diff --git a/pier.py b/pier.py
index 7ac0387..54c0d61 100755
--- a/pier.py
+++ b/pier.py
@@ -25,11 +25,7 @@ class ScriptServer(http.server.SimpleHTTPRequestHandler):
             self.send_result(f"{scr} does not exist. choose from:\n", printable_scripts)
             return
 
-        sio = StringIO()
-        with redirect_stdout(sio), redirect_stderr(sio):
-            with open(scr) as f:
-                exec(f.read())
-        res = sio.getvalue()
+        res = run_script(scr)
 
         msg = f"{scr} output:\n"
         msg += "_" * 80
@@ -46,6 +42,12 @@ class ScriptServer(http.server.SimpleHTTPRequestHandler):
         print(msg)
 
 
+def run_script(fn):
+    sio = StringIO()
+    with redirect_stdout(sio), redirect_stderr(sio):
+        with open(fn) as f:
+            exec(f.read())
+    return sio.getvalue()
 
 def encode_html(*msg):
     msg = (str(i) for i in msg)