diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e03ea608237291b6937b0023fda3eb07871768ef..4f0b416c8e457d648c2e406b7ce9273496993299 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -34,7 +34,12 @@ XCL ?= xcl
 
 # website, tag, install
 
-default: test
+driver_lisp := header.lisp package.lisp compatibility.lisp utility.lisp pathname.lisp stream.lisp os.lisp image.lisp run-program.lisp lisp-build.lisp configuration.lisp driver.lisp
+asdf_lisp := upgrade.lisp component.lisp system.lisp find-system.lisp find-component.lisp operation.lisp action.lisp lisp-action.lisp plan.lisp operate.lisp output-translations.lisp source-registry.lisp backward-internals.lisp defsystem.lisp bundle.lisp concatenate-source.lisp backward-interface.lisp interface.lisp footer.lisp
+
+build/asdf.lisp: $(wildcard *.lisp)
+	mkdir -p build
+	cat $(driver_lisp) $(asdf_lisp) > $@
 
 install: archive-copy
 
@@ -51,13 +56,6 @@ archive-copy: archive build/asdf.lisp
 	${MAKE} push
 	git checkout master
 
-driver_lisp := header.lisp package.lisp compatibility.lisp utility.lisp pathname.lisp stream.lisp os.lisp image.lisp run-program.lisp lisp-build.lisp configuration.lisp driver.lisp
-asdf_lisp := upgrade.lisp component.lisp system.lisp find-system.lisp find-component.lisp operation.lisp action.lisp lisp-action.lisp plan.lisp operate.lisp output-translations.lisp source-registry.lisp backward-internals.lisp defsystem.lisp bundle.lisp concatenate-source.lisp backward-interface.lisp interface.lisp footer.lisp
-
-build/asdf.lisp: $(wildcard *.lisp)
-	mkdir -p build
-	cat $(driver_lisp) $(asdf_lisp) > $@
-
 wc:
 	@wc $(driver_lisp) | sort -n ; echo ; \
 	wc $(asdf_lisp) | sort -n ; \
diff --git a/asdf.asd b/asdf.asd
index ba607e8f8698796191723eb50f5ef364e90b9c46..7a453216cf78690edda73093684cedcc871f5a3d 100644
--- a/asdf.asd
+++ b/asdf.asd
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
   :licence "MIT"
   :description "Another System Definition Facility"
   :long-description "ASDF builds Common Lisp software organized into defined systems."
-  :version "2.26.96" ;; to be automatically updated by bin/bump-revision
+  :version "2.26.97" ;; to be automatically updated by bin/bump-revision
   :depends-on ()
   :components ((:module "build" :components ((:file "asdf"))))
   :in-order-to (#+asdf2.27 (compile-op (monolithic-load-concatenated-source-op generate-asdf))))
diff --git a/bin/bump-version b/bin/bump-version
index d3902c6baa0ae1770648b09f02f9ae61594b7897..f79f21c0491016c9f647f6a5bf214c499a586a96 100755
--- a/bin/bump-version
+++ b/bin/bump-version
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@
 (format t "Upgrading to the latest ASDF... ~%")
 (upgrade-asdf)
 (format t "Now loading some dependencies... ~%")
-(load-systems :cl-ppcre :xcvb-utils)
+(load-systems :cl-ppcre :fare-utils)
 
-(in-package :xcvb-utils)
+(in-package :fare-utils)
 
 (format t "And the debug utilities... ~%")
 (asdf-debug)
diff --git a/header.lisp b/header.lisp
index c50e369b400c8738ecb86cc21e05e6f3f39c1f96..7f6c07b8dfc9ead4405d975f5990004c368bf80e 100644
--- a/header.lisp
+++ b/header.lisp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;; -*- mode: Common-Lisp; Base: 10 ; Syntax: ANSI-Common-Lisp ; coding: utf-8 -*-
-;;; This is ASDF 2.26.96: Another System Definition Facility.
+;;; This is ASDF 2.26.97: Another System Definition Facility.
 ;;;
 ;;; Feedback, bug reports, and patches are all welcome:
 ;;; please mail to <asdf-devel@common-lisp.net>.
diff --git a/lisp-build.lisp b/lisp-build.lisp
index fd90b0163823f29631c43a552463fdf01d12b989..071a8b1cc474986c8ba4729186adab1086170a12 100644
--- a/lisp-build.lisp
+++ b/lisp-build.lisp
@@ -178,7 +178,8 @@ for processing later (possibly in a different process)."
   (call-function (or hook 'funcall) function))
 
 (defun* compile-file* (input-file &rest keys &key compile-check output-file &allow-other-keys)
-  (let* ((keywords (remove-keys '(:compile-check #+gcl<2.7 :external-format) keys))
+  (let* ((keywords (remove-keys
+                    `(:compile-check #+gcl<2.7 ,@'(:external-format :print :verbose)) keys))
          (output-file (apply 'compile-file-pathname* input-file :output-file output-file keywords))
          (tmp-file (tmpize-pathname output-file))
          (status :error))
diff --git a/os.lisp b/os.lisp
index 6b2c037c2563b0ee83a8b286a41599ad48df415d..d3e80e0152524e17021af0c02e2b3c381e9770d9 100644
--- a/os.lisp
+++ b/os.lisp
@@ -279,7 +279,10 @@ then returning the non-empty string value of the variable"
   (or *temporary-directory* (default-temporary-directory)))
 
 (defun setup-temporary-directory ()
-  (setf *temporary-directory* (default-temporary-directory)))
+  (setf *temporary-directory* (default-temporary-directory))
+  ;; basic lack fixed after gcl 2.7.0-61, but ending / required still on 2.7.0-64.1
+  #+gcl (setf system::*tmp-dir* *temporary-directory*))
+
 
 (defun* call-with-temporary-file
     (thunk &key
diff --git a/package.lisp b/package.lisp
index 7b8c3338aac98811bc50d4175f4e4e3fb115ca91..f8b0839a6fd408a497bf8dd0ed2f639bc4a84342 100644
--- a/package.lisp
+++ b/package.lisp
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ or when loading the package is optional."
         (remove "asdf" excl::*autoload-package-name-alist*
                 :test 'equalp :key 'car)) ; We need that BEFORE any mention of package ASDF.
   (unless (member :asdf2.27 *features*)
-    #+clisp
+    #+(or clisp xcl)
     (progn
       (when (find-package :asdf)
         (delete-package* :asdf t))
diff --git a/pathname.lisp b/pathname.lisp
index 2f9dd94699154ecf9065bd4faf8e25cff7416270..9b062848f33aa84746b7e179740adcfc2b45e6de 100644
--- a/pathname.lisp
+++ b/pathname.lisp
@@ -261,8 +261,14 @@ actually-existing directory."
 
 ;;; Probing the filesystem
 (defun* nil-pathname (&optional (defaults *default-pathname-defaults*))
-  (make-pathname* :directory nil :name nil :type nil :version nil :device nil :host nil
-                  :defaults defaults)) ;; The defaults shouldn't matter
+  ;; 19.2.2.2.1 says a NIL host can mean a default host;
+  ;; see also "valid physical pathname host" in the CLHS glossary, that suggests
+  ;; strings and lists of strings or :unspecific
+  ;; But CMUCL decides to die on NIL.
+  (make-pathname* :directory nil :name nil :type nil :version nil :device nil
+                  :host (or #+cmu lisp::*unix-host*)
+                  ;; the default shouldn't matter, but we really want something physical
+                  :defaults defaults))
 
 (defmacro with-pathname-defaults ((&optional defaults) &body body)
   `(let ((*default-pathname-defaults* ,(or defaults (nil-pathname)))) ,@body))
diff --git a/stream.lisp b/stream.lisp
index af143acfffbfb0ad927755db1a94ef288602fed2..3a75d5dcd0618f8ebd1e318a55ae493eb20809af 100644
--- a/stream.lisp
+++ b/stream.lisp
@@ -25,11 +25,15 @@
 (defvar *default-stream-element-type* (or #+(or abcl cmu cormanlisp scl xcl) 'character :default)
   "default element-type for open (depends on the current CL implementation)")
 
-(defvar *stderr* #-clozure *error-output* #+clozure ccl::*stderr*
+(defvar *stderr* *error-output*
   "the original error output stream at startup")
 
 (defun setup-stderr ()
-  (setf *stderr* #-clozure *error-output* #+clozure ccl::*stderr*))
+  (setf *stderr*
+        #+allegro excl::*stderr*
+        #+clozure ccl::*stderr*
+        #-(or allegro clozure) *error-output*))
+(setup-stderr)
 
 
 ;;; Safe syntax
diff --git a/test/run-tests.sh b/test/run-tests.sh
index d8969012a1474292077dfb20e7306c0da17270c9..6167d3b4fe4c3ab35123ba6ede6c54fdc224eacb 100755
--- a/test/run-tests.sh
+++ b/test/run-tests.sh
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ clean_up () {
 }
 test_clean_load () {
     case $lisp in
-        gcl) return 0 ;; # GCL 2.6 is hopeless
+        gcl|cmucl) return 0 ;; # These are hopeless
     esac
     nop=build/results/${lisp}-nop.text
     load=build/results/${lisp}-load.text
diff --git a/test/script-support.lisp b/test/script-support.lisp
index d4f278368713f732e77d309c63738bebe36889d1..0423cb328ae9041350c8c09f6ebc0320bd09f482 100644
--- a/test/script-support.lisp
+++ b/test/script-support.lisp
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ is bound, write a message and exit on an error.  If
    (apply (asym :oos) (asym :load-op) :asdf keys)))
 
 (defun call-with-asdf-conditions (thunk &optional verbose)
+  (declare (ignorable verbose))
   (handler-bind (#+sbcl
                  ((or sb-c::simple-compiler-note sb-kernel:redefinition-warning)
                    #'muffle-warning)
diff --git a/upgrade.lisp b/upgrade.lisp
index b58fed57a78b0d3eb613f3e1f30ce25a861828c6..40ac0d3a05f000e75c652519dcff24e203a384e5 100644
--- a/upgrade.lisp
+++ b/upgrade.lisp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
          ;; "2.345.6" would be a development version in the official upstream
          ;; "2.345.0.7" would be your seventh local modification of official release 2.345
          ;; "2.345.6.7" would be your seventh local modification of development version 2.345.6
-         (asdf-version "2.26.96")
+         (asdf-version "2.26.97")
          (existing-asdf (find-class (find-symbol* :component :asdf nil) nil))
          (existing-version *asdf-version*)
          (already-there (equal asdf-version existing-version)))
diff --git a/utility.lisp b/utility.lisp
index 78f9b6630f00a619a12e36e747232e33f53b5549..4a2621c37072a170023e2c5877009d4886f24b00 100644
--- a/utility.lisp
+++ b/utility.lisp
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ with later being determined by a lexicographical comparison of minor numbers."
   #+(or cmu scl) 'conditions::format-control
   #+(or gcl lispworks) 'conditions::format-string
   #+sbcl 'sb-kernel:format-control
-  #-(or abcl allegro clisp clozure cmu gcl lispworks sbcl scl) nil
+  #-(or abcl allegro clisp clozure cmu ecl gcl lispworks sbcl scl) nil
   "Name of the slot for FORMAT-CONTROL in simple-condition")
 
 (defun* match-condition-p (x condition)
diff --git a/version.lisp-expr b/version.lisp-expr
index 2b5fa4d8747d40cef1f2b0eadbae530595088779..061b942edbbf04112e535ef4d4136e32880dae25 100644
--- a/version.lisp-expr
+++ b/version.lisp-expr
@@ -1 +1 @@
-"2.26.96"
+"2.26.97"