diff --git a/calcit.cirru b/calcit.cirru
index 307194e..543ab78 100644
--- a/calcit.cirru
+++ b/calcit.cirru
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 {} (:package |app)
-  :configs $ {} (:init-fn |app.server/main!) (:port 6001) (:reload-fn |app.server/reload!) (:version |0.8.7)
+  :configs $ {} (:init-fn |app.server/main!) (:port 6001) (:reload-fn |app.server/reload!) (:version |0.8.8)
     :modules $ [] |lilac/ |memof/ |recollect/ |cumulo-util.calcit/ |ws-edn.calcit/ |bisection-key/
   :entries $ {}
     :client $ {} (:init-fn |app.client/main!) (:reload-fn |app.client/reload!)
@@ -18916,48 +18916,63 @@
                             :data $ {}
                               |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702419617) (:by nil) (:text |md5)
                               |j $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512705931557) (:by nil) (:text |file-content)
-                  |r $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702328818) (:by nil)
+                  |r $ %{} :Expr (:at 1695056334719) (:by |S1lNv50FW)
                     :data $ {}
-                      |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702329281) (:by nil) (:text |if)
-                      |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702329520) (:by nil)
+                      |D $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1695056335200) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |if)
+                      |L $ %{} :Expr (:at 1695056335502) (:by |S1lNv50FW)
                         :data $ {}
-                          |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702330929) (:by nil) (:text |not=)
-                          |j $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702334483) (:by nil) (:text |new-md5)
-                          |r $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1533921046212) (:by |root) (:text |@*calcit-md5)
-                      |r $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702349677) (:by nil)
+                          |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1695056338366) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |blank?)
+                          |b $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1695056339956) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |file-content)
+                      |P $ %{} :Expr (:at 1695056346619) (:by |S1lNv50FW)
                         :data $ {}
-                          |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702431546) (:by nil) (:text |let)
-                          |b $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702431772) (:by nil)
+                          |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1695056346619) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |eprintln)
+                          |b $ %{} :Expr (:at 1695056346619) (:by |S1lNv50FW)
                             :data $ {}
-                              |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702439808) (:by nil)
+                              |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1695056346619) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |.!red)
+                              |b $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1695056346619) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |chalk)
+                              |h $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1695056346619) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text "|\"got blank file on change, server might have staled")
+                      |T $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702328818) (:by nil)
+                        :data $ {}
+                          |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702329281) (:by nil) (:text |if)
+                          |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702329520) (:by nil)
+                            :data $ {}
+                              |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702330929) (:by nil) (:text |not=)
+                              |j $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702334483) (:by nil) (:text |new-md5)
+                              |r $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1533921046212) (:by |root) (:text |@*calcit-md5)
+                          |r $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702349677) (:by nil)
+                            :data $ {}
+                              |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702431546) (:by nil) (:text |let)
+                              |b $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702431772) (:by nil)
                                 :data $ {}
-                                  |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1533921047350) (:by |root) (:text |calcit)
-                                  |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702442509) (:by nil)
+                                  |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702439808) (:by nil)
                                     :data $ {}
-                                      |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1625686125697) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |parse-cirru-edn)
-                                      |j $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702446822) (:by nil) (:text |file-content)
-                          |f $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512703947620) (:by nil)
-                            :data $ {}
-                              |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512703963190) (:by nil) (:text |println)
-                              |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1533921188733) (:by |root)
+                                      |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1533921047350) (:by |root) (:text |calcit)
+                                      |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702442509) (:by nil)
+                                        :data $ {}
+                                          |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1625686125697) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |parse-cirru-edn)
+                                          |j $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702446822) (:by nil) (:text |file-content)
+                              |f $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512703947620) (:by nil)
                                 :data $ {}
-                                  |9 $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1644942288597) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |.!blue)
-                                  |L $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1644942286206) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |chalk)
-                                  |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1533921501407) (:by |root) (:text "|\"calcit storage file changed!")
-                          |h $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512704174152) (:by nil)
-                            :data $ {}
-                              |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512704175274) (:by nil) (:text |reset!)
-                              |j $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1533921056913) (:by |root) (:text |*calcit-md5)
-                              |r $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512704184764) (:by nil) (:text |new-md5)
-                          |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702350929) (:by nil)
-                            :data $ {}
-                              |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702372483) (:by nil) (:text |dispatch!)
-                              |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1689419869799) (:by |S1lNv50FW)
+                                  |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512703963190) (:by nil) (:text |println)
+                                  |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1533921188733) (:by |root)
+                                    :data $ {}
+                                      |9 $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1644942288597) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |.!blue)
+                                      |L $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1644942286206) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |chalk)
+                                      |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1533921501407) (:by |root) (:text "|\"calcit storage file changed!")
+                              |h $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512704174152) (:by nil)
+                                :data $ {}
+                                  |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512704175274) (:by nil) (:text |reset!)
+                                  |j $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1533921056913) (:by |root) (:text |*calcit-md5)
+                                  |r $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512704184764) (:by nil) (:text |new-md5)
+                              |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1512702350929) (:by nil)
                                 :data $ {}
-                                  |D $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1689419870496) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |::)
-                                  |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702388416) (:by nil) (:text |:watcher/file-change)
-                                  |b $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1689419875629) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |calcit)
-                              |n $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1689419906524) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |nil)
+                                  |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702372483) (:by nil) (:text |dispatch!)
+                                  |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1689419869799) (:by |S1lNv50FW)
+                                    :data $ {}
+                                      |D $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1689419870496) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |::)
+                                      |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1512702388416) (:by nil) (:text |:watcher/file-change)
+                                      |b $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1689419875629) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |calcit)
+                                  |n $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1689419906524) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |nil)
         |reload! $ %{} :CodeEntry (:doc |)
           :code $ %{} :Expr (:at 1504777570689) (:by nil)
             :data $ {}
@@ -33207,10 +33222,6 @@
                         :data $ {}
                           |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1546180196666) (:by |root) (:text |dissoc)
                           |j $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1504777570689) (:by |root) (:text |:saved-files)
-                      |x $ %{} :Expr (:at 1518362608175) (:by |root)
-                        :data $ {}
-                          |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1546180186800) (:by |root) (:text |dissoc)
-                          |j $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1518362610826) (:by |root) (:text |:repl)
         |expr? $ %{} :CodeEntry (:doc |)
           :code $ %{} :Expr (:at 1504777570689) (:by nil)
             :data $ {}
@@ -34910,7 +34921,7 @@
                           |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1504777570689) (:by |root) (:text |do)
                           |j $ %{} :Expr (:at 1504777570689) (:by nil)
                             :data $ {}
-                              |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1520345593272) (:by |root) (:text |println)
+                              |T $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1695056373487) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |eprintln)
                               |r $ %{} :Expr (:at 1505982482700) (:by |root)
                                 :data $ {}
                                   |9 $ %{} :Leaf (:at 1644942378938) (:by |S1lNv50FW) (:text |.!red)
diff --git a/compact.cirru b/compact.cirru
index 579b823..0566a52 100644
--- a/compact.cirru
+++ b/compact.cirru
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 {} (:package |app)
-  :configs $ {} (:init-fn |app.server/main!) (:reload-fn |app.server/reload!) (:version |0.8.7)
+  :configs $ {} (:init-fn |app.server/main!) (:reload-fn |app.server/reload!) (:version |0.8.8)
     :modules $ [] |lilac/ |memof/ |recollect/ |cumulo-util.calcit/ |ws-edn.calcit/ |bisection-key/
   :entries $ {}
     :client $ {} (:init-fn |app.client/main!) (:reload-fn |app.client/reload!)
@@ -2881,12 +2881,14 @@
             defn on-file-change! () $ let
                 file-content $ fs/readFileSync storage-file "\"utf8"
                 new-md5 $ md5 file-content
-              if (not= new-md5 @*calcit-md5)
-                let
-                    calcit $ parse-cirru-edn file-content
-                  println $ .!blue chalk "\"calcit storage file changed!"
-                  reset! *calcit-md5 new-md5
-                  dispatch! (:: :watcher/file-change calcit) nil
+              if (blank? file-content)
+                eprintln $ .!red chalk "\"got blank file on change, server might have staled"
+                if (not= new-md5 @*calcit-md5)
+                  let
+                      calcit $ parse-cirru-edn file-content
+                    println $ .!blue chalk "\"calcit storage file changed!"
+                    reset! *calcit-md5 new-md5
+                    dispatch! (:: :watcher/file-change calcit) nil
         |reload! $ %{} :CodeEntry (:doc |)
           :code $ quote
             defn reload! ()
@@ -4863,7 +4865,7 @@
         |db->string $ %{} :CodeEntry (:doc |)
           :code $ quote
             defn db->string (db)
-              format-cirru-edn $ -> db (dissoc :sessions) (dissoc :saved-files) (dissoc :repl)
+              format-cirru-edn $ -> db (dissoc :sessions) (dissoc :saved-files)
         |expr? $ %{} :CodeEntry (:doc |)
           :code $ quote
             defn expr? (x) (&record:matches? schema/CirruExpr x)
@@ -5118,7 +5120,7 @@
                       persist-async! (:storage-file config/site) db-content started-time
                 fn (e)
                   do
-                    println $ .!red chalk e
+                    eprintln $ .!red chalk e
                     js/console.error e
                     dispatch! $ :: :notify/push-message
                       [] :error $ aget e "\"message"
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 12b944d..71a8b62 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@calcit/editor",
-  "version": "0.8.7",
+  "version": "0.8.8",
   "description": "Tree Editor for Calcit Language",
   "bin": {
     "ct": "./server.mjs"