diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/Luan.java
--- a/src/luan/Luan.java	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/src/luan/Luan.java	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 	}
 
 	public Object eval(String cmd,Object... args) throws LuanException {
-		return load(cmd,"eval").call(args);
+		return load(cmd,"eval",false).call(args);
 	}
 
 	public Object require(String modName) throws LuanException {
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@
 	{
 		try {
 			String src = IoLuan.classpath(luan,classpath).read_text();
-			return luan.load(src,"classpath:"+classpath);
+			return luan.load(src,"classpath:"+classpath,true);
 		} catch(IOException e) {
 			throw new RuntimeException(e);
 		}
@@ -280,16 +280,16 @@
 		throw new LuanException("attempt to call a " + Luan.type(obj) + " value" );
 	}
 
-	public LuanFunction load(String text,String sourceName,LuanTable env)
+	public LuanFunction load(String text,String sourceName,boolean persist,LuanTable env)
 		throws LuanException
 	{
-		return LuanCompiler.compile(this,text,sourceName,env);
+		return LuanCompiler.compile(this,text,sourceName,persist,env);
 	}
 
-	public LuanFunction load(String text,String sourceName)
+	public LuanFunction load(String text,String sourceName,boolean persist)
 		throws LuanException
 	{
-		return load(text,sourceName,null);
+		return load(text,sourceName,persist,null);
 	}
 
 	public static Object toJava(Object obj) throws LuanException {

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/impl/Compiled.java
--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/src/luan/impl/Compiled.java	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+package luan.impl;
+
+import java.io.OutputStream;
+import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
+import java.io.StringWriter;
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FileInputStream;
+import java.io.FileOutputStream;
+import java.io.DataInputStream;
+import java.io.DataOutputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.net.URI;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import javax.tools.FileObject;
+import javax.tools.JavaFileObject;
+import javax.tools.SimpleJavaFileObject;
+import javax.tools.JavaCompiler;
+import javax.tools.ToolProvider;
+import javax.tools.JavaFileManager;
+import javax.tools.StandardJavaFileManager;
+import javax.tools.ForwardingJavaFileManager;
+import goodjava.logging.Logger;
+import goodjava.logging.LoggerFactory;
+
+
+final class Compiled {
+	private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Compiled.class);
+
+	private static class MyJavaFileObject extends SimpleJavaFileObject {
+		final ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+
+		MyJavaFileObject() {
+			super(URI.create("whatever"),JavaFileObject.Kind.CLASS);
+		}
+
+		@Override public OutputStream openOutputStream() {
+			return baos;
+		}
+
+		byte[] byteCode(String sourceName) {
+			byte[] byteCode = baos.toByteArray();
+			final int len = sourceName.length();
+			int max = byteCode.length-len-3;
+			outer:
+			for( int i=0; true; i++ ) {
+				if( i > max )
+					throw new RuntimeException("len="+len);
+				if( byteCode[i]==1 && (byteCode[i+1] << 8 | 0xFF & byteCode[i+2]) == len ) {
+					for( int j=i+3; j<i+3+len; j++ ) {
+						if( byteCode[j] != '$' )
+							continue outer;
+					}
+					System.arraycopy(sourceName.getBytes(),0,byteCode,i+3,len);
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+			return byteCode;
+		}
+	}
+
+	static Compiled compile(final String className,final String sourceName,final String code) {
+		final int len = sourceName.length();
+		StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(sourceName);
+		for( int i=0; i<len; i++ )
+			sb.setCharAt(i,'$');
+		JavaFileObject sourceFile = new SimpleJavaFileObject(URI.create(sb.toString()),JavaFileObject.Kind.SOURCE) {
+			@Override public CharSequence getCharContent(boolean ignoreEncodingErrors) {
+				return code;
+			}
+			@Override public String getName() {
+				return sourceName;
+			}
+			@Override public boolean isNameCompatible(String simpleName,JavaFileObject.Kind kind) {
+				return true;
+			}
+		};
+		final Map<String,MyJavaFileObject> map = new HashMap<String,MyJavaFileObject>();
+		JavaCompiler compiler = ToolProvider.getSystemJavaCompiler();
+		StandardJavaFileManager sjfm = compiler.getStandardFileManager(null,null,null);
+		ForwardingJavaFileManager fjfm = new ForwardingJavaFileManager(sjfm) {
+			@Override public JavaFileObject getJavaFileForOutput(JavaFileManager.Location location, String className, JavaFileObject.Kind kind, FileObject sibling) throws IOException {
+				if( map.containsKey(className) )
+					throw new RuntimeException(className);
+				MyJavaFileObject classFile = new MyJavaFileObject();
+				map.put(className,classFile);
+				return classFile;
+			}
+		};
+		StringWriter out = new StringWriter();
+		boolean b = compiler.getTask(out, fjfm, null, null, null, Collections.singletonList(sourceFile)).call();
+		if( !b )
+			throw new RuntimeException("\n"+out+"\ncode:\n"+code+"\n");
+		Map<String,byte[]> map2 = new HashMap<String,byte[]>();
+		for( Map.Entry<String,MyJavaFileObject> entry : map.entrySet() ) {
+			map2.put( entry.getKey(), entry.getValue().byteCode(sourceName) );
+		}
+		return new Compiled(className,map2);
+	}
+
+
+	private final String className;
+	private final Map<String,byte[]> map;
+	private final Set<String> set = new HashSet<String>();
+
+	private Compiled(String className,Map<String,byte[]> map) {
+		this.className = className;
+		this.map = map;
+	}
+
+	Class loadClass() {
+		try {
+			ClassLoader cl = new ClassLoader() {
+				@Override protected Class<?> findClass(String name) throws ClassNotFoundException {
+					if( !set.add(name) )
+						logger.error("dup "+name);
+					byte[] byteCode = map.get(name);
+					if( byteCode != null ) {
+						return defineClass(name, byteCode, 0, byteCode.length);
+					}
+					return super.findClass(name);
+				}
+			};
+			return cl.loadClass(className);
+		} catch(ClassNotFoundException e) {
+			throw new RuntimeException(e);
+		}
+	}
+
+
+	private static final int VERSION = 1;
+	private static final File tmpDir;
+	static {
+		File f = new File(System.getProperty("java.io.tmpdir"));
+		tmpDir = new File(f,"luan");
+		tmpDir.mkdir();
+		if( !tmpDir.exists() )
+			throw new RuntimeException();
+	}
+
+	static Compiled load(String fileName,String key) {
+		try {
+			File f = new File(tmpDir,fileName);
+			if( !f.exists() )
+				return null;
+			DataInputStream in = new DataInputStream(new FileInputStream(f));
+			if( in.readInt() != VERSION )
+				return null;
+			if( !in.readUTF().equals(key) )
+				return null;
+			String className = in.readUTF();
+			int n = in.readInt();
+			Map<String,byte[]> map = new HashMap<String,byte[]>();
+			for( int i=0; i<n; i++ ) {
+				String s = in.readUTF();
+				int len = in.readInt();
+				byte[] a = new byte[len];
+				in.readFully(a);
+				map.put(s,a);
+			}
+			in.close();
+			return new Compiled(className,map);
+		} catch(IOException e) {
+			logger.error("load failed",e);
+			return null;
+		}
+	}
+
+	void save(String fileName,String key) {
+		try {
+			File f = new File(tmpDir,fileName);
+			DataOutputStream out = new DataOutputStream(new FileOutputStream(f));
+			out.writeInt(VERSION);
+			out.writeUTF(key);
+			out.writeUTF(className);
+			out.writeInt(map.size());
+			for( Map.Entry<String,byte[]> entry : map.entrySet() ) {
+				out.writeUTF( entry.getKey() );
+				byte[] a = entry.getValue();
+				out.writeInt(a.length);
+				out.write(a,0,a.length);
+			}
+			out.close();
+		} catch(IOException e) {
+			logger.error("save failed",e);
+		}
+	}
+}

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/impl/LuanCompiler.java
--- a/src/luan/impl/LuanCompiler.java	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/src/luan/impl/LuanCompiler.java	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
+import java.security.MessageDigest;
+import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Base64;
 import luan.Luan;
 import luan.LuanFunction;
 import luan.LuanException;
@@ -16,8 +19,12 @@
 public final class LuanCompiler {
 	private static final Map<String,WeakReference<Class>> map = new HashMap<String,WeakReference<Class>>();
 
-	public static LuanFunction compile(Luan luan,String sourceText,String sourceName,LuanTable env) throws LuanException {
-		Class fnClass = env==null ? getClass(sourceText,sourceName) : getClass(sourceText,sourceName,env);
+	public static LuanFunction compile(Luan luan,String sourceText,String sourceName,boolean persist,LuanTable env)
+		throws LuanException
+	{
+		if( persist && env!=null )
+			throw new LuanException("can't persist with env");
+		Class fnClass = persist ? getClass(sourceText,sourceName) : getClass(sourceText,sourceName,env);
 		boolean javaOk = false;
 		if( env != null && env.closure != null )
 			javaOk = env.closure.javaOk;
@@ -41,20 +48,45 @@
 		return closure;
 	}
 
-	private static synchronized Class getClass(String sourceText,String sourceName) throws LuanException {
+	private static synchronized Class getClass(String sourceText,String sourceName)
+		throws LuanException
+	{
 		String key = sourceName + "~~~" + sourceText;
 		WeakReference<Class> ref = map.get(key);
 		if( ref != null ) {
 			Class cls = ref.get();
 			if( cls != null )
 				return cls;
+		}
+		String fileName;
+		try {
+			byte[] a = MessageDigest.getInstance("MD5").digest(key.getBytes());
+			String s = Base64.getUrlEncoder().encodeToString(a);
+//System.err.println("qqqqqqqqqq "+s);
+			fileName = s + ".luanc";
+		} catch(NoSuchAlgorithmException e) {
+			throw new RuntimeException(e);
+		}
+		Compiled compiled = Compiled.load(fileName,key);
+		//Compiled compiled = null;
+		if( compiled==null ) {
+			compiled = getCompiled(sourceText,sourceName,null);
+			compiled.save(fileName,key);
 		}
-		Class cls = getClass(sourceText,sourceName,null);
+		Class cls = compiled.loadClass();
 		map.put(key,new WeakReference<Class>(cls));
 		return cls;
 	}
 
-	private static Class getClass(String sourceText,String sourceName,LuanTable env) throws LuanException {
+	private static Class getClass(String sourceText,String sourceName,LuanTable env)
+		throws LuanException
+	{
+		return getCompiled(sourceText,sourceName,env).loadClass();
+	}
+
+	private static Compiled getCompiled(String sourceText,String sourceName,LuanTable env)
+		throws LuanException
+	{
 		LuanParser parser = new LuanParser(sourceText,sourceName);
 		parser.addVar( "require" );
 		if( env != null )  parser.addVar( "_ENV" );
@@ -66,7 +98,9 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	public static String toJava(String sourceText,String sourceName) throws LuanException {
+	public static String toJava(String sourceText,String sourceName)
+		throws LuanException
+	{
 		LuanParser parser = new LuanParser(sourceText,sourceName);
 		parser.addVar( "require" );
 		try {

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/impl/LuanJavaCompiler.java
--- a/src/luan/impl/LuanJavaCompiler.java	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
@@ -1,100 +0,0 @@
-package luan.impl;
-
-import java.io.OutputStream;
-import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
-import java.io.StringWriter;
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.net.URI;
-import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import javax.tools.FileObject;
-import javax.tools.JavaFileObject;
-import javax.tools.SimpleJavaFileObject;
-import javax.tools.JavaCompiler;
-import javax.tools.ToolProvider;
-import javax.tools.JavaFileManager;
-import javax.tools.StandardJavaFileManager;
-import javax.tools.ForwardingJavaFileManager;
-
-
-public final class LuanJavaCompiler {
-	private LuanJavaCompiler() {}  // never
-
-	private static class MyJavaFileObject extends SimpleJavaFileObject {
-		final ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-
-		MyJavaFileObject() {
-			super(URI.create("whatever"),JavaFileObject.Kind.CLASS);
-		}
-
-		@Override public OutputStream openOutputStream() {
-			return baos;
-		}
-
-		byte[] byteCode(String sourceName) {
-			byte[] byteCode = baos.toByteArray();
-			final int len = sourceName.length();
-			int max = byteCode.length-len-3;
-			outer:
-			for( int i=0; true; i++ ) {
-				if( i > max )
-					throw new RuntimeException("len="+len);
-				if( byteCode[i]==1 && (byteCode[i+1] << 8 | 0xFF & byteCode[i+2]) == len ) {
-					for( int j=i+3; j<i+3+len; j++ ) {
-						if( byteCode[j] != '$' )
-							continue outer;
-					}
-					System.arraycopy(sourceName.getBytes(),0,byteCode,i+3,len);
-					break;
-				}
-			}
-			return byteCode;
-		}
-	}
-
-	public static Class compile(final String className,final String sourceName,final String code) throws ClassNotFoundException {
-		final int len = sourceName.length();
-		StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(sourceName);
-		for( int i=0; i<len; i++ )
-			sb.setCharAt(i,'$');
-		JavaFileObject sourceFile = new SimpleJavaFileObject(URI.create(sb.toString()),JavaFileObject.Kind.SOURCE) {
-			@Override public CharSequence getCharContent(boolean ignoreEncodingErrors) {
-				return code;
-			}
-			@Override public String getName() {
-				return sourceName;
-			}
-			@Override public boolean isNameCompatible(String simpleName,JavaFileObject.Kind kind) {
-				return true;
-			}
-		};
-		final Map<String,MyJavaFileObject> map = new HashMap<String,MyJavaFileObject>();
-		JavaCompiler compiler = ToolProvider.getSystemJavaCompiler();
-		StandardJavaFileManager sjfm = compiler.getStandardFileManager(null,null,null);
-		ForwardingJavaFileManager fjfm = new ForwardingJavaFileManager(sjfm) {
-			@Override public JavaFileObject getJavaFileForOutput(JavaFileManager.Location location, String className, JavaFileObject.Kind kind, FileObject sibling) throws IOException {
-				if( map.containsKey(className) )
-					throw new RuntimeException(className);
-				MyJavaFileObject classFile = new MyJavaFileObject();
-				map.put(className,classFile);
-				return classFile;
-			}
-		};
-		StringWriter out = new StringWriter();
-		boolean b = compiler.getTask(out, fjfm, null, null, null, Collections.singletonList(sourceFile)).call();
-		if( !b )
-			throw new RuntimeException("\n"+out+"\ncode:\n"+code+"\n");
-		ClassLoader cl = new ClassLoader() {
-			@Override protected Class<?> findClass(String name) throws ClassNotFoundException {
-				MyJavaFileObject jfo = map.get(name);
-				if( jfo != null ) {
-					byte[] byteCode = jfo.byteCode(sourceName);
-					return defineClass(name, byteCode, 0, byteCode.length);
-				}
-				return super.findClass(name);
-			}
-		};
-		return cl.loadClass(className);
-	}
-}

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/impl/LuanParser.java
--- a/src/luan/impl/LuanParser.java	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/src/luan/impl/LuanParser.java	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -168,7 +168,6 @@
 
 	}
 
-	private static AtomicInteger classCounter = new AtomicInteger();
 	private int innerCounter = 0;
 	private final List<Inner> inners = new ArrayList<Inner>();
 
@@ -237,20 +236,16 @@
 //		return toFnExp( stmt, frame.upValueSymbols, name );
 	}
 
-	Class RequiredModule() throws ParseException {
+	Compiled RequiredModule() throws ParseException {
 		GetRequiredModule();
-		String className = "EXP" + classCounter.incrementAndGet();
+		String className = "EXP";
 		String classCode = toFnString( top, frame.upValueSymbols, className, inners );
-		try {
-			return LuanJavaCompiler.compile("luan.impl."+className,parser.sourceName,classCode);
-		} catch(ClassNotFoundException e) {
-			throw new RuntimeException(e);
-		}
+		return Compiled.compile("luan.impl."+className,parser.sourceName,classCode);
 	}
 
 	String RequiredModuleSource() throws ParseException {
 		GetRequiredModule();
-		String className = "EXP" + classCounter.incrementAndGet();
+		String className = "EXP";
 		return toFnString( top, frame.upValueSymbols, className, inners );
 	}
 

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/modules/BasicLuan.java
--- a/src/luan/modules/BasicLuan.java	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/src/luan/modules/BasicLuan.java	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -23,12 +23,12 @@
 		return Luan.type(obj);
 	}
 
-	public static LuanFunction load(Luan luan,String text,String sourceName,LuanTable env)
+	public static LuanFunction load(Luan luan,String text,String sourceName,boolean persist,LuanTable env)
 		throws LuanException
 	{
 		Utils.checkNotNull(text);
 		Utils.checkNotNull(sourceName,1);
-		return luan.load(text,sourceName,env);
+		return luan.load(text,sourceName,persist,env);
 	}
 /*
 	public static LuanFunction load_file(Luan luan,String fileName) throws LuanException {

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/modules/Boot.luan
--- a/src/luan/modules/Boot.luan	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/src/luan/modules/Boot.luan	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -245,11 +245,11 @@
 			return nil
 		end
 		local src = u.read_text()
-		return load(src,file)
+		return load(src,file,true)
 	elseif type(file) == "table" and file.read_text ~= nil then
 		local src = file.read_text()
 		local src_file = file.uri_string or file.to_uri_string()
-		return load(src,src_file)
+		return load(src,src_file,true)
 	else
 		error("bad argument, expected string or uri table but got "..type(file))
 	end

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/modules/Luan.luan
--- a/src/luan/modules/Luan.luan	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/src/luan/modules/Luan.luan	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@
 Luan.get_metatable = BasicLuan.get_metatable
 Luan.hash_code = BasicLuan.hash_code
 Luan.ipairs = BasicLuan.ipairs
-Luan.load = BasicLuan.load
-Luan.load_file = Boot.load_file
+local java_load = BasicLuan.load
+local load_file = Boot.load_file
+Luan.load_file = load_file
 Luan.new_error = BasicLuan.new_error
 Luan.pairs = BasicLuan.pairs
 Luan.pcall = BasicLuan.pcall
@@ -26,15 +27,20 @@
 Luan.type = BasicLuan.type
 Luan.values = BasicLuan.values
 
+local function load(text,source_name,env,persist)
+	return java_load( text, source_name or "load", persist==true, env )
+end
+Luan.load = load
+
 function Luan.do_file(uri)
-	local fn = Luan.load_file(uri) or error("file '"..uri.."' not found")
+	local fn = load_file(uri) or error("file '"..uri.."' not found")
 	return fn()
 end
 
 Luan.VERSION = Luan.do_file "classpath:luan/version.luan"
 
 function Luan.eval(s,source_name,env)
-	return Luan.load( "return "..s, source_name or "eval", env )()
+	return load( "return "..s, source_name or "eval", env )()
 end
 
 return Luan

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/modules/PackageLuan.java
--- a/src/luan/modules/PackageLuan.java	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/src/luan/modules/PackageLuan.java	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 				} catch(IOException e) {
 					throw new RuntimeException(e);
 				}
-				LuanFunction loader = luan.load(src,modName);
+				LuanFunction loader = luan.load(src,modName,true);
 				mod = Luan.first(
 					loader.call(modName)
 				);
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
 				if( src == null ) {
 					mod = Boolean.FALSE;
 				} else {
-					LuanFunction loader = luan.load(src,modName);
+					LuanFunction loader = luan.load(src,modName,true);
 					mod = Luan.first(
 						loader.call(modName)
 					);

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/modules/http/LuanHandler.java
--- a/src/luan/modules/http/LuanHandler.java	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/src/luan/modules/http/LuanHandler.java	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@
 			LuanCloner cloner = new LuanCloner(LuanCloner.Type.COMPLETE);
 			luan = (Luan)cloner.clone(currentLuan);
 		}
-		luan.load(text,"<eval_in_root>",null).call();
+		luan.load(text,"<eval_in_root>",false,null).call();
 		currentLuan = luan;
 	}
 

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d src/luan/modules/lucene/PostgresBackup.java
--- a/src/luan/modules/lucene/PostgresBackup.java	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/src/luan/modules/lucene/PostgresBackup.java	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
 	}
 
 	private static Object eval(String s,LuanTable env) throws LuanException {
-		LuanFunction fn = env.luan().load( "return "+s, "PostgresBackup", env );
+		LuanFunction fn = env.luan().load( "return "+s, "PostgresBackup", false, env );
 		return fn.call();
 	}
 

diff -r 5f038be65271 -r 56fb5cd8228d website/src/manual.html
--- a/website/src/manual.html	Tue Dec 24 17:57:47 2019 -0700
+++ b/website/src/manual.html	Sun Dec 29 15:25:07 2019 -0700
@@ -1812,7 +1812,7 @@
 
 
 
-<h4 heading><a name="Luan.eval" href="#Luan.eval"><code>Luan.eval (text [, source_name] [, env])</code></a></h4>
+<h4 heading><a name="Luan.eval" href="#Luan.eval"><code>Luan.eval (text [, source_name [, env]])</code></a></h4>
 
 <p>
 Evaluates <code>text</code> as a Luan expression.
@@ -1876,7 +1876,7 @@
 
 
 
-<h4 heading><a name="Luan.load" href="#Luan.load"><code>Luan.load (text, source_name [, env])</code></a></h4>
+<h4 heading><a name="Luan.load" href="#Luan.load"><code>Luan.load (text, [source_name [, env [, persist]]])</code></a></h4>
 
 <p>
 Loads a chunk.
@@ -1888,33 +1888,21 @@
 otherwise, throws an error.
 
 <p>
-The <code>source_name</code> parameter is a string saying where the text came from.  It is used to produce error messages.
+The <code>source_name</code> parameter is a string saying where the text came from.  It is used to produce error messages.  Defaults to "load".
 
 <p>
 If the <code>env</code> parameter is supplied, it becomes the <code>_ENV</code> of the chunk.
 
-
-<h4 heading><a name="Luan.load_file" href="#Luan.load_file"><code>Luan.load_file ([file_uri])</code></a></h4>
+<p>
+The <code>persist</code> parameter is a boolean which determines if the compiled code is persistently cached to a temporary file.  Defaults to <code>false</code>.
+
+
+<h4 heading><a name="Luan.load_file" href="#Luan.load_file"><code>Luan.load_file (file_uri)</code></a></h4>
 
 <p>
 Similar to <a href="#Luan.load"><code>load</code></a>,
-but gets the chunk from file <code>file_uri</code>
-or from the standard input,
-if no file uri is given.
-
-<p>
-Could be defined as:
-
-<pre>
-	function Luan.load_file(file_uri)
-		file_uri = file_uri or "stdin:"
-		local f = Io.uri(file_uri)
-		if not f.exists() then
-			return nil
-		end
-		return <a href="#Luan.load">Luan.load</a>( f.read_text(), file_uri )
-	end
-</pre>
+but gets the chunk from file <code>file_uri</code>.
+<code>file_uri</code> can be a string or a uri table.
 
 
 <h4 heading><a name="Luan.new_error" href="#Luan.new_error"><code>Luan.new_error (message)</code></a></h4>