diff --git a/dime-repl.el b/dime-repl.el
index 38d32fa..040e6c7 100644
--- a/dime-repl.el
+++ b/dime-repl.el
@@ -411,7 +411,6 @@ This is automatically synchronized from Dylan.")
   (setq font-lock-defaults nil)
   (setq mode-name "REPL")
   (setq dime-current-thread :repl-thread)
-  (setq dime-write-string-function 'dime-repl-write-string)
   (set (make-local-variable 'scroll-conservatively) 20)
   (set (make-local-variable 'scroll-margin) 0)
   (when dime-repl-history-file
@@ -1486,6 +1485,7 @@ expansion will be added to the REPL's history.)"
   (remove-hook 'dime-connected-hook 'dime-repl-connected-hook-function))
 
 (setq dime-output-target-to-marker-function 'dime-repl-target-to-marker)
+(setq dime-write-string-function 'dime-repl-write-string)
 (add-hook 'dime-repl-mode-hook 'dime-repl-add-easy-menu)
 (add-hook 'dime-sync-project-and-directory-hook
           'dime-repl-sync-project-and-directory)
diff --git a/dime.el b/dime.el
index 855d51c..5de32ec 100644
--- a/dime.el
+++ b/dime.el
@@ -5406,7 +5406,7 @@ This is 0 if START and END at the same line."
   (- (count-lines start end)
      (if (save-excursion (goto-char end) (bolp)) 0 1)))
 
-(defvar-local dime-write-string-function nil)
+(defvar dime-write-string-function nil)
 
 (defun dime-write-string (string &optional target)
   "Insert STRING in the REPL buffer or some other TARGET.