diff --git a/Gruntfile.js b/Gruntfile.js
index 49b0c269..dd7a0115 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/Gruntfile.js
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
   grunt.registerTask('watching', ['fastBuild', 'jasmine_node', 'jshint', 'lintStrings']);
 
   grunt.registerTask('default', ['build']);
-  grunt.registerTask('test', ['jasmine_node', 'shell:casperTest']);
+  grunt.registerTask('test', ['jasmine_node']);
   grunt.registerTask('casperTest', ['shell:casperTest']);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/js/app/index.js b/src/js/app/index.js
index 6af036eb..e087ee58 100644
--- a/src/js/app/index.js
+++ b/src/js/app/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-var _ = require('underscore');
 var Backbone = require('backbone');
+var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 var React = require('react');
 
+var assign = require('object-assign');
 var util = require('../util');
 var intl = require('../intl');
 var LocaleStore = require('../stores/LocaleStore');
@@ -10,7 +11,16 @@ var LocaleActions = require('../actions/LocaleActions');
 /**
  * Globals
  */
-var events = _.clone(Backbone.Events);
+var events = assign(
+  {},
+  EventEmitter.prototype,
+  {
+    trigger: function() {
+      // alias this for backwards compatibility
+      this.emit.apply(this, arguments);
+    }
+  }
+);
 var commandUI;
 var sandbox;
 var eventBaton;
@@ -118,7 +128,7 @@ var initRootEvents = function(eventBaton) {
   var makeKeyListener = function(name) {
     return function() {
       var args = [name];
-      _.each(arguments, function(arg) {
+      Array.prototype.slice.apply(arguments).forEach(function(arg) {
         args.push(arg);
       });
       eventBaton.trigger.apply(eventBaton, args);
diff --git a/src/js/util/debug.js b/src/js/util/debug.js
index ec247133..f70b6dfb 100644
--- a/src/js/util/debug.js
+++ b/src/js/util/debug.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-var _ = require('underscore');
-
 var toGlobalize = {
   App: require('../app/index.js'),
   Tree: require('../visuals/tree'),
@@ -37,7 +35,9 @@ var toGlobalize = {
   Intl: require('../intl')
 };
 
-_.each(toGlobalize, function(module, moduleName) {
+Object.keys(toGlobalize).forEach(function(moduleName) {
+  var module = toGlobalize[moduleName];
+
   for (var key in module) {
     var value = module[key];
     if (value instanceof Function) {
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
   window.debug_sandbox = toGlobalize.Main.getSandbox();
   window.debug_modules = toGlobalize;
   window.debug_levelDropdown = toGlobalize.Main.getLevelDropdown();
-  window.debug_under = _;
   window.debug_copyTree = function() {
     return toGlobalize.Main.getSandbox().mainVis.gitEngine.printAndCopyTree();
   };
diff --git a/src/js/util/errors.js b/src/js/util/errors.js
index 4cf5bab1..53d362d2 100644
--- a/src/js/util/errors.js
+++ b/src/js/util/errors.js
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
-var _ = require('underscore');
 var Backbone = require('backbone');
 
 var MyError = Backbone.Model.extend({
   defaults: {
-    type: 'MyError',
-    msg: 'Unknown Error'
+    type: 'MyError'
   },
   toString: function() {
     return this.get('type') + ': ' + this.get('msg');
   },
 
   getMsg: function() {
-    return this.get('msg') || 'Unknown Error';
+    if (!this.get('msg')) {
+      console.warn('mye rror without message');
+    }
+    return this.get('msg');
   }
 });
 
diff --git a/src/js/util/escapeString.js b/src/js/util/escapeString.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ecfe807
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/js/util/escapeString.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+var mapping = {
+  '&': '&',
+  '<': '&lt;',
+  '>': '&gt;',
+  '"': '&quot;',
+  "'": '&#x27;',
+  '/': '&#x2F;'
+};
+
+module.exports = function(string) {
+  return ('' + string).replace(/[&<>"'\/]/g, function(match) {
+    return mapping[match];
+  });
+};
diff --git a/src/js/util/eventBaton.js b/src/js/util/eventBaton.js
index 8614a74a..e6059d43 100644
--- a/src/js/util/eventBaton.js
+++ b/src/js/util/eventBaton.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-var _ = require('underscore');
-
 function EventBaton(options) {
   this.eventMap = {};
   this.options = options || {};
@@ -70,13 +68,13 @@ EventBaton.prototype.passBatonBack = function(name, func, context, args) {
   var listeners = this.getListenersThrow(name);
 
   var indexBefore;
-  _.each(listeners, function(listenerObj, index) {
+  listeners.forEach(function(listenerObj, index) {
     // skip the first
     if (index === 0) { return; }
     if (listenerObj.func === func && listenerObj.context === context) {
       indexBefore = index - 1;
     }
-  }, this);
+  });
   if (indexBefore === undefined) {
     throw new Error('you are the last baton holder! or i didnt find you');
   }
@@ -92,7 +90,7 @@ EventBaton.prototype.releaseBaton = function(name, func, context) {
 
   var newListeners = [];
   var found = false;
-  _.each(listeners, function(listenerObj) {
+  listeners.forEach(function(listenerObj) {
     if (listenerObj.func === func && listenerObj.context === context) {
       if (found) {
         console.warn('woah duplicates!!!');
@@ -102,7 +100,7 @@ EventBaton.prototype.releaseBaton = function(name, func, context) {
     } else {
       newListeners.push(listenerObj);
     }
-  }, this);
+  });
 
   if (!found) {
     console.log('did not find that function', func, context, name, arguments);
@@ -113,4 +111,3 @@ EventBaton.prototype.releaseBaton = function(name, func, context) {
 };
 
 exports.EventBaton = EventBaton;
-
diff --git a/src/js/util/index.js b/src/js/util/index.js
index 8e6dc085..ceab3013 100644
--- a/src/js/util/index.js
+++ b/src/js/util/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-var _ = require('underscore');
+var escapeString = require('../util/escapeString');
 var constants = require('../util/constants');
 
 exports.parseQueryString = function(uri) {
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ exports.isBrowser = function() {
 };
 
 exports.splitTextCommand = function(value, func, context) {
-  func = _.bind(func, context);
-  _.each(value.split(';'), function(command, index) {
-    command = _.escape(command);
+  func = func.bind(context);
+  value.split(';').forEach(function(command, index) {
+    command = escapeString(command);
     command = command
       .replace(/^(\s+)/, '')
       .replace(/(\s+)$/, '')
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ exports.genParseCommand = function(regexMap, eventName) {
     var method;
     var regexResults;
 
-    _.each(regexMap, function(regex, _method) {
-      var results = regex.exec(str);
+    Object.keys(regexMap).forEach(function(_method) {
+      var results = regexMap[_method].exec(str);
       if (results) {
         method = _method;
         regexResults = results;
diff --git a/src/js/util/keyboard.js b/src/js/util/keyboard.js
index dcb77d89..cbe2d279 100644
--- a/src/js/util/keyboard.js
+++ b/src/js/util/keyboard.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-var _ = require('underscore');
 var Backbone = require('backbone');
 
 var Main = require('../app');
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ var mapKeycodeToKey = function(keycode) {
 };
 
 function KeyboardListener(options) {
-  this.events = options.events || _.clone(Backbone.Events);
+  this.events = options.events;
   this.aliasMap = options.aliasMap || {};
 
   if (!options.wait) {
diff --git a/src/js/util/zoomLevel.js b/src/js/util/zoomLevel.js
index 8e04bfa6..84f8e899 100644
--- a/src/js/util/zoomLevel.js
+++ b/src/js/util/zoomLevel.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-var _ = require('underscore');
-
 var _warnOnce = true;
 function detectZoom() {
   /**
diff --git a/src/js/views/commandViews.js b/src/js/views/commandViews.js
index 4019e5d5..baae769d 100644
--- a/src/js/views/commandViews.js
+++ b/src/js/views/commandViews.js
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ var CommandPromptView = Backbone.View.extend({
 
     // 10px for monospaced font at "1" zoom
     var zoom = require('../util/zoomLevel').detectZoom();
-    var widthPerChar = 10 * zoom;
+    var widthPerChar = 9.65 * zoom;
     var heightPerRow = 22 * zoom;
 
     var widthOfParagraph = $(this.commandParagraph).width();
diff --git a/src/style/main.css b/src/style/main.css
index 90205df0..18da8cba 100644
--- a/src/style/main.css
+++ b/src/style/main.css
@@ -442,7 +442,6 @@ div.controls div.box.flex1 div.plus {
 }
 
 /* Command Line */
-
 div.reactCommandView p.commandLine i {
   margin: 0 5px;
 }