diff --git a/src/configure.ac b/src/configure.ac
--- a/src/configure.ac
+++ b/src/configure.ac
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@
 [dnl
   [oct_mach_info],
   [octave::mach_info],
-  [[std::cout << octave::mach_info::flt_fmt_unknown;]],
+  [[int f = octave::mach_info::flt_fmt_unknown;]],
   [OCTAVE__MACH_INFO],
   [],
   []
@@ -378,15 +378,6 @@
 ],
 
 [dnl
-  [eval_string],
-  [octave::eval_string],
-  [[int p_err; octave::eval_string ("date", false, p_err, 0);]],
-  [OCTAVE__EVAL_STRING],
-  [[#include <octave/parse.h>]],
-  [[#include <octave/parse.h>]]
-],
-
-[dnl
   [file_stat],
   [octave::sys::file_stat],
   [[octave::sys::file_stat ();]],
@@ -402,6 +393,35 @@
   [ADD_OCTAVE__INTERPRETER__CALL_STACK__POP],
   [],
   []
+],
+
+[dnl
+  [octave_vformat],
+  [octave::vformat],
+  [[std::ostringstream obuf;]
+   [va_list args;]
+   [octave::vformat (obuf, "dummy", args);]],
+  [OCTAVE__VFORMAT],
+  [],
+  []
+],
+
+[dnl
+  [command_editor],
+  [octave::command_editor],
+  [[octave::command_editor::increment_current_command_number ();]],
+  [OCTAVE__COMMAND_EDITOR],
+  [[#include <octave/cmd-edit.h>]],
+  [[#include <octave/cmd-edit.h>]]
+],
+
+[dnl
+  [octave_env],
+  [octave::sys::env],
+  [[octave::sys::env::get_current_directory ();]],
+  [OCTAVE__SYS__ENV],
+  [[#include <octave/oct-env.h>]],
+  [[#include <octave/oct-env.h>]]
 ]
 
 ],
@@ -419,6 +439,27 @@
     [AC_MSG_RESULT([no])]
   )
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for eval_string])
+  AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(
+    [AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <octave/oct.h>]],
+                     [std::string cmd ("date"); int p_err; octave::interpreter::the_interpreter () -> eval_string (cmd, false, p_err, 0);])],
+    [AC_DEFINE([OCTAVE__EVAL_STRING], [octave::interpreter::the_interpreter () -> eval_string],
+               [macro for alternatives to octave::eval_string])
+     AC_MSG_RESULT([octave::interpreter::eval_string])],
+    [AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(
+      [AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <octave/oct.h>]
+                        [#include <octave/parse.h>]],
+                       [int p_err; octave::eval_string ("date", false, p_err, 0);])],
+      [AC_DEFINE([OCTAVE__EVAL_STRING], [octave::eval_string],
+                 [macro for alternatives to octave::eval_string])
+       AC_MSG_RESULT([octave::eval_string])
+       echo '#include <octave/parse.h>' >> oct-alt-includes.h],
+      [AC_DEFINE([OCTAVE__EVAL_STRING], [eval_string],
+                 [macro for alternatives to octave::eval_string])
+       AC_MSG_RESULT([eval_string])
+       echo '#include <octave/parse.h>' >> oct-alt-includes.h])]
+)
+
 LIBS=$TLIBS
 LDFLAGS=$TLDFLAGS
 CXXFLAGS=$TCXXFLAGS
diff --git a/src/error-helpers.cc b/src/error-helpers.cc
--- a/src/error-helpers.cc
+++ b/src/error-helpers.cc
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 
   std::ostringstream output_buf;
 
-  octave_vformat (output_buf, fmt, args);
+  OCTAVE__VFORMAT (output_buf, fmt, args);
 
   std::string msg = output_buf.str ();
 
diff --git a/src/error-helpers.h b/src/error-helpers.h
--- a/src/error-helpers.h
+++ b/src/error-helpers.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
+#include <iostream>
+
 // Octaves non-static verror functions: The elder all set error_state,
 // the newer, present from the time on at which error started to throw
 // an exception, all throw, too.
diff --git a/src/pconnect.cc b/src/pconnect.cc
--- a/src/pconnect.cc
+++ b/src/pconnect.cc
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#include <octave/oct-env.h>
-
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <netdb.h>
@@ -533,7 +531,7 @@
               dcprintf ("hostname %i written (%s)\n", j, hosts(j).c_str ());
             }
 
-          std::string directory = octave_env::get_current_directory ();
+          std::string directory = OCTAVE__SYS__ENV::get_current_directory ();
 
           conn->get_cmd_stream ()->network_send_string (directory.c_str ());
           dcprintf ("directory written (%s)\n", directory.c_str ());
diff --git a/src/pserver.cc b/src/pserver.cc
--- a/src/pserver.cc
+++ b/src/pserver.cc
@@ -25,11 +25,9 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#include <octave/oct-env.h>
 #include <octave/file-io.h>
 #include <octave/sighandlers.h>
 #include <octave/parse.h>
-#include <octave/cmd-edit.h>
 
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -169,7 +167,7 @@
           if (octave_completion_matches_called)
             octave_completion_matches_called = false;
           else
-            command_editor::increment_current_command_number ();
+            OCTAVE__COMMAND_EDITOR::increment_current_command_number ();
           dsprintf ("reval loop, no error, after caring for Octave command number\n");
         }
     }
@@ -1116,10 +1114,10 @@
           OCTAVE__INTERPRETER__SYMBOL_TABLE__ASSIGN ("sockets", sockets);
           dsprintf ("'sockets' installed\n");
 
-          int cd_ok = octave_env::chdir (directory.c_str ());
+          int cd_ok = OCTAVE__SYS__ENV::chdir (directory.c_str ());
           if (! cd_ok)
             {
-            octave_env::chdir ("/tmp");
+            OCTAVE__SYS__ENV::chdir ("/tmp");
             dsprintf ("performed chdir to /tmp\n");
             }
           else

