diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 8a11a51..cd87e77 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -39,24 +39,26 @@ exports.extend = function(obj) {
       , _tmpfile = path.join(_tmpdir, 'node-repl-' + process.pid + '.js')
 
     obj.edit = function(editor) {
-        editor = editor || process.ENV['EDITOR']
+        editor = editor || process.ENV['VISUAL'] || process.ENV['EDITOR']
         // TODO seed the file with _repl.context._ if the file doesn't exist yet
         pausingRepl(function(unpause) {
             var fds = [process.openStdin(), process.stdout, process.stdout]
               , args = [_tmpfile]
             // handle things like 'mate -w' and 'emacsclient --server-file <filename>'
             if (editor.match(/\s/)) {
-                var words = editor.split(/\s+/)
+                var words = editor.split(/\s+/) // FIXME this should do proper word splitting ...
                 args = words.slice(1).concat(args)
                 editor = words[0]
             }
             spawn(editor, args, {customFds: fds}).on('exit', function(code) {
-                // FIXME figure out why obj.run doesn't work properly here (output is skewed)
-                if (code === 0) {
-                    runFile(_tmpfile, function() { unpause() })
-                } else {
-                    unpause()
-                }
+                // some editors change the terminal resulting in skewed output, clean up
+                spawn('reset').on('exit', function(_) {
+                    if (code === 0) {
+                        runFile(_tmpfile, function() { unpause() })
+                    } else {
+                        unpause()
+                    }
+                })
             })
         })
     }
@@ -68,7 +70,7 @@ exports.extend = function(obj) {
     }
 
     obj.setEditor = function(editor) {
-        process.ENV['EDITOR'] = editor
+        process.ENV['VISUAL'] = editor
     }
 
     obj.stash = function(dest) {