diff --git a/processing/app/PdeSketch.java b/processing/app/PdeSketch.java
index b67ee4b0c..5029f9d0d 100644
--- a/processing/app/PdeSketch.java
+++ b/processing/app/PdeSketch.java
@@ -188,7 +188,10 @@ public class PdeSketch {
     // remove any entries that didn't load properly
     int index = 0;
     while (index < codeCount) {
-      if (code[index].program == null) {
+      //System.out.println("code is " + code);
+      //System.out.println(index + " " + code[index]);
+      if ((code[index] == null) ||
+          (code[index].program == null)) {
         //hide(index);  // although will this file be hidable?
         for (int i = index+1; i < codeCount; i++) {
           code[i-1] = code[i];
diff --git a/processing/build/linux/make.sh b/processing/build/linux/make.sh
index b1ee66785..1a475dc5f 100755
--- a/processing/build/linux/make.sh
+++ b/processing/build/linux/make.sh
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@
 
 if test -d work
 then
-  echo
+  BUILD_PREPROC=false
 else
   echo Setting up directories to build for linux...
+  BUILD_PREPROC=true
   cp -r ../shared work
   cp -r ../../lib work/libraries
 
diff --git a/processing/build/macosx/make.sh b/processing/build/macosx/make.sh
index 52ce2f546..c9844a921 100755
--- a/processing/build/macosx/make.sh
+++ b/processing/build/macosx/make.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 if test -d work 
 then
-  echo 
+  BUILD_PREPROC=false
 else
   if test -f /sw/bin/cp
   then
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ else
   fi
 
   echo Setting up directories to build under Mac OS X
+  BUILD_PREPROC=true
+
   cp -r ../shared work
 
   cp -r ../../lib work/libraries
@@ -79,7 +81,8 @@ cd ../app
 #echo Removing preproc code so it will regenerate
 #rm preprocessor/expandedpde.g
 
-if test -f preprocessor/expandedpde.g
+if $BUILD_PREPROC
+#if test -f preprocessor/expandedpde.g
 then
   echo
 else
diff --git a/processing/build/windows/make.sh b/processing/build/windows/make.sh
index 873150096..bba21cfce 100755
--- a/processing/build/windows/make.sh
+++ b/processing/build/windows/make.sh
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 
 if test -d work
 then
+  BUILD_PREPROC=false
 else
   echo Setting up directories to build P5...
+  BUILD_PREPROC=true
   cp -r ../shared work
   rm -rf work/CVS
   rm -f work/.DS_Store 
@@ -87,14 +89,17 @@ zip -rq ../build/windows/work/lib/core.jar processing
 # back to base processing dir
 cd ..
 
-#################### TEMPORARY #####################
-# set to true to re-enable building the preprocessor
-if true
-then
-#################### TEMPORARY #####################
-
 ### -- BUILD PREPROC ---------------------------------------------
 
+# i suck at shell scripting
+#if [ $1 = "preproc" ] 
+#then 
+#BUILD_PREPROC=true
+#fi
+
+if $BUILD_PREPROC
+then
+
 echo Building PDE for JDK 1.4
 
 cd app/preprocessor
@@ -111,9 +116,7 @@ cd app/preprocessor
 # back to base processing dir
 cd ../..
 
-#################### TEMPORARY #####################
 fi
-#################### TEMPORARY #####################
 
 
 ### -- BUILD PDE ------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/processing/todo.txt b/processing/todo.txt
index 64ad13d20..3050e20f7 100644
--- a/processing/todo.txt
+++ b/processing/todo.txt
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@ X macosx is using /Library instead of ~/Library.. get this fixed
 X   domain version wasn't in the stubs.. grr
 X   or maybe it's an int or something?
 X   just use reflection to call the function instead
-
-_ "use external editor" is broken
-_   throws exception on load()
+X "use external editor" is broken
+X   throws exception on load()
+X make preproc only build once (across osx, windows, linux)
 
 _ if a data file is in the sketch (not data) folder export breaks
 _   works fine in the editor, but on export gets a nullpointer ex