diff --git a/src/compile.rs b/src/compile.rs
index 8d82e5e98..edfecdfc7 100644
--- a/src/compile.rs
+++ b/src/compile.rs
@@ -149,12 +149,12 @@ test!(passing_ints_from_global_memory => r#"
 
 // This one will replace the hello_world test above once the syntax is updated
 test!(print_function => r#"
-    from @std/app import start, print, exit
-    on start {
+    export fn main(): ExitCode {
       print('Hello, World');
-      emit exit 0;
+      return toExitCode(0);
     }"#;
     stdout "Hello, World\n";
+    status 0;
 );
 test!(stdout_event => r#"
     from @std/app import start, stdout, exit
@@ -169,50 +169,40 @@ test!(stdout_event => r#"
 // Basic Math Tests
 
 test!(int8_add => r#"
-    from @std/app import start, exit
-    on start { emit exit add(toInt8(1), toInt8(2)).getOrExit(); }"#;
+    export fn main(): ExitCode = toExitCode(getOrExit(add(toI8(1), toI8(2))));"#;
     status 3;
 );
 test!(int8_sub => r#"
-    from @std/app import start, exit
-    on start { emit exit sub(toInt8(2), toInt8(1)).getOrExit(); }"#;
+    export fn main(): ExitCode = toExitCode(getOrExit(sub(toI8(2), toI8(1))));"#;
     status 1;
 );
 test!(int8_mul => r#"
-    from @std/app import start, exit
-    on start { emit exit mul(toInt8(2), toInt8(1)).getOrExit(); }"#;
+    export fn main(): ExitCode = toExitCode(getOrExit(mul(toI8(2), toI8(1))));"#;
     status 2;
 );
 test!(int8_div => r#"
-    from @std/app import start, exit
-    on start { emit exit div(toInt8(6), toInt8(2)).getOrExit(); }"#;
+    export fn main(): ExitCode = toExitCode(getOrExit(div(toI8(6), toI8(2))));"#;
     status 3;
 );
 test!(int8_mod => r#"
-    from @std/app import start, exit
-    on start { emit exit mod(toInt8(6), toInt8(4)); }"#;
+    export fn main(): ExitCode = toExitCode(getOrExit(mod(toI8(6), toI8(4))));"#;
     status 2;
 );
 test!(int8_pow => r#"
-    from @std/app import start, exit
-    on start { emit exit pow(toInt8(6), toInt8(2)).getOrExit(); }"#;
+    export fn main(): ExitCode = toExitCode(getOrExit(pow(toI8(6), toI8(2))));"#;
     status 36;
 );
 test!(int8_min => r#"
-    from @std/app import start, print, exit
-    on start {
-      min(3.toInt8(), 5.toInt8()).print();
-      emit exit 0;
+    export fn main() {
+      print(min(toI8(3), toI8(5)));
     }"#;
-    status 3;
+    stdout "3\n";
 );
 test!(int8_max => r#"
-    from @std/app import start, print, exit
-    on start {
-      max(3.toInt8(), 5.toInt8()).print();
-      emit exit 0;
+    export fn main() {
+      print(max(toI8(3), toI8(5)));
     }"#;
-    status 5;
+    stdout "5\n";
 );
 
 test!(int16_add => r#"
diff --git a/src/std/root.ln b/src/std/root.ln
index c5a6e6b37..aa0489c1f 100644
--- a/src/std/root.ln
+++ b/src/std/root.ln
@@ -1,3 +1,26 @@
+/**
+ * The Alan root scope. The functions and types it binds from Rust are either part of the standard
+ * library, or are defined in the sibling root.rs file
+ **/
+
+// Integer-related bindings
+export fn toI8(i: i64): i8 binds i64toi8;
+export fn add(a: i8, b: i8): Result<i8> binds addi8;
+export fn sub(a: i8, b: i8): Result<i8> binds subi8;
+export fn mul(a: i8, b: i8): Result<i8> binds muli8;
+export fn div(a: i8, b: i8): Result<i8> binds divi8;
+export fn mod(a: i8, b: i8): Result<i8> binds modi8;
+export fn pow(a: i8, b: i8): Result<i8> binds powi8;
+export fn min(a: i8, b: i8): i8 binds mini8;
+export fn max(a: i8, b: i8): i8 binds maxi8;
+
+// Process exit-related bindings
 export type ExitCode binds std::process::ExitCode;
-export fn toExitCode(e: i64): ExitCode binds to_exit_code;
-export fn print(str: String) binds println!;
\ No newline at end of file
+export fn toExitCode(e: i64): ExitCode binds to_exit_code_i64;
+export fn toExitCode(e: i8): ExitCode binds to_exit_code_i8;
+export fn getOrExit(a: Result<i8>): i8 binds get_or_exit; // TODO: Support real generics
+
+// Stdout/stderr-related bindings
+export fn print(str: String) binds println!;
+export fn print(i: i8) binds print;
+export fn print(i: i64) binds print;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/std/root.rs b/src/std/root.rs
index c4ad2cc65..137e785e3 100644
--- a/src/std/root.rs
+++ b/src/std/root.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,87 @@
-fn to_exit_code(i: i64) -> std::process::ExitCode {
+/// Rust functions that the root scope binds.
+
+/// `to_exit_code_i64` converts a 64-bit integer into an exit code, for convenience since `i64` is the
+/// default integer type in Alan.
+fn to_exit_code_i64(i: i64) -> std::process::ExitCode {
     (i as u8).into()
+}
+
+/// `to_exit_code_i8` converts a 64-bit integer into an exit code, for convenience since `i64` is the
+/// default integer type in Alan.
+fn to_exit_code_i8(i: i8) -> std::process::ExitCode {
+    (i as u8).into()
+}
+
+/// `i64toi8` casts an i64 to an i8.
+fn i64toi8(i: i64) -> i8 {
+    i as i8
+}
+
+/// `addi8` safely adds two i8s together, returning a Result-wrapped i8 (or an error on overflow)
+fn addi8(a: i8, b: i8) -> Result<i8, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    match a.checked_add(b) {
+        Some(c) => Ok(c),
+        None => Err("Overflow".into()),
+    }
+}
+
+/// `subi8` safely subtracts two i8s, returning a Result-wrapped i8 (or an error on underflow)
+fn subi8(a: i8, b: i8) -> Result<i8, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    match a.checked_sub(b) {
+        Some(c) => Ok(c),
+        None => Err("Underflow".into()),
+    }
+}
+
+/// `muli8` safely multiplies two i8s, returning a Result-wrapped i8 (or an error on under/overflow)
+fn muli8(a: i8, b: i8) -> Result<i8, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    match a.checked_mul(b) {
+        Some(c) => Ok(c),
+        None => Err("Underflow or Overflow".into()),
+    }
+}
+
+/// `divi8` safely divides two i8s, returning a Result-wrapped i8 (or an error on divide-by-zero)
+fn divi8(a: i8, b: i8) -> Result<i8, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    match a.checked_div(b) {
+        Some(c) => Ok(c),
+        None => Err("Divide-by-zero".into()),
+    }
+}
+
+/// `modi8` safely divides two i8s, returning a Result-wrapped remainder in i8 (or an error on divide-by-zero)
+fn modi8(a: i8, b: i8) -> Result<i8, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    match a.checked_rem(b) {
+        Some(c) => Ok(c),
+        None => Err("Divide-by-zero".into()),
+    }
+}
+
+/// `powi8` safely raises the first i8 to the second i8, returning a Result-wrapped i8 (or an error on under/overflow)
+fn powi8(a: i8, b: i8) -> Result<i8, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    // TODO: Support b being negative correctly
+    match a.checked_pow(b as u32) {
+        Some(c) => Ok(c),
+        None => Err("Underflow or Overflow".into()),
+    }
+}
+
+/// `mini8` returns the smaller of the two i8 values
+fn mini8(a: i8, b: i8) -> i8 {
+    if a < b { a } else { b }
+}
+
+/// `maxi8` returns the larger of the two i8 values
+fn maxi8(a: i8, b: i8) -> i8 {
+    if a > b { a } else { b }
+}
+
+/// `get_or_exit` is basically an alias to `unwrap`, but as a function instead of a method
+fn get_or_exit<A>(a: Result<A, Box<dyn std::error::Error>>) -> A {
+    a.unwrap()
+}
+
+/// `print` is a simple function that prints basically anything other than String
+fn print<A: std::fmt::Display>(a: A) {
+    println!("{}", a);
 }
\ No newline at end of file