diff --git a/haskell/nfker7h/app/Main.hs b/haskell/nfker7h/app/Main.hs
index f7a2f50..12eef24 100644
--- a/haskell/nfker7h/app/Main.hs
+++ b/haskell/nfker7h/app/Main.hs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ module Main where
 
 import System.Environment
 import qualified Language.Yanais.Parser as P
-import qualified Language.Yanais.Parser.IO as Pio
 import qualified Language.Yanais.Nfker7h.Parser.Lex as L
 
 main :: IO ()
@@ -11,8 +10,8 @@ main = do
   mainA args
 
 mainA :: [String] -> IO ()
-mainA [x] = Pio.parseFile x L.lexe >>= putStrLn . (\x -> case x of
-    Right y -> fmtList y
+mainA [x] = P.parseFile x L.lexe >>= putStrLn . (\y -> case y of
+    Right z -> fmtList z
     Left e -> show e)
 mainA _ = putStrLn "Hello World!"
 
diff --git a/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Nfker7h/Parser/Lex.hs b/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Nfker7h/Parser/Lex.hs
index c1ad01e..bfce7bd 100644
--- a/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Nfker7h/Parser/Lex.hs
+++ b/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Nfker7h/Parser/Lex.hs
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
-
 module Language.Yanais.Nfker7h.Parser.Lex (
     Token,
     TokenKind(..),
@@ -47,15 +45,14 @@ lexeIdentPrefixTree = HandleTree (H.fromList l1) Nothing
   where
     l1 = [('.', Htleaf IpDot), ('$', Htleaf IpPatOut)]
 
-eitherToParser :: Either Error x -> Parser' Error x
-eitherToParser e = (Parser . StateT $ \st -> fmap (\x -> (x, st)) e)
-
 handleIdentsI :: Parser' Error (Maybe TokenKind)
 handleIdentsI = do
   pfx <- eats lexeIdentPrefixTree
   marker <- gets peOffset
-  ident <- takeIdent
-  case tmp pfx ident marker of
+  ident' <- takeIdent >>= (\ident -> eitherToParser $ case ident of
+    Left exc -> Left $ DteUnicodeExc exc
+    Right x -> Right x)
+  case tmp pfx ident' marker of
     Just x -> pure . Just $ x
     Nothing -> do
       gtc <- tryOne Just
@@ -67,7 +64,7 @@ handleIdentsI = do
   where
     tmp (Just IpDot) (Just x) _ = Just $ TDotIdent x
     tmp (Just IpDot) Nothing _ = Just $ TDot
-    tmp (Just IpPatOut) x m = Just $ TPatOut (maybe (Ident (Span {start = m, end = m}) "") (\z -> z) x)
+    tmp (Just IpPatOut) x m = Just $ TPatOut (maybe (emptyIdent m) (\z -> z) x)
     tmp Nothing (Just x) _ = Just $ TIdent x
     tmp Nothing Nothing _ = Nothing
 
diff --git a/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Nfker7h/Parser/Types.hs b/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Nfker7h/Parser/Types.hs
index dc687a6..973c95d 100644
--- a/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Nfker7h/Parser/Types.hs
+++ b/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Nfker7h/Parser/Types.hs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ module Language.Yanais.Nfker7h.Parser.Types (
     MaybeGetSpan(..)
 ) where
 
+import Data.Text.Encoding.Error (UnicodeException)
 import qualified Language.Yanais.Parser as P
 
 -- a "classic" tristate result
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ data Context = CtxModule
 
 data Error = UnexpectedEof Context
     | UnexpectedChar !Int !Char
+    | DteUnicodeExc UnicodeException
     | UnknownIdent !P.Ident
 
 instance Functor Result where
@@ -52,3 +54,4 @@ instance Show Error where
     show (UnexpectedEof ctx) = "end of file encountered inside " <> show ctx
     show (UnknownIdent x) = "unknown identifier: " <> show x
     show (UnexpectedChar pos c) = "unexpected / unknown character at " <> show pos <> ": " <> show c <> " (" <> (show $ fromEnum c) <> ")"
+    show (DteUnicodeExc exc) = "unicode decoding error: " <> show exc
diff --git a/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Parser.hs b/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Parser.hs
index 5e481cf..5716375 100644
--- a/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Parser.hs
+++ b/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Parser.hs
@@ -11,8 +11,15 @@ module Language.Yanais.Parser (
     ParserEnv(..),
     Span(..),
     HandleTree(..),
+    emptyIdent,
+    eitherToParser,
+
+    -- creating and running parsers
     makeParseEnv,
     runParser,
+    parseFile,
+
+    -- parser combinators
     takeUntil,
     takeWhile,
     takeIdent,
@@ -33,8 +40,8 @@ import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as C
 import qualified Data.ByteString.UTF8 as B
 import qualified Data.HashMap.Strict as H
 import qualified Data.String.UTF8 as U
-import qualified Data.Text as T
 import qualified Data.Text.Encoding as TE
+import Data.Text.Encoding.Error (UnicodeException)
 import qualified Data.Text.ICU.Char as IC
 import qualified Data.Text.ICU.Normalize2 as IN
 -- import Language.Yanais.Fusion
@@ -79,6 +86,9 @@ type Text = U.UTF8 B.ByteString
 
 data Ident = Ident !Span !Text
 
+emptyIdent :: Int -> Ident
+emptyIdent m = Ident (Span { start = m, end = m }) (U.fromRep Bb.empty)
+
 instance Show Ident where
     show (Ident _ t) = B.toString $ U.toRep t
 
@@ -89,12 +99,21 @@ data ParserEnv = ParserEnv {
 
 type Parser' e a = Parser ParserEnv e a
 
+-- | injects an `Either` into the parser (used to conditionally throw errors)
+eitherToParser :: Either e a -> Parser s e a
+eitherToParser e = (Parser . StateT $ \st -> fmap (\x -> (x, st)) e)
+
 makeParseEnv :: B.ByteString -> ParserEnv
 makeParseEnv bs = ParserEnv { peOffset = 0, peText = U.fromRep bs }
 
 runParser :: s -> Parser s e a -> Either e (a, s)
 runParser st (Parser p) = runStateT p st
 
+parseFile :: String -> Parser' e a -> IO (Either e a)
+parseFile f p = do
+  contents <- C.readFile f
+  return (fmap (\(r, _) -> r) $ runParser (makeParseEnv contents) p)
+
 -- some simple parser combinators
 
 shiftEnv :: (Int, Text) -> Parser' e ()
@@ -119,13 +138,13 @@ takeWhile f = do
 takeWithProperty :: IC.Bool_ -> Parser' e Text
 takeWithProperty p = takeWhile $ IC.property p
 
-takeIdent :: Parser' e (Maybe Ident)
+takeIdent :: Parser' e (Either UnicodeException (Maybe Ident))
 takeIdent = do
   env <- get
   let start_ = peOffset env
   let (l, r) = U.splitAt 1 (peText env)
   case U.uncons l of
-    Nothing -> return Nothing
+    Nothing -> okNone
     Just (fi, r2) -> (
       (if not ((slen r2) == 0) then error "takeIdent : unable to iterator over characters" else ())
       `seq`
@@ -134,12 +153,24 @@ takeIdent = do
           shiftEnv (slen l, r)
           rest <- takeWithProperty IC.XidContinue
           end_ <- gets peOffset
-          return (Just . (\s -> Ident (Span { start = start_, end = end_ }) s) $ theHorrorsLieWithin fi rest)
-      ) else return Nothing))
+          let thlw = theHorrorsLieWithin fi rest
+          let mkident = \s -> Ident (Span { start = start_, end = end_ }) s
+          return (fmap (Just . mkident) thlw)
+      ) else okNone))
 
   where
+    okNone :: Parser' e (Either e2 (Maybe dt))
+    okNone = Parser . StateT $ \st -> Right (Right Nothing, st)
+
     -- I hate this...
-    theHorrorsLieWithin fi rest = U.fromRep . TE.encodeUtf8 . IN.nfc . TE.decodeUtf8Lenient $ (Bb.append (B.fromChar fi) (U.toRep rest))
+    theHorrorsLieWithin :: Char -> Text -> Either UnicodeException Text
+    theHorrorsLieWithin fi rest =
+      -- make a byte string from the parts of the identifyer
+      let iabs = Bb.append (B.fromString [fi]) (U.toRep rest) in
+      -- finish a UTF-8 decoded identifier
+      let fini = U.fromRep . TE.encodeUtf8 . IN.nfc in
+      -- handle decoding
+      fmap fini $ TE.decodeUtf8' iabs
 
 skipWhiteSpace :: Parser' e ()
 skipWhiteSpace = takeWithProperty IC.WhiteSpace >> pure ()
diff --git a/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Parser/IO.hs b/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Parser/IO.hs
deleted file mode 100644
index a9a90a1..0000000
--- a/haskell/nfker7h/lib/Language/Yanais/Parser/IO.hs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables #-}
-module Language.Yanais.Parser.IO (
-  parseFile
-) where
-
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as C
-import qualified Language.Yanais.Parser as P
-
-parseFile :: String -> P.Parser' e a -> IO (Either e a)
-parseFile f p = do
-  contents <- C.readFile f
-  let pe = P.makeParseEnv contents
-  return (fmap (\(r, _) -> r) $ P.runParser pe p)
diff --git a/haskell/nfker7h/yanais-nfker7h.cabal b/haskell/nfker7h/yanais-nfker7h.cabal
index afbf37f..d5a09eb 100644
--- a/haskell/nfker7h/yanais-nfker7h.cabal
+++ b/haskell/nfker7h/yanais-nfker7h.cabal
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ library
     exposed-modules:
         Language.Yanais.Fusion
       , Language.Yanais.Parser
-      , Language.Yanais.Parser.IO
       , Language.Yanais.Nfker7h.Parser.Types
       , Language.Yanais.Nfker7h.Parser.Lex
 
@@ -77,7 +76,6 @@ library
         MultiParamTypeClasses
         OverloadedStrings
         RankNTypes
-        ScopedTypeVariables
 
     -- Other library packages from which modules are imported.
     build-depends: