diff --git a/tools/cli/Cargo.toml b/tools/cli/Cargo.toml
index 58cbc09d..620a8ce4 100644
--- a/tools/cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/tools/cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -31,3 +31,6 @@ path = "../.."
 
 [dependencies.mentat_parser_utils]
 path = "../../parser-utils"
+
+[dependencies.edn]
+path = "../../edn"
diff --git a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/command_parser.rs b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/command_parser.rs
index a28b0e01..d20b85bb 100644
--- a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/command_parser.rs
+++ b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/command_parser.rs
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ use combine::combinator::{
 
 use errors as cli;
 
+use edn;
+
 pub static HELP_COMMAND: &'static str = &"help";
 pub static OPEN_COMMAND: &'static str = &"open";
 pub static CLOSE_COMMAND: &'static str = &"close";
@@ -52,8 +54,10 @@ impl Command {
     /// TODO: for query and transact commands, they will be considered complete if a parsable EDN has been entered as an argument
     pub fn is_complete(&self) -> bool {
         match self {
-            &Command::Query(_) |
-            &Command::Transact(_) => false,
+            &Command::Query(ref args) |
+            &Command::Transact(ref args) => {
+                edn::parse::value(&args).is_ok()
+            },
             &Command::Help(_) |
             &Command::Open(_) |
             &Command::Close => true
diff --git a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/input.rs b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/input.rs
index 0679b3b6..9e580d02 100644
--- a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/input.rs
+++ b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/input.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ use command_parser::{
 
 use errors as cli;
 
+/// Starting prompt
+const DEFAULT_PROMPT: &'static str = "mentat=> ";
+/// Prompt when further input is being read
+// TODO: Should this actually reflect the current open brace?
+const MORE_PROMPT: &'static str = "mentat.> ";
+
 /// Possible results from reading input from `InputReader`
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub enum InputResult {
@@ -66,8 +72,8 @@ impl InputReader {
     /// Reads a single command, item, or statement from `stdin`.
     /// Returns `More` if further input is required for a complete result.
     /// In this case, the input received so far is buffered internally.
-    pub fn read_input(&mut self, prompt: &str) -> Result<InputResult, cli::Error> {
-        let line = match self.read_line(prompt) {
+    pub fn read_input(&mut self, in_process_cmd: Option<Command>) -> Result<InputResult, cli::Error> {
+        let line = match self.read_line(if in_process_cmd.is_some() { MORE_PROMPT } else { DEFAULT_PROMPT }) {
             Some(s) => s,
             None => return Ok(Eof),
         };
@@ -80,7 +86,19 @@ impl InputReader {
 
         self.add_history(&line);
 
-        let cmd = try!(command(&self.buffer));
+        let cmd = match in_process_cmd {
+            Some(Command::Query(args)) => {
+                Command::Query(args + " " + &line)
+            },
+            Some(Command::Transact(args)) => {
+                Command::Transact(args + " " + &line)
+            },
+            _ => {
+                try!(command(&self.buffer))
+            }
+        };
+
+        println!("processing {:?}", cmd);
 
         match cmd {
             Command::Query(_) |
diff --git a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/lib.rs b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/lib.rs
index 76f7d602..8fd95231 100644
--- a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/lib.rs
+++ b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/lib.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ extern crate linefeed;
 extern crate rusqlite;
 
 extern crate mentat;
+extern crate edn;
 
 use getopts::Options;
 
diff --git a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/repl.rs b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/repl.rs
index 0ad0b99e..c9da67a3 100644
--- a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/repl.rs
+++ b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/repl.rs
@@ -27,12 +27,6 @@ use store::{
     db_output_name
 };
 
-/// Starting prompt
-const DEFAULT_PROMPT: &'static str = "mentat=> ";
-/// Prompt when further input is being read
-// TODO: Should this actually reflect the current open brace?
-const MORE_PROMPT: &'static str = "mentat.> ";
-
 lazy_static! {
     static ref COMMAND_HELP: HashMap<&'static str, &'static str> = {
         let mut map = HashMap::new();
@@ -62,7 +56,8 @@ impl Repl {
         let mut input = InputReader::new();
 
         loop {
-            let res = input.read_input(if more.is_some() { MORE_PROMPT } else { DEFAULT_PROMPT });
+            let res = input.read_input(more.clone());
+
             match res {
                 Ok(MetaCommand(cmd)) => {
                     debug!("read command: {:?}", cmd);