diff --git a/bin/pallenec b/bin/pallenec
index 55f2d0fc..0829503e 100755
--- a/bin/pallenec
+++ b/bin/pallenec
@@ -1,73 +1,3 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env lua
-
-local argparse = require "argparse"
-
-local driver = require "pallene.driver"
-local print_ir = require "pallene.print_ir"
-local util = require "pallene.util"
-local C = require "pallene.C"
-
---
--- Command-line options
---
-
-local p = argparse("pallenec", "Pallene compiler")
-p:argument("source_file", "File to compile")
-
--- What the compiler should output.
-p:mutex(
-    p:flag("--emit-c",    "Generate a .c file instead of an executable"),
-    p:flag("--emit-lua",  "Generate a .lua file instead of an executable"),
-    p:flag("--compile-c", "Compile a .c file generated by --emit-c"),
-    p:flag("--print-ir",  "Show the intermediate representation for a program")
-)
-
--- Optimization levels for the Pallene and C compiler. (-O0 disables optimizations for both)
--- NOTE: *For C compiler only* this option may be overridden  using the CFLAGS environment variable.
-p:option("-O", "Optimization level")
-    :args(1):convert(tonumber)
-    :choices({"0", "1", "2", "3"})
-    :default(2)
-
-p:option("-o --output", "Output file path")
-
-
-local args = p:parse()
-
-local opt_level = args.O
-
--- For compilation errors that don't happen inside a source file.
--- Inspired by gcc, eg. "gcc: fatal error: no input files".
-local compiler_name = arg[0]
-
-local function compile(in_ext, out_ext)
-    local ok, errs = driver.compile(compiler_name, opt_level, in_ext, out_ext, args.source_file,
-        args.output)
-    if not ok then util.abort(table.concat(errs, "\n")) end
-end
-
-
-local function compile_up_to(stop_after)
-    local filename  = args.source_file
-    local opt_level = args.O
-
-    local input, err = driver.load_input(filename)
-    if err then util.abort(err) end
-
-    local out, errs = driver.compile_internal(filename, input, stop_after, opt_level)
-    if not out then util.abort(table.concat(errs, "\n")) end
-
-    return out
-end
-
-local function do_print_ir()
-    local module = compile_up_to("optimize")
-    io.stdout:write(print_ir(module))
-end
-
-if     args.emit_c      then compile("pln", "c")
-elseif args.emit_lua    then compile("pln", "lua")
-elseif args.compile_c   then compile("c" ,  "so")
-elseif args.print_ir    then do_print_ir()
-else --[[default]]           compile("pln", "so")
-end
+local pallenec = require "pallene.pallenec"
+pallenec.main()
diff --git a/src/pallene/pallenec.lua b/src/pallene/pallenec.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8821dc1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pallene/pallenec.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+-- Copyright (c) 2022, The Pallene Developers
+-- Pallene is licensed under the MIT license.
+-- Please refer to the LICENSE and AUTHORS files for details
+-- SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+-- PALLENEC SCRIPT
+-- ===============
+-- This is the main entry point for the pallenec compiler
+
+local argparse = require "argparse"
+local driver = require "pallene.driver"
+local print_ir = require "pallene.print_ir"
+local util = require "pallene.util"
+
+local pallenec = {}
+
+-- For compilation errors that don't happen inside a source file.
+-- Inspired by gcc, eg. "gcc: fatal error: no input files".
+local compiler_name = arg[0]
+
+-- Command-line options
+local opts
+do
+    local p = argparse("pallenec", "Pallene compiler")
+    p:argument("source_file", "File to compile")
+
+    -- What the compiler should output.
+    p:mutex(
+        p:flag("--emit-c",    "Generate a .c file instead of an executable"),
+        p:flag("--emit-lua",  "Generate a .lua file instead of an executable"),
+        p:flag("--compile-c", "Compile a .c file generated by --emit-c"),
+        p:flag("--print-ir",  "Show the intermediate representation for a program")
+    )
+
+    p:option("-O", "Optimization level")
+        :args(1):convert(tonumber)
+        :choices({"0", "1", "2", "3"})
+        :default(2)
+
+    p:option("-o --output", "Output file path")
+
+    opts = p:parse()
+end
+
+local function compile(in_ext, out_ext)
+    local ok, errs = driver.compile(compiler_name, opts.O, in_ext, out_ext, opts.source_file,
+        opts.output)
+    if not ok then util.abort(table.concat(errs, "\n")) end
+end
+
+local function compile_up_to(stop_after)
+    local input, err = driver.load_input(opts.source_file)
+    if err then util.abort(err) end
+
+    local out, errs = driver.compile_internal(opts.source_file, input, stop_after, opts.O)
+    if not out then util.abort(table.concat(errs, "\n")) end
+
+    return out
+end
+
+local function do_print_ir()
+    local module = compile_up_to("optimize")
+    io.stdout:write(print_ir(module))
+end
+
+function pallenec.main()
+    if     opts.emit_c      then compile("pln", "c")
+    elseif opts.emit_lua    then compile("pln", "lua")
+    elseif opts.compile_c   then compile("c" ,  "so")
+    elseif opts.print_ir    then do_print_ir()
+    else --[[default]]           compile("pln", "so")
+    end
+end
+
+return pallenec