diff --git a/whalesong/compiler/compiler.rkt b/whalesong/compiler/compiler.rkt
index 2a8a426..24d50e7 100644
--- a/whalesong/compiler/compiler.rkt
+++ b/whalesong/compiler/compiler.rkt
@@ -1335,8 +1335,13 @@
            [(ToplevelRef? e)
             (cond
               [(ModuleVariable? k)
-               (make-EnvPrefixReference (ToplevelRef-depth e) (ToplevelRef-pos e) #t)]
-              
+               (cond [(kernel-module-name? (ModuleVariable-module-name k))
+                      (make-PrimitiveKernelValue
+                       (kernel-module-variable->primitive-name k))]
+                     [else
+                      (make-EnvPrefixReference (ToplevelRef-depth e)
+                                               (ToplevelRef-pos e)
+                                               #t)])]
               [else
                (make-EnvPrefixReference (ToplevelRef-depth e) (ToplevelRef-pos e) #f)])]
            [(PrimitiveKernelValue? e)
diff --git a/whalesong/whalesong-cmd.rkt b/whalesong/whalesong-cmd.rkt
index 13d58ac..447fac3 100644
--- a/whalesong/whalesong-cmd.rkt
+++ b/whalesong/whalesong-cmd.rkt
@@ -137,6 +137,28 @@
                   #:args (path)
                   (maybe-with-profiling
                    (print-il path))]
+
+   ["print-bytecode" "print the bytecode of a module"
+               "Prints the bytecode of a module; used for debugging purposes."
+               #:once-each
+               [("-v" "--verbose")
+                   ("Display verbose messages.")
+                   (current-verbose? #t)]
+                  [("--debug-show-timings")
+                   ("Display debug messages about compilation time.")
+                   (current-timing-port (current-output-port))]
+                  [("--enable-profiling")
+                   ("Enable profiling to standard output")
+                   (with-profiling? #t)]
+                  [("--root-dir")
+                   root-path
+                   ("Set the root package path (default: current-directory)")
+                   (set-root-path! root-path)]
+                  #:args (path)
+                  (maybe-with-profiling
+                   (print-bytecode path))]
+
+
    
    ["get-runtime" "print the runtime library to standard output"
                   "Prints the runtime JavaScript library that's used by Whalesong programs."
diff --git a/whalesong/whalesong-helpers.rkt b/whalesong/whalesong-helpers.rkt
index 96a55c0..9ad2efe 100644
--- a/whalesong/whalesong-helpers.rkt
+++ b/whalesong/whalesong-helpers.rkt
@@ -319,6 +319,15 @@
               (current-output-port)))))
 
 
+(define (print-bytecode filename)
+  (with-catchall-exception-handler
+   (lambda ()
+     (turn-on-logger!)
+     (define path (normalize-path (build-path filename)))
+     (define bytecode (parse-bytecode path))
+     (pretty-print bytecode))))
+
+
 (define (print-il filename)
   (with-catchall-exception-handler
    (lambda ()