diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js
index 0a2a57cb..6aa00d2a 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js
@@ -191,6 +191,52 @@ function Commands() //{{{
         return null;
     }
 
+
+    // FIXME: doesn't really belong here...
+    // return [null, null, null, null, heredoc_tag || false];
+    //        [count, cmd, special, args] = match;
+    this.parseCommand = function(string, tag)
+    {
+        // removing comments
+        string.replace(/\s*".*$/, '');
+        if (tag) // we already have a multiline heredoc construct
+        {
+            if (string == tag)
+                return [null, null, null, null, false];
+            else
+                return [null, null, null, string, tag];
+        }
+
+        // 0 - count, 1 - cmd, 2 - special, 3 - args, 4 - heredoc tag
+        var matches = string.match(/^:*(\d+)?([a-zA-Z]+)(!)?(?:\s+(.*?)\s*)?$/);
+        if (!matches)
+            return [null, null, null, null, null];
+        matches.shift();
+
+        // parse count
+        if (matches[0])
+        {
+            matches[0] = parseInt(matches[0]);
+            if (isNaN(matches[0]))
+                matches[0] = 0; // 0 is the default if no count given
+        }
+        else
+            matches[0] = 0;
+
+        matches[2] = !!matches[2];
+        matches.push(null);
+        if (matches[3])
+        {
+            tag = matches[3].match(/<<\s*(\w+)\s*$/);
+            if (tag && tag[1])
+                matches[4] = tag[1];
+        }
+        else
+            matches[3] = '';
+
+        return matches;
+    }
+
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////}}}
     ////////////////////// DEFAULT COMMANDS ////////////////////////////////////////
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////{{{
@@ -1119,82 +1165,6 @@ function Commands() //{{{
     //}}}
 } //}}}
 
-function execute_command(count, cmd, special, args, modifiers) //{{{
-{
-    if (!cmd)
-        return;
-
-    if (!modifiers)
-        modifiers = {};
-
-    var command = vimperator.commands.get(cmd);
-    if (command === null)
-    {
-        vimperator.echoerr("E492: Not an editor command: " + cmd);
-        vimperator.focusContent();
-        return;
-    }
-
-    // TODO: need to perform this test? -- djk
-    if (command.action === null)
-    {
-        vimperator.echoerr("E666: Internal error: command.action === null");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    // valid command, call it:
-    command.execute(args, special, count, modifiers);
-
-} //}}}
-
-/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////}}}
-// Ex command parsing and execution ////////////////////////////////////
-/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////{{{
-
-// return [null, null, null, null, heredoc_tag || false];
-//        [count, cmd, special, args] = match;
-function tokenize_ex(string, tag)
-{
-    // removing comments
-    string.replace(/\s*".*$/, '');
-    if (tag) // we already have a multiline heredoc construct
-    {
-        if (string == tag)
-            return [null, null, null, null, false];
-        else
-            return [null, null, null, string, tag];
-    }
-
-    // 0 - count, 1 - cmd, 2 - special, 3 - args, 4 - heredoc tag
-    var matches = string.match(/^:*(\d+)?([a-zA-Z]+)(!)?(?:\s+(.*?)\s*)?$/);
-    if (!matches)
-        return [null, null, null, null, null];
-    matches.shift();
-
-    // parse count
-    if (matches[0])
-    {
-        matches[0] = parseInt(matches[0]);
-        if (isNaN(matches[0]))
-            matches[0] = 0; // 0 is the default if no count given
-    }
-    else
-        matches[0] = 0;
-
-    matches[2] = !!matches[2];
-    matches.push(null);
-    if (matches[3])
-    {
-        tag = matches[3].match(/<<\s*(\w+)\s*$/);
-        if (tag && tag[1])
-            matches[4] = tag[1];
-    }
-    else
-        matches[3] = '';
-
-    return matches;
-}
-
 /* takes a string like 'google bla, www.osnews.com'
  * and returns an array ['www.google.com/search?q=bla', 'www.osnews.com']
  */
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/completion.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/completion.js
index b631a55a..93d0a2b0 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/completion.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/completion.js
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ function get_buffer_completions(filter) //{{{
 
 function exTabCompletion(str) //{{{
 {
-	var [count, cmd, special, args] = tokenize_ex(str);
+	var [count, cmd, special, args] = vimperator.commands.parseCommand(str);
 	var completions = new Array;
 	var start = 0;
 
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/ui.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/ui.js
index 39ea4531..5343019e 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/ui.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/ui.js
@@ -26,48 +26,6 @@ the provisions above, a recipient may use your version of this file under
 the terms of any one of the MPL, the GPL or the LGPL.
 }}} ***** END LICENSE BLOCK *****/
 
-// XXX: move somehere else!
-// function multiliner(line, prev_match, heredoc) //{{{
-// {
-//     var end = true;
-//     var match = tokenize_ex(line, prev_match[4]);
-//     if (prev_match[3] === undefined) prev_match[3] = '';
-//     if (match[4] === null)
-//     {
-//         vimperator.focusContent();
-//         execute_command.apply(this, match);
-//     }
-//     else
-//     {
-//         if (match[4] === false)
-//         {
-//             prev_match[3] = prev_match[3].replace(new RegExp('<<\s*' + prev_match[4]), heredoc.replace(/\n$/, ''));
-//             vimperator.focusContent(); // also sets comp_tab_index to -1
-//             execute_command.apply(this, prev_match);
-//             prev_match = new Array(5);
-//             prev_match[3] = '';
-//             heredoc = '';
-//         }
-//         else
-//         {
-//             end = false;
-//             if (!prev_match[3])
-//             {
-//                 prev_match[0] = match[0];
-//                 prev_match[1] = match[1];
-//                 prev_match[2] = match[2];
-//                 prev_match[3] = match[3];
-//                 prev_match[4] = match[4];
-//             }
-//             else
-//             {
-//                 heredoc += match[3] + '\n';
-//             }
-//         }
-//     }
-//     return [prev_match, heredoc, end];
-// } //}}}
-
 /*
  * This class is used for prompting of user input and echoing of messages
  *
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js
index c0d215a7..de5de64f 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js
@@ -209,13 +209,32 @@ const vimperator = (function() //{{{
 
         execute: function(string, modifiers)
         {
-            if (!string)
+            // skip comments and blank lines
+            if (/^\s*("|$)/.test(string))
                 return;
 
-            var tokens = tokenize_ex(string.replace(/^'(.*)'$/, '$1'));
-            tokens[4] = modifiers;
+            if (!modifiers)
+                modifiers = {};
 
-            return execute_command.apply(this, tokens);
+            var [count, cmd, special, args] = vimperator.commands.parseCommand(string.replace(/^'(.*)'$/, '$1'));
+            var command = vimperator.commands.get(cmd);
+
+            if (command === null)
+            {
+                vimperator.echoerr("E492: Not an editor command: " + cmd);
+                vimperator.focusContent();
+                return;
+            }
+
+            // TODO: need to perform this test? -- djk
+            if (command.action === null)
+            {
+                vimperator.echoerr("E666: Internal error: command.action === null");
+                return;
+            }
+
+            // valid command, call it:
+            command.execute(args, special, count, modifiers);
         },
 
         // after pressing Escape, put focus on a non-input field of the browser document
@@ -509,7 +528,8 @@ const vimperator = (function() //{{{
                 {
                     var heredoc = "";
                     var heredocEnd = null; // the string which ends the heredoc
-                    s.split("\n").forEach(function(line) {
+                    s.split("\n").forEach(function(line)
+                    {
                         if (heredocEnd) // we already are in a heredoc
                         {
                             if (line.search(heredocEnd) != -1)
@@ -524,7 +544,7 @@ const vimperator = (function() //{{{
                         else
                         {
                             // check for a heredoc
-                            var [count, cmd, special, args] = tokenize_ex(line);
+                            var [count, cmd, special, args] = vimperator.commands.parseCommand(line);
                             var command = vimperator.commands.get(cmd);
                             if (command && command.name == "javascript")
                             {
@@ -532,12 +552,12 @@ const vimperator = (function() //{{{
                                 if (matches && matches[2])
                                 {
                                     heredocEnd = new RegExp("^" + matches[2] + "$", "m");
-                                    if(matches[1])
+                                    if (matches[1])
                                         heredoc = matches[1] + "\n";
                                 }
                             }
                             else // execute a normal vimperator command
-                                execute_command(count, cmd, special, args);
+                                vimperator.execute(line);
                         }
                     });
                 }