diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 72a2b82..71655b2 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -9,11 +9,15 @@ SCRIPTDIR ?= /usr/local/share/pebblisp
 mkfile_path := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
 mkfile_dir := $(dir $(mkfile_path))
 
-GCC_COM ?= gcc -g -O0 -Wall -o $(exe) -D WEBSERVER -D STANDALONE -DSCRIPTDIR=\"$(SCRIPTDIR)\"
+GCC_ARGS ?= -g -Wall -o $(exe) -D WEBSERVER -D STANDALONE -DSCRIPTDIR=\"$(SCRIPTDIR)\"
+GCC_COM ?= gcc -O0 $(GCC_ARGS)
 
 all:
 	$(GCC_COM) $(file_libs) && echo && ./tests.sh
 
+release:
+	gcc -O3 $(GCC_ARGS) $(file_libs) && strip ./$(exe) && echo && ./tests.sh
+
 notest:
 	$(GCC_COM) $(file_libs)
 
diff --git a/src/env.c b/src/env.c
index 6522d9d..122581b 100644
--- a/src/env.c
+++ b/src/env.c
@@ -440,6 +440,7 @@ struct Environment defaultEnv()
         pf(loadFile),
         pf(takeInput),
         pf(readFileToObject),
+        pf(getEnvVar),
         pf(help)
 #endif
     };
diff --git a/src/pebblisp.c b/src/pebblisp.c
index 9360e1e..bf3d3b7 100644
--- a/src/pebblisp.c
+++ b/src/pebblisp.c
@@ -391,7 +391,8 @@ Result readSeq(struct Slice* tokens)
         nf_addToList(&res, cloneObject(r.obj));
         tokens = r.slices;
         cleanObject(&r.obj);
-        forceString = next->text[0] == '?' || (strncmp(next->text, "def", 3) == 0);
+        forceString = next->text[0] == '?'
+            || (strncmp(next->text, "def", 3) == 0);
     }
 }
 
@@ -700,8 +701,9 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[])
     Object o = parseEval("(def prompt \"pebblisp::> \")", &env);
     cleanObject(&o);
 
-    char config[strlen(getenv("HOME")) + 15];
-    sprintf(config, "%s/.pebblisp.pbl", getenv("HOME"));
+    const char * const home = getenv("HOME");
+    char config[strlen(home) + 15];
+    sprintf(config, "%s/.pebblisp.pbl", home);
     readFile(config, &env);
 
     if (argc >= 2) {
diff --git a/src/plfunc.c b/src/plfunc.c
index 2b4f7f0..fe32b18 100644
--- a/src/plfunc.c
+++ b/src/plfunc.c
@@ -486,6 +486,12 @@ Object readFileToObject(Object* params, int length, struct Environment* env)
     return string;
 }
 
+Object getEnvVar(Object* params, int length, struct Environment* env)
+{
+    checkTypes(getEnvVar)
+    return nullTerminated(getenv(params[0].string));
+}
+
 #include <time.h>
 
 int timeStructDefinition = -1;
diff --git a/src/plfunc.h b/src/plfunc.h
index 3573faa..bddc764 100644
--- a/src/plfunc.h
+++ b/src/plfunc.h
@@ -240,6 +240,12 @@ tfn(readFileToObject, "rf",
     "Read a file into a string object."
 );
 
+tfn(getEnvVar, "env",
+    ({ isStringy, isStringy }),
+    "Get a variable from the current environment\n"
+    "(env HOME) => /home/sagevaillancourt"
+);
+
 fn(getTime, "time",
    "Get a struct of the current time with fields (minute hour sec)."
 );