diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 9405e52a..ea1260ed 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 * changed `exit` command so that it now called Kernel#exit (after saving history)
 * 'quit' now behaves like 'exit-all' (and aliased to exit-all) - it breaks out of the repl loop and sets empties the binding_stack
 * 'cd ..' just pops a binding off the binding_stack with special behaviour when only one binding in stack - it breaks out of the repl loop
+* added switch-to command (like jump-to but doesnt unwind the stack)
 * show-method and show-doc now accept multiple method names
 * control_d hook added (Pry.config.control_d_handler)
 * behaviour of ^d is now to break out of current expr if in multi-line expr, or break out of current context if nested, or break out of pry repl loop if at top-level
diff --git a/lib/pry/default_commands/introspection.rb b/lib/pry/default_commands/introspection.rb
index e6dca1a5..a365d7ee 100644
--- a/lib/pry/default_commands/introspection.rb
+++ b/lib/pry/default_commands/introspection.rb
@@ -131,12 +131,10 @@ class Pry
         should_reload = opts[:r]
 
         if opts.ex?
-          last_exception = target.eval("_ex_")
+          next output.puts "No Exception found." if _pry_.last_exception.nil?
 
-          next output.puts "No Exception found." if last_exception.nil?
-
-          file_name = last_exception.file
-          line = last_exception.line
+          file_name = _pry_.last_exception.file
+          line = _pry_.last_exception.line
           next output.puts "Exception has no associated file." if file_name.nil?
           next output.puts "Cannot edit exceptions raised in REPL." if Pry.eval_path == file_name
         elsif opts.t?
diff --git a/lib/pry/default_commands/shell.rb b/lib/pry/default_commands/shell.rb
index 02295873..cebb4e9d 100644
--- a/lib/pry/default_commands/shell.rb
+++ b/lib/pry/default_commands/shell.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ class Pry
         start_line = 0
         end_line = -1
         file_name = nil
-        last_exception = target.eval("_ex_")
 
         opts = Slop.parse!(args) do |opt|
           opt.on :s, :start, "Start line (defaults to start of file)Line 1 is the first line.", true, :as => Integer do |line|
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ class Pry
 
           opt.on :ex, "Show a window of N lines either side of the last exception (defaults to 5).", :optional => true, :as => Integer do |window_size|
             window_size ||= 5
-            ex = last_exception
+            ex = _pry_.last_exception
             next if !ex
             start_line = (ex.line - 1) - window_size
             start_line = start_line < 0 ? 0 : start_line
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ class Pry
 
           contents = contents.lines.each_with_index.map do |line, idx|
             l = idx + start_line
-            if l == (last_exception.line - 1)
+            if l == (_pry_.last_exception.line - 1)
               " =>#{line}"
             else
               "   #{line}"
@@ -102,8 +101,8 @@ class Pry
           end.join
 
           # header for exceptions
-          output.puts "\n#{Pry::Helpers::Text.bold('Exception:')}: #{last_exception.class}: #{last_exception.message}"
-          output.puts "#{Pry::Helpers::Text.bold('From:')} #{file_name} @ line #{last_exception.line}\n\n"
+          output.puts "\n#{Pry::Helpers::Text.bold('Exception:')}: #{_pry_.last_exception.class}: #{_pry_.last_exception.message}"
+          output.puts "#{Pry::Helpers::Text.bold('From:')} #{file_name} @ line #{_pry_.last_exception.line}\n\n"
         end
 
         set_file_and_dir_locals(file_name)
diff --git a/lib/pry/helpers/base_helpers.rb b/lib/pry/helpers/base_helpers.rb
index acb7068f..7536815f 100644
--- a/lib/pry/helpers/base_helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/pry/helpers/base_helpers.rb
@@ -36,8 +36,11 @@ class Pry
 
       def set_file_and_dir_locals(file_name)
         return if !target
-        _pry_.inject_local("_file_", File.expand_path(file_name), target)
-        _pry_.inject_local("_dir_", File.dirname(File.expand_path(file_name)), target)
+        _pry_.last_file = File.expand_path(file_name)
+        _pry_.inject_local("_file_", _pry_.last_file, target)
+
+        _pry_.last_dir = File.dirname(_pry_.last_file)
+        _pry_.inject_local("_dir_", _pry_.last_dir, target)
       end
 
       def stub_proc(name, options)
diff --git a/lib/pry/pry_instance.rb b/lib/pry/pry_instance.rb
index 927fdbb9..a1b511be 100644
--- a/lib/pry/pry_instance.rb
+++ b/lib/pry/pry_instance.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ class Pry
 
   attr_accessor :binding_stack
 
+  attr_accessor :last_result
+  attr_accessor :last_exception
+  attr_accessor :last_file
+  attr_accessor :last_dir
+
   # Create a new `Pry` object.
   # @param [Hash] options The optional configuration parameters.
   # @option options [#readline] :input The object to use for input.
@@ -101,19 +106,36 @@ class Pry
     hooks[hook_name].call(*args, &block) if hooks[hook_name]
   end
 
-  # Initialize the repl session.
-  # @param [Binding] target The target binding for the session.
-  def repl_prologue(target)
-    exec_hook :before_session, output, target
-
-    # Make sure special locals exist
+  # Make sure special locals exist at start of session
+  def initialize_special_locals(target)
     inject_local("inp", @input_array, target)
     inject_local("out", @output_array, target)
     inject_local("_pry_", self, target)
     inject_local("_ex_", nil, target)
-    inject_local("file_", nil, target)
+    inject_local("_file_", nil, target)
     inject_local("_dir_", nil, target)
+
+    # without this line we get 1 test failure, ask Mon_Ouie
     set_last_result(nil, target)
+    inject_local("_", nil, target)
+  end
+  private :initialize_special_locals
+
+  def inject_special_locals(target)
+    inject_local("inp", @input_array, target)
+    inject_local("out", @output_array, target)
+    inject_local("_pry_", self, target)
+    inject_local("_ex_", self.last_exception, target)
+    inject_local("_file_", self.last_file, target)
+    inject_local("_dir_", self.last_dir, target)
+    inject_local("_", self.last_result, target)
+  end
+
+  # Initialize the repl session.
+  # @param [Binding] target The target binding for the session.
+  def repl_prologue(target)
+    exec_hook :before_session, output, target
+    initialize_special_locals(target)
 
     @input_array << nil # add empty input so inp and out match
 
@@ -185,14 +207,14 @@ class Pry
       Readline.completion_proc = Pry::InputCompleter.build_completion_proc target, instance_eval(&custom_completions)
     end
 
-    inject_local("inp", @input_array, target)
-    inject_local("out", @output_array, target)
-    inject_local("_pry_", self, target)
+    # It's not actually redundant to inject them continually as we may have
+    # moved into the scope of a new Binding (e.g the user typed `cd`)
+    inject_special_locals(target)
 
     code = r(target)
 
-    res = set_last_result(target.eval(code, Pry.eval_path, Pry.current_line), target)
-    res
+    result = set_last_result(target.eval(code, Pry.eval_path, Pry.current_line), target)
+    result
   rescue RescuableException => e
     set_last_exception(e, target)
   ensure
@@ -299,7 +321,7 @@ class Pry
     @last_result_is_exception = false
     @output_array << result
 
-    inject_local("_", result, target)
+    self.last_result = result
   end
 
   # Set the last exception for a session.
@@ -317,7 +339,7 @@ class Pry
     @last_result_is_exception = true
     @output_array << ex
 
-    inject_local("_ex_", ex, target)
+    self.last_exception = ex
   end
 
   # Update Pry's internal state after evalling code.
diff --git a/test/helper.rb b/test/helper.rb
index 26167365..a0a611e7 100644
--- a/test/helper.rb
+++ b/test/helper.rb
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ end
 
 Pry.reset_defaults
 
+# this is to test exception code (cat --ex)
+def broken_method
+  this method is broken
+end
+
 # sample doc
 def sample_method
   :sample