diff --git a/0flags.go b/0flags.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76636ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/0flags.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"runtime"
+)
+
+func defaultFaceSize() int {
+	switch runtime.GOOS {
+	case "darwin":
+		return 13
+	default:
+		return 11
+	}
+}
+
+var (
+	utf8       = flag.Bool("u", false, "enable utf8 experiment")
+	elastic    = flag.Bool("elastic", false, "enable elastic tabstops")
+	oled       = flag.Bool("b", false, "OLED display mode (black)")
+	ftsize     = flag.Int("ftsize", defaultFaceSize(), "font size")
+	srvaddr    = flag.String("l", "", "(dangerous) announce and serve file system clients on given endpoint")
+	clientaddr = flag.String("d", "", "dial to a remote file system on endpoint")
+	quiet      = flag.Bool("q", false, "dont interact with the graphical subsystem (use with -l)")
+)
+
+var _ int = parse()
+
+func parse() int {
+	flag.Parse()
+	return 0
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 36a41a5..841cf7c 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
 package main // import "github.com/as/a"
 
 import (
-	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"image"
 	"log"
 	"os"
-	"runtime"
 
 	"github.com/as/shiny/screen"
 	mus "github.com/as/text/mouse"
@@ -33,25 +31,6 @@ var (
 	focused   = false
 )
 
-func defaultFaceSize() int {
-	switch runtime.GOOS {
-	case "darwin":
-		return 13
-	default:
-		return 11
-	}
-}
-
-var (
-	utf8       = flag.Bool("u", false, "enable utf8 experiment")
-	elastic    = flag.Bool("elastic", false, "enable elastic tabstops")
-	oled       = flag.Bool("b", false, "OLED display mode (black)")
-	ftsize     = flag.Int("ftsize", defaultFaceSize(), "font size")
-	srvaddr    = flag.String("l", "", "(dangerous) announce and serve file system clients on given endpoint")
-	clientaddr = flag.String("d", "", "dial to a remote file system on endpoint")
-	quiet      = flag.Bool("q", false, "dont interact with the graphical subsystem (use with -l)")
-)
-
 func init() {
 	// this grants the capability to shut down the program
 	// it happens exactly once
@@ -60,8 +39,6 @@ func init() {
 	// error.go:/logFunc/
 	log.SetFlags(log.Llongfile)
 	log.SetPrefix("a: ")
-
-	flag.Parse()
 }
 
 func banner() {