diff --git a/base/client.jl b/base/client.jl
index 88d6f871079e0..093b53fc362ce 100644
--- a/base/client.jl
+++ b/base/client.jl
@@ -306,7 +306,9 @@ let reqarg = Set(UTF8String["--home",          "-H",
                     repl = false
                     # remove filename from ARGS
                     shift!(ARGS)
-                    ccall(:jl_exit_on_sigint, Void, (Cint,), 1)
+                    if !is_interactive
+                        ccall(:jl_exit_on_sigint, Void, (Cint,), 1)
+                    end
                     include(args[1])
                 else
                     println(STDERR, "julia: unknown option `$(args[1])`")
@@ -315,6 +317,7 @@ let reqarg = Set(UTF8String["--home",          "-H",
             end
             break
         end
+        repl |= is_interactive
         return (quiet,repl,startup,color_set,history_file)
     end
 end
diff --git a/ui/repl.c b/ui/repl.c
index c756ef6c6932f..4b01348a06825 100644
--- a/ui/repl.c
+++ b/ui/repl.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ static const char opts[]  =
     "                           'auto' launches as many workers as the number of local cores\n"
     " --machinefile <file>      Run processes on hosts listed in <file>\n\n"
 
-    " -i                        Force isinteractive() to be true\n"
+    " -i                        Interactive mode; REPL runs and isinteractive() is true\n"
     " --color={yes|no}          Enable or disable color text\n\n"
     " --history-file={yes|no}   Load or save history\n"
     " --no-history-file         Don't load history file (deprecated, use --history-file=no)\n"
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ static const char opts[]  =
 
     " --track-allocation={none|user|all}, --track-allocation\n"
     "                           Count bytes allocated by each source line\n\n"
-    " -O, --optimize\n"
-    "                           Run time-intensive code optimizations\n"
+    " -O, --optimize            Run time-intensive code optimizations\n"
     " --check-bounds={yes|no}   Emit bounds checks always or never (ignoring declarations)\n"
     " --dump-bitcode={yes|no}   Dump bitcode for the system image (used with --build)\n"
     " --depwarn={yes|no}        Enable or disable syntax and method deprecation warnings\n"