diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 3c4bc8d..62c7bb7 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ MSH_ENTRY_POINT {
 
     msh_print_strings(msh_working_directory(), " %> ", 0);
 
-    while ((out = msh_read_input(buf, &sz, 2048)), !out) {
+    while ((out = msh_read_input(buf, &sz, 2048)), out > 0) {
     }
 
     if (*buf != '\0') {
diff --git a/src/system/linux/linux.c b/src/system/linux/linux.c
index c231f95..e1b598e 100644
--- a/src/system/linux/linux.c
+++ b/src/system/linux/linux.c
@@ -31,26 +31,27 @@ int msh_read_input(char *ptr, SIZE_TYPE *size, SIZE_TYPE n) {
       case '\r':
         ptr[*size] = '\0';
         SYSCALL(write, 1, "\n\r", 2);
-        return 1;
+        return -1;
         break;
         /* backspace */
-      case '\177':
+      case 127:
         if (*size <= 0) {
           return 0;
         }
-
         SYSCALL(write, 1, "\33[D \33[D", 7);
         *size -= 1;
         break;
+      default:
+        break;
       }
     }
   }
 
   if (*size >= n) {
-    return 2;
+    return -2;
   }
 
-  return 0;
+  return ch;
 };
 
 void msh_write(char *st, SIZE_TYPE size) { SYSCALL(write, 1, st, size); }
diff --git a/src/system/system.h b/src/system/system.h
index 803c3bb..01186df 100644
--- a/src/system/system.h
+++ b/src/system/system.h
@@ -59,10 +59,11 @@ void msh_file_read(msh_file *file, char *ptr, SIZE_TYPE n);
 
 /*
  * Read user input into ptr, stopping if it has reached n characters.
- * Also responsible for handling backspace.
+ * Also has to handle backspace since erasing characters is system-dependent.
  * RETURNS:
- * - 1 if finished reading
- * - 2 if it ran out of space.
+ * -2 = if it ran out of space.
+ * -1 = if finished reading
+ *  0 < ascii character
  */
 int msh_read_input(char *ptr, SIZE_TYPE *size, SIZE_TYPE n);