diff --git a/variable_grabbler.py b/variable_grabbler.py
index f7aaee8..6fa83d5 100644
--- a/variable_grabbler.py
+++ b/variable_grabbler.py
@@ -1,22 +1,23 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python2
 
 print """
-Variable Grabbler - version 4.0_pre4
+Variable Grabbler - version 4.0_pre6
 ------------------------------------"""
 ################################################################
 # Changes in this version:
 #===============================================================
 # *"\?" in a variable will now be replaced with a simple ?
 #  before processing, remember to double escape that because
-#  json (=> \\?)
+#  json doesn't like \? (=> \\?)
 # *commands are now not run over and over again if not needed
-#
+# *files are now not rewritten for each variable individually
+# *some technical stuff
 
 ################################################################
 # Exit codes:
 #===============================================================
 # 0 => normal exit
-# 1 => argument error
+# 1 => command line argument error
 # 2 => error while processing
 #
 
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ for variable in config_values:
   if config_values[variable][0] == "file":
     print "Found array. Adding file instead: " + config_values[variable][1]
     file_replacement = open(config_values[variable][1], "r")
-    replacement = file_replacement.read()
+    file_content = file_content.decode('utf-8').replace("%" + variable.upper() + "%", file_replacement.read()).encode('utf-8')
     file_replacement.close()
   elif config_values[variable][0] == "exec":
     print "Found array. Executing command instead: " + config_values[variable][1]
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ for variable in config_values:
         print "Process exited normally. Replacing variable with the output from STDOUT..."
         print_err("Subprocess exited normally.\nThe following error messages were produced:")
         print_err(stderr)
-        replacement = stdout
+        file_content = file_content.decode('utf-8').replace("%" + variable.upper() + "%", stdout).encode('utf-8')
       else:
         print "Process exited abnormally. Exiting. No changes will be made."
         print_err("Subprocess exited abnormally. Exiting.\nThe following output was produced:")
@@ -81,11 +82,12 @@ for variable in config_values:
       if replacement[i] == '?' and (i==0 or not replacement[i-1]=='\\'):
         argument_positions = argument_positions + [ i ]
       i = i+1
-    print "DEBUG: " + str(argument_positions)
+    #print "DEBUG: " + str(argument_positions)
     replacement = replacement.replace("\\?", "?")
     print repr(replacement)
     # actually replace variables
-  file_content = file_content.decode('utf-8').replace("%" + variable.upper() + "%", replacement).encode('utf-8')
+    if argument_positions == []:
+      file_content = file_content.decode('utf-8').replace("%" + variable.upper() + "%", replacement).encode('utf-8')
 
 print "Saving new file..."
 file_out = open(sys.argv[1], "w")