diff --git a/lib/command.js b/lib/command.js
index fe135401..de74a976 100644
--- a/lib/command.js
+++ b/lib/command.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 (function() {
   var BANNER, CoffeeScript, EventEmitter, SWITCHES, _a, _b, _c, compileOptions, compileScript, compileScripts, compileStdio, exec, fs, helpers, lint, optionParser, options, optparse, parseOptions, path, printTokens, sources, spawn, usage, version, watch, writeJs;
-  var __hasProp = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;
   fs = require('fs');
   path = require('path');
   optparse = require('./optparse');
@@ -14,13 +13,7 @@
   EventEmitter = _c.EventEmitter;
   helpers.extend(CoffeeScript, new EventEmitter());
   BANNER = 'coffee compiles CoffeeScript source files into JavaScript.\n\nUsage:\n  coffee path/to/script.coffee';
-  SWITCHES = [
-    ['-c', '--compile', 'compile to JavaScript and save as .js files'], ['-i', '--interactive', 'run an interactive CoffeeScript REPL'], ['-o', '--output [DIR]', 'set the directory for compiled JavaScript'], ['-w', '--watch', 'watch scripts for changes, and recompile'], ['-p', '--print', 'print the compiled JavaScript to stdout'], ['-l', '--lint', 'pipe the compiled JavaScript through JSLint'], ['-s', '--stdio', 'listen for and compile scripts over stdio'], ['-e', '--eval', 'compile a string from the command line'], [
-      '-r', '--require [FILE]', 'require the library, before executing your script', {
-        isList: true
-      }
-    ], ['--no-wrap', 'compile without the top-level function wrapper'], ['-t', '--tokens', 'print the tokens that the lexer produces'], ['-n', '--nodes', 'print the parse tree that Jison produces'], ['-v', '--version', 'display CoffeeScript version'], ['-h', '--help', 'display this help message']
-  ];
+  SWITCHES = [['-c', '--compile', 'compile to JavaScript and save as .js files'], ['-i', '--interactive', 'run an interactive CoffeeScript REPL'], ['-o', '--output [DIR]', 'set the directory for compiled JavaScript'], ['-w', '--watch', 'watch scripts for changes, and recompile'], ['-p', '--print', 'print the compiled JavaScript to stdout'], ['-l', '--lint', 'pipe the compiled JavaScript through JSLint'], ['-s', '--stdio', 'listen for and compile scripts over stdio'], ['-e', '--eval', 'compile a string from the command line'], ['-r', '--require [FILE*]', 'require a library before executing your script'], ['--no-wrap', 'compile without the top-level function wrapper'], ['-t', '--tokens', 'print the tokens that the lexer produces'], ['-n', '--nodes', 'print the parse tree that Jison produces'], ['-v', '--version', 'display CoffeeScript version'], ['-h', '--help', 'display this help message']];
   options = {};
   sources = [];
   optionParser = null;
@@ -101,29 +94,14 @@
     return _d;
   };
   compileScript = function(source, code, base) {
-    var _d, _e, _f, _g, _h, _i, codeOpts, file, globalize, js, name, o, ref;
+    var _d, _e, _f, codeOpts, file, js, o;
     o = options;
     codeOpts = compileOptions(source);
     if (o.require) {
-      globalize = {
-        CoffeeScript: CoffeeScript
-      };
-      _d = globalize;
-      for (name in _d) {
-        if (!__hasProp.call(_d, name)) continue;
-        ref = _d[name];
-        (global[name] = ref);
-      }
-      _f = o.require;
-      for (_e = 0, _g = _f.length; _e < _g; _e++) {
-        file = _f[_e];
-        require(file.replace(/^(\.+\/)/, ("" + (process.cwd()) + "/$1")));
-      }
-      _i = globalize;
-      for (name in _i) {
-        if (!__hasProp.call(_i, name)) continue;
-        _h = _i[name];
-        delete global[name];
+      _e = o.require;
+      for (_d = 0, _f = _e.length; _d < _f; _d++) {
+        file = _e[_d];
+        require(file);
       }
     }
     try {
@@ -151,13 +129,14 @@
         }
       }
     } catch (err) {
-      CoffeeScript.emit('exception', err);
-      if (!(o.watch || err.handled)) {
+      CoffeeScript.emit('failure', err);
+      if (CoffeeScript.listeners('failure').length) {
+        return null;
+      }
+      if (!(o.watch)) {
         error(err.stack) && process.exit(1);
       }
-      if (!(err.handled)) {
-        return puts(err.message);
-      }
+      return puts(err.message);
     }
   };
   compileStdio = function() {
diff --git a/lib/optparse.js b/lib/optparse.js
index e64682a9..138b9a19 100755
--- a/lib/optparse.js
+++ b/lib/optparse.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
   LONG_FLAG = /^(--\w[\w\-]+)/;
   SHORT_FLAG = /^(-\w)/;
   MULTI_FLAG = /^-(\w{2,})/;
-  OPTIONAL = /\[(.+)\]/;
+  OPTIONAL = /\[(\w+(\*?))\]/;
   buildRules = function(rules) {
     var _a, _b, _c, _d, tuple;
     _a = []; _c = rules;
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
       longFlag: longFlag,
       description: description,
       hasArgument: !!(match && match[1]),
-      isList: !!options.isList
+      isList: !!(match && match[2])
     };
   };
   normalizeArguments = function(args) {
diff --git a/src/command.coffee b/src/command.coffee
index 6411220d..b30d4bf1 100644
--- a/src/command.coffee
+++ b/src/command.coffee
@@ -25,20 +25,20 @@ BANNER = '''
 
 # The list of all the valid option flags that `coffee` knows how to handle.
 SWITCHES = [
-  ['-c', '--compile',        'compile to JavaScript and save as .js files']
-  ['-i', '--interactive',    'run an interactive CoffeeScript REPL']
-  ['-o', '--output [DIR]',   'set the directory for compiled JavaScript']
-  ['-w', '--watch',          'watch scripts for changes, and recompile']
-  ['-p', '--print',          'print the compiled JavaScript to stdout']
-  ['-l', '--lint',           'pipe the compiled JavaScript through JSLint']
-  ['-s', '--stdio',          'listen for and compile scripts over stdio']
-  ['-e', '--eval',           'compile a string from the command line']
-  ['-r', '--require [FILE]', 'require the library, before executing your script', isList: yes]
-  [      '--no-wrap',        'compile without the top-level function wrapper']
-  ['-t', '--tokens',         'print the tokens that the lexer produces']
-  ['-n', '--nodes',          'print the parse tree that Jison produces']
-  ['-v', '--version',        'display CoffeeScript version']
-  ['-h', '--help',           'display this help message']
+  ['-c', '--compile',         'compile to JavaScript and save as .js files']
+  ['-i', '--interactive',     'run an interactive CoffeeScript REPL']
+  ['-o', '--output [DIR]',    'set the directory for compiled JavaScript']
+  ['-w', '--watch',           'watch scripts for changes, and recompile']
+  ['-p', '--print',           'print the compiled JavaScript to stdout']
+  ['-l', '--lint',            'pipe the compiled JavaScript through JSLint']
+  ['-s', '--stdio',           'listen for and compile scripts over stdio']
+  ['-e', '--eval',            'compile a string from the command line']
+  ['-r', '--require [FILE*]', 'require a library before executing your script']
+  [      '--no-wrap',         'compile without the top-level function wrapper']
+  ['-t', '--tokens',          'print the tokens that the lexer produces']
+  ['-n', '--nodes',           'print the parse tree that Jison produces']
+  ['-v', '--version',         'display CoffeeScript version']
+  ['-h', '--help',            'display this help message']
 ]
 
 # Top-level objects shared by all the functions.
@@ -94,10 +94,7 @@ compileScript = (source, code, base) ->
   o = options
   codeOpts = compileOptions source
   if o.require
-    globalize = {CoffeeScript}
-    (global[name] = ref) for name, ref of globalize
-    require file.replace /^(\.+\/)/, "#{ process.cwd() }/$1" for file in o.require
-    delete global[name] for name of globalize
+    require file for file in o.require
   try
     CoffeeScript.emit 'compile', {source, code, base, options}
     if      o.tokens      then printTokens CoffeeScript.tokens code
@@ -112,9 +109,10 @@ compileScript = (source, code, base) ->
   catch err
     # Avoid using 'error' as it is a special event -- if there is no handler,
     # node will print a stack trace and exit the program.
-    CoffeeScript.emit 'exception', err
-    error(err.stack) and process.exit 1 unless o.watch or err.handled
-    puts err.message unless err.handled
+    CoffeeScript.emit 'failure', err
+    return if CoffeeScript.listeners('failure').length
+    error(err.stack) and process.exit 1 unless o.watch
+    puts err.message
 
 # Attach the appropriate listeners to compile scripts incoming over **stdin**,
 # and write them back to **stdout**.
diff --git a/src/optparse.coffee b/src/optparse.coffee
index 0c8663c8..991e0bbe 100644
--- a/src/optparse.coffee
+++ b/src/optparse.coffee
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ exports.OptionParser = class OptionParser
 LONG_FLAG  = /^(--\w[\w\-]+)/
 SHORT_FLAG = /^(-\w)/
 MULTI_FLAG = /^-(\w{2,})/
-OPTIONAL   = /\[(.+)\]/
+OPTIONAL   = /\[(\w+(\*?))\]/
 
 # Build and return the list of option rules. If the optional *short-flag* is
 # unspecified, leave it out by padding with `null`.
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ buildRule = (shortFlag, longFlag, description, options) ->
     longFlag:     longFlag
     description:  description
     hasArgument:  !!(match and match[1])
-    isList:       !!options.isList
+    isList:       !!(match and match[2])
   }
 
 # Normalize arguments by expanding merged flags into multiple flags. This allows
diff --git a/test/test_option_parser.coffee b/test/test_option_parser.coffee
index d969518e..97fbf44c 100644
--- a/test/test_option_parser.coffee
+++ b/test/test_option_parser.coffee
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 opt = new OptionParser [
   ['-r', '--required [DIR]',  'desc required']
   ['-o', '--optional',        'desc optional']
+  ['-l', '--list [FILES*]',   'desc list']
 ]
 
 result = opt.parse ['one', 'two', 'three', '-r', 'dir']
@@ -18,3 +19,9 @@ ok result.optional is true
 ok result.required is 'folder'
 ok result.arguments.join(' ') is 'one two'
 
+result = opt.parse ['-l', 'one.txt', '-l', 'two.txt', 'three']
+
+ok result.list instanceof Array
+ok result.list.join(' ') is 'one.txt two.txt'
+ok result.arguments.join(' ') is 'three'
+