diff --git a/pch.h b/pch.h
index 998678df49b..3482f053857 100644
--- a/pch.h
+++ b/pch.h
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@
 # define _CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS
 #endif
 
+#if defined(WIN32)
+// so you don't have to define this yourself as the code seems to use it...
+#undef _WIN32
+#define _WIN32
+#endif
+
 #if defined(_WIN32)
 # define NOMINMAX
 # include <winsock2.h> //this must be included before the first windows.h include
diff --git a/scripting/engine_spidermonkey.cpp b/scripting/engine_spidermonkey.cpp
index 46c8a8999b2..06c1b12f8ce 100644
--- a/scripting/engine_spidermonkey.cpp
+++ b/scripting/engine_spidermonkey.cpp
@@ -1488,9 +1488,14 @@ namespace mongo {
         
     };
 
+    /* used to make the logging not overly chatty in the mongo shell. */
+    bool isShell = false;
+
     void errorReporter( JSContext *cx, const char *message, JSErrorReport *report ){
         stringstream ss;
-        ss << "JS Error: " << message;
+        if( !isShell ) 
+            ss << "JS Error: ";
+        ss << message;
 
         if ( report && report->filename ){
             ss << " " << report->filename << ":" << report->lineno;
diff --git a/shell/dbshell.cpp b/shell/dbshell.cpp
index 963ad8b7ddf..224f362d077 100644
--- a/shell/dbshell.cpp
+++ b/shell/dbshell.cpp
@@ -358,7 +358,12 @@ bool fileExists( string file ){
     }
 }
 
+namespace mongo {
+    extern bool isShell;
+}
+
 int _main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
+    mongo::isShell = true;
     setupSignals();
 
     mongo::shellUtils::RecordMyLocation( argv[ 0 ] );
diff --git a/shell/msvc/mongo.vcxproj b/shell/msvc/mongo.vcxproj
index 131c5486ca9..a59e87efac5 100644
--- a/shell/msvc/mongo.vcxproj
+++ b/shell/msvc/mongo.vcxproj
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
       <PrecompiledHeader>Use</PrecompiledHeader>
       <WarningLevel>Level3</WarningLevel>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>XP_WIN;_WIN32;PCRE_STATIC;HAVE_CONFIG_H;OLDJS;MONGO_EXPOSE_MACROS;WIN32;_DEBUG;_CONSOLE;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>XP_WIN;PCRE_STATIC;HAVE_CONFIG_H;OLDJS;MONGO_EXPOSE_MACROS;WIN32;_DEBUG;_CONSOLE;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>\boost\</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PrecompiledHeaderFile>pch.h</PrecompiledHeaderFile>
       <DisableSpecificWarnings>4355;4800;4267;4244;%(DisableSpecificWarnings)</DisableSpecificWarnings>
diff --git a/shell/servers.js b/shell/servers.js
index a9d9bb0de3f..3015005d5bf 100644
--- a/shell/servers.js
+++ b/shell/servers.js
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ __nextPort = 27000;
 startMongodTest = function (port, dirname, restart) {
     if (!port)
         port = __nextPort++;
-    var f = startMongod;
+    var f = startMongodEmpty;
     if (restart)
         f = startMongodNoReset;
     if (!dirname)
@@ -79,20 +79,19 @@ startMongodTest = function (port, dirname, restart) {
 
 // Start a mongod instance and return a 'Mongo' object connected to it.
 // This function's arguments are passed as command line arguments to mongod.
-// The specified 'dbpath' is cleared if it exists, created if not.
-startMongod = function(){
-    // WARNING DELETES DATA DIRECTORY ON STARTUP THIS IS FOR TESTING
-    var args = createMongoArgs( "mongod" , arguments );
-
-    var dbpath = _parsePath.apply( null, args );
-    resetDbpath( dbpath );
-
-    return startMongoProgram.apply( null, args );
+// The specified 'dbpath' is cleared if it exists, created if not.
+startMongodEmpty = function () {
+    var args = createMongoArgs("mongod", arguments);
+
+    var dbpath = _parsePath.apply(null, args);
+    resetDbpath(dbpath);
+
+    return startMongoProgram.apply(null, args);
 }
-// the above name could be dangerous because it deletes everything. 
-// so renaming to this.  but keeping above for a while: 
-startMongodEmpty = startMongod;
-
+startMongod = function () {
+    print("WARNING DELETES DATA DIRECTORY THIS IS FOR TESTING RENAME YOUR INVOCATION");
+    return startMongodEmpty.apply(null, arguments);
+}
 startMongodNoReset = function(){
     var args = createMongoArgs( "mongod" , arguments );
     return startMongoProgram.apply( null, args );