diff --git a/lib/master.js b/lib/master.js
index c8a7997..d88c1a1 100644
--- a/lib/master.js
+++ b/lib/master.js
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ var Master = module.exports = function Master(server) {
 
   // grab server root
   this.cmd = process.argv.slice(1);
+  if (this.cmd[0].slice(-7) === '.coffee') node = 'coffee'
   this.dir = dirname(this.cmd[0]);
 
   // defaults
@@ -474,7 +475,14 @@ Master.prototype.removeWorker = function(id){
  */
 
 Master.prototype.spawn = function(n){
-  while (n--) this.spawnWorker();
+  // add fresh workers
+  if (n > 0) {
+    while (n--) this.spawnWorker();
+  // remove excess workers
+  } else if (n < 0) {
+    this.options.workers = Math.max(this.options.workers + n, 0);
+    this.kill();//'SIGQUIT');
+  }
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/plugins/reload.js b/lib/plugins/reload.js
index f1457ce..d0b8bf0 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/reload.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/reload.js
@@ -122,4 +122,4 @@ exports = module.exports = function(files, options){
  * Directories to ignore.
  */
 
-exports.ignoreDirectories = ['node_modules', 'support', 'test', 'bin'];
\ No newline at end of file
+exports.ignoreDirectories = ['node_modules', 'support', 'test', 'bin'];
diff --git a/lib/plugins/repl.js b/lib/plugins/repl.js
index 7c410eb..b25573a 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/repl.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/repl.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ var net = require('net')
 
 exports = module.exports = function(){
   var args = arguments;
-  if (!args.length) throw new Error('repl() plugin requires port/host or path');
+  //if (!args.length) throw new Error('repl() plugin requires port/host or path');
   return function(master){
     var server
       , sockets = [];
@@ -40,10 +40,13 @@ exports = module.exports = function(){
 
     // start repl
     function start(){
-      // TCP or unix-domain socket repl
-      server = net.createServer(function(sock){
-        sockets.push(sock);
+
+      function REPL(sock) {
         var ctx = repl.start('cluster> ', sock).context;
+        // console.repl?
+        if (!sock) { sock = process.stdout; }
+
+        sockets.push(sock);
         master.emit('repl socket', sock);
 
         // augment socket to provide some formatting methods
@@ -59,10 +62,19 @@ exports = module.exports = function(){
             return exports[cmd].apply(master, args);
           };
         });
-      });
+      }
+
+      // console repl
+      if (!args.length) {
+        process.stdin.on('close', process.exit);
+        REPL();
+      // TCP or unix-domain socket repl
+      } else {
+        server = net.createServer(REPL);
+        // Apply all arguments given
+        server.listen.apply(server, args);
+      }
 
-      // Apply all arguments given
-      server.listen.apply(server, args);
     }
 
     // initial master starts immediately
@@ -86,7 +98,7 @@ exports = module.exports = function(){
       sockets.forEach(function(sock){
         sock.fd && sock.end();
       });
-      if (server.fd) server.close();
+      if (server && server.fd) server.close();
     });
   }
 };
diff --git a/lib/plugins/stats.js b/lib/plugins/stats.js
index 052033f..6dc55fc 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/stats.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/stats.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  */
 
 var fs = require('fs')
-  , Log = require('log')
+//  , Log = require('log')
   , repl = require('./repl')
   , utils = require('../utils')
   , os;