diff --git a/include/libc/djthunks.h b/include/libc/djthunks.h
index efcdc842..7e888739 100644
--- a/include/libc/djthunks.h
+++ b/include/libc/djthunks.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ uint32_t djthunk_get_h(int handle, const char *name);
 void *djsbrk(int increment);
 int djelf_load(int num, int libid);
 int djelf_exec(void);
+int djelf_run(int eid, int argc, char **argv);
 void djregister_init_hook(void (*hook)(void));
 void djprocess_init_hooks(void);
 
diff --git a/src/djdev64/djdev64.c b/src/djdev64/djdev64.c
index e3589c3e..233e41fd 100644
--- a/src/djdev64/djdev64.c
+++ b/src/djdev64/djdev64.c
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ static const struct elf_ops eops = {
     djelf64_parse,
     do_elfparse64,
     djelf64_exec_self,
+    djelf64_run,
 };
 
 #define __S(x) #x
diff --git a/src/djdev64/include/djdev64/dj64init.h b/src/djdev64/include/djdev64/dj64init.h
index 8099355d..a803c953 100644
--- a/src/djdev64/include/djdev64/dj64init.h
+++ b/src/djdev64/include/djdev64/dj64init.h
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ struct elf_ops {
         uint32_t *r_entry);
     char *(*elfparse64)(int eid, uint32_t *r_size);
     char *(*elfparse64_h)(int handle, uint32_t *r_size);
-    int (*exec)(void);
+    int (*exec_self)(void);
+    int (*exec64)(int eid, int argc, char **argv);
 };
 
 typedef dj64cdispatch_t **(dj64init_t)(int handle, const struct elf_ops *ops,
diff --git a/src/libc/compat/go64/elfexec.c b/src/libc/compat/go64/elfexec.c
index 21b62661..fb8cab5d 100644
--- a/src/libc/compat/go64/elfexec.c
+++ b/src/libc/compat/go64/elfexec.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <crt0.h>
 #include <stubinfo.h>
 #include <go64.h>
+#include <libc/djthunks.h>
 
 // https://github.com/vonj/snippets.org/blob/master/strrpbrk.c
 static char *strrpbrk(const char *szString, const char *szChars)
@@ -45,33 +46,6 @@ static char *strrpbrk(const char *szString, const char *szChars)
       return p0;
 }
 
-static unsigned argv_dup(char *argv[])
-{
-    int i = 0, l, tab_l;
-    unsigned ret;
-    char *ptr;
-
-    if (argv)
-        for (i = 0, l = 0; argv[i]; l += strlen(argv[i]) + 1, i++);
-    tab_l = sizeof(unsigned) * (i + 1);  // for ptr table
-    l += tab_l;
-    ret = malloc32(l);
-    if (!ret)
-        return ret;
-    ptr = DATA_PTR(ret);
-    if (argv) {
-        unsigned dat = ret + tab_l;
-        char *pdat = ptr + tab_l;
-        for (i = 0, l = 0; argv[i]; l += strlen(argv[i]) + 1, i++) {
-            unsigned off = dat + l;
-            memcpy(ptr + i * sizeof(unsigned), &off, sizeof(off));
-            strcpy(pdat + l, argv[i]);
-        }
-    }
-    memset(ptr + i * sizeof(unsigned), 0, sizeof(unsigned));  // trailing NULL
-    return ret;
-}
-
 int elfexec(const char *path, int argc, char **argv)
 {
     int err, fd, len, errn, eid, ret;
@@ -162,16 +136,19 @@ int elfexec(const char *path, int argc, char **argv)
         regs.d.ebx = ELFEXEC_LIBID;
         upltinit32(&regs);
     }
+#if 0
     memset(&regs, 0, sizeof(regs));
     regs.d.ebx = 7 | (eid << 16);  // run
-    regs.d.ecx = argc;
-    regs.d.edx = argv_dup(argv);
+    regs.d.ecx = 0;  // argc - unsupp
+    regs.d.edx = 0;  // argv - unsupp
     pltcall32(&regs, api);
+#else
+    /* run directly to not re-pack args */
+    err = djelf_run(eid, argc, argv);
+#endif
     /* returning only 16bit AX allows to distinguish with -1 returns above */
-    if (regs.x.flags & 1)
-        ret = -1;
-    else
-        ret = regs.x.ax;
+    if (err)
+        ret = (uint16_t)-1;
     __dpmi_free_shared_memory(shmi.handle);
     return ret;
 }
@@ -182,7 +159,6 @@ int elfload(int num)
     __dpmi_regs regs;
     int ret, err;
     int eid = -1;
-    char *dummy_argv[] = { NULL };
 
     switch (num) {
         case 0:
@@ -212,7 +188,7 @@ int elfload(int num)
     memset(&regs, 0, sizeof(regs));
     regs.d.ebx = 7 | (eid << 16);  // run
     regs.d.ecx = 0;  // argc - unsupp
-    regs.d.edx = argv_dup(dummy_argv);
+    regs.d.edx = 0;  // argv - unsupp
     pltcall32(&regs, api);
     /* returning only 16bit AX allows to distinguish with -1 returns above */
     if (regs.x.flags & 1)
diff --git a/src/libc/dj64/thunks.c b/src/libc/dj64/thunks.c
index 99154bac..2d0ae811 100644
--- a/src/libc/dj64/thunks.c
+++ b/src/libc/dj64/thunks.c
@@ -817,7 +817,14 @@ int djelf_exec(void)
     if (dj64api_ver < 22)
         return -1;
     u = &udisps[dj64api->get_handle()];
-    return u->eops->exec();
+    return u->eops->exec_self();
+}
+
+int djelf_run(int eid, int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    struct udisp *u;
+    u = &udisps[dj64api->get_handle()];
+    return u->eops->exec64(eid, argc, argv);
 }
 
 void djregister_init_hook(void (*hook)(void))