tests/posix_see_all_test.out',
               '$dst/posix/ueforth',
-              'echo internals see-all bye | $dst/posix/ueforth 2>&1 | '
-              'cat >$dst/tests/posix_see_all_test.out'),
+              'echo internals see-all bye | $dst/posix/ueforth '
+              '>$dst/tests/posix_see_all_test.out 2>&1'),
   TestCommand(' '.join(['$dst/tests/posix_save_restore_test.out',
                         '$dst/tests/posix_save_restore.bin']),
               '$dst/posix/ueforth',
diff --git a/site/BUILD b/site/BUILD
index 0aa27d0..7c93a13 100644
--- a/site/BUILD
+++ b/site/BUILD
@@ -137,5 +137,5 @@ Alias('publish', ' '.join([
       '$src/tools/publish.py',
     ] + PUBLISH_PARTS),
     '$src/tools/webindex.py >$dst/gen/archive.html && ' +
-    '$src/tools/publish.py --src $dst/gen/archive.html --dst archive.html 2>&1 | cat >/dev/null'),
+    '$src/tools/publish.py --src $dst/gen/archive.html --dst archive.html >/dev/null 2>&1'),
 ]))