--- a/lib/ditz.rb
+++ b/lib/ditz.rb
@@ -1,12 +1,28 @@
 module Ditz
 
 VERSION = "0.2"
+@has_readline=false
 
 def debug s
   puts "# #{s}" if $opts[:verbose]
 end
 module_function :debug
 
+def self.has_readline?
+  @has_readline
+end
+
+def self.has_readline=(val)
+  @has_readline=val
+end
+
+end
+
+begin
+  require 'readline'
+  Ditz::has_readline=true
+rescue LoadError
+  # do nothing
 end
 
 require 'model-objects'

--- a/lib/lowline.rb
+++ b/lib/lowline.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-require 'readline'
 require 'tempfile'
 require "util"
 
@@ -84,7 +83,12 @@ module Lowline
 
     while true
       prompt = [q, default_s, tail].compact.join
-      ans = Readline::readline(prompt)
+      if Ditz::has_readline?
+        ans = Readline::readline(prompt)
+      else
+        print prompt
+        ans = gets.strip
+      end
       if opts[:default]
         ans = opts[:default] if ans.blank?
       else
@@ -110,9 +114,15 @@ module Lowline
     puts "#{q} (ctrl-d, ., or /stop to stop, /edit to edit, /reset to reset):"
     ans = ""
     while true
-      line = Readline::readline('> ')
+      if Ditz::has_readline?
+        line = Readline::readline('> ')
+      else
+        (line = gets) && line.strip!
+      end
       if line
-        Readline::HISTORY.push(line)
+        if Ditz::has_readline?
+          Readline::HISTORY.push(line)
+        end
         case line
         when /^\.$/, "/stop"
           break