diff --git a/c/cli/mlrcli.c b/c/cli/mlrcli.c
index 2ac41bb0f..f5d930f69 100644
--- a/c/cli/mlrcli.c
+++ b/c/cli/mlrcli.c
@@ -370,11 +370,12 @@ static lhmsll_t* singleton_default_repeat_ipses = NULL;
 
 static lhmss_t* get_default_rses() {
 	if (singleton_default_rses == NULL) {
-
-// xxx
-
 		singleton_default_rses = lhmss_alloc();
-		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "dkvp",     "\n",    NO_FREE);
+
+// xxx to do
+
+
+//		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "dkvp",     "\n",    NO_FREE);
 		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "json",     "\n",    NO_FREE);
 		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "nidx",     "\n",    NO_FREE);
 		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "csv",      "\r\n",  NO_FREE);
@@ -390,8 +391,7 @@ static lhmss_t* get_default_rses() {
 		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "pprint",   "\n",    NO_FREE);
 		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "xtab",     "(N/A)", NO_FREE);
 
-//		singleton_default_rses = lhmss_alloc();
-//		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "dkvp",     "auto",    NO_FREE);
+		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "dkvp",     "auto",    NO_FREE);
 //		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "json",     "auto",    NO_FREE);
 //		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "nidx",     "auto",    NO_FREE);
 //		lhmss_put(singleton_default_rses, "csv",      "auto",  NO_FREE);
diff --git a/c/dsl/rval_expr_evaluators.c b/c/dsl/rval_expr_evaluators.c
index c95361e33..974e5acd8 100644
--- a/c/dsl/rval_expr_evaluators.c
+++ b/c/dsl/rval_expr_evaluators.c
@@ -809,7 +809,13 @@ rval_evaluator_t* rval_evaluator_alloc_from_IFS() {
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
 mv_t rval_evaluator_IRS_func(void* pvstate, variables_t* pvars) {
-	return mv_from_string_no_free(pvars->pctx->irs);
+	//xxx temp return mv_from_string_no_free(pvars->pctx->irs);
+	context_t* pctx = pvars->pctx;
+	return mv_from_string_no_free(
+		pctx->auto_line_term_detected
+			? pctx->auto_line_term
+			: pctx->irs
+	);
 }
 static void rval_evaluator_IRS_free(rval_evaluator_t* pevaluator) {
 	free(pevaluator);
@@ -854,7 +860,14 @@ rval_evaluator_t* rval_evaluator_alloc_from_OFS() {
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
 mv_t rval_evaluator_ORS_func(void* pvstate, variables_t* pvars) {
-	return mv_from_string_no_free(pvars->pctx->ors);
+	// xxx auto line term ...
+	//return mv_from_string_no_free(pvars->pctx->ors);
+	context_t* pctx = pvars->pctx;
+	return mv_from_string_no_free(
+		pctx->auto_line_term_detected
+			? pctx->auto_line_term
+			: pctx->ors
+	);
 }
 static void rval_evaluator_ORS_free(rval_evaluator_t* pevaluator) {
 	free(pevaluator);
diff --git a/c/mlrmain.c b/c/mlrmain.c
index ff86a3fc5..08bffca8c 100644
--- a/c/mlrmain.c
+++ b/c/mlrmain.c
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 		.ops       = popts->writer_opts.ops,
 		.ofs       = popts->writer_opts.ofs,
 		.ors       = popts->writer_opts.ors,
-		.auto_line_term  = popts->reader_opts.irs,
+		.auto_line_term = "\n", // xxx Windows default "\r\n"; libify
+		.auto_line_term_detected = FALSE,
 	};
 
 	int ok = do_stream_chained(prepipe, filenames, plrec_reader, pmapper_list, plrec_writer, &ctx, popts);
diff --git a/c/output/lrec_writer_dkvp.c b/c/output/lrec_writer_dkvp.c
index 2a5b2539b..6f90ff6e7 100644
--- a/c/output/lrec_writer_dkvp.c
+++ b/c/output/lrec_writer_dkvp.c
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ lrec_writer_t* lrec_writer_dkvp_alloc(char* ors, char* ofs, char* ops) {
 	pstate->ofs = ofs;
 	pstate->ops = ops;
 
-	plrec_writer->pvstate       = (void*)pstate;
+	plrec_writer->pvstate = (void*)pstate;
 	plrec_writer->pprocess_func = streq(ors, "auto")
 		? lrec_writer_dkvp_process_auto_ors
 		: lrec_writer_dkvp_process_nonauto_ors;
-	plrec_writer->pfree_func    = lrec_writer_dkvp_free;
+	plrec_writer->pfree_func = lrec_writer_dkvp_free;
 
 	return plrec_writer;
 }