diff --git a/generate.py b/generate.py
index d8877e7..e25488d 100755
--- a/generate.py
+++ b/generate.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 import jinja2
 
-py_script_names = ["help", "ansi", "info", "print-ansi", "vars","confirm"]
+py_script_names = ["help", "ansi", "info", "print-ansi", "vars", "confirm"]
 
 
 def get_jinja_env():
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ def get_jinja_env():
         block_end_string="%#",
         variable_start_string="##-",
         variable_end_string="-##",
+        comment_start_string="###-",
+        comment_end_string="-###",
     )
 
 
@@ -24,6 +26,10 @@ def render(env, template, **kwargs):
     return template.render(**kwargs)
 
 
+def dropnewlines(text):
+    return "\n".join([line for line in text.splitlines() if line])
+
+
 def main():
     if len(sys.argv) == 2:
         version = sys.argv[1]
@@ -31,9 +37,7 @@ def main():
         version = "dev"
 
     env = get_jinja_env()
-
-    py_scripts = [render(env, f"{name}.py") for name in py_script_names]
-
+    py_scripts = [dropnewlines(render(env, f"{name}.py")) for name in py_script_names]
     print(render(env, "task.mk", py_scripts=py_scripts, version=version))
 
 
diff --git a/src/builtins.mk b/src/builtins.mk
index bf140cf..bac6510 100644
--- a/src/builtins.mk
+++ b/src/builtins.mk
@@ -1,40 +1,29 @@
 # ---- [buitlin recipes] ---- #
-
 ## h, help | show this help
 .PHONY: help h
 help h:
 	$(call py,help_py)
-
 .PHONY: _help
 _help: export SHOW_HIDDEN=true
 _help: help
-
 ifdef PRINT_VARS
-
 $(foreach v,$(PRINT_VARS),$(eval export $(v)))
-
 .PHONY: vars v
 vars v:
 	$(call py,vars_py,$(PRINT_VARS))
-
 endif
-
 ### | args: -ws --hidden
 ### task.mk builtins: | args: -d --hidden
 ## _print-ansi | show all possible ansi color code combinations
 .PHONY:
 _print-ansi:
 	$(call py,print_ansi_py)
-
 # functions to take f-string literals and pass to python print
 tprint = $(call py,info_py,$(1))
 tprint-sh = $(call pysh,info_py,$(1))
-
 tconfirm = $(call py,confirm_py,$(1))
-
 ## _update-task.mk | downloads latest development version of task.mk
 _update-task.mk:
 	$(call tprint,{a.b_cyan}Updating task.mk{a.end})
 	curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/daylinmorgan/task.mk/main/task.mk -o .task.mk
-
 export MAKEFILE_LIST
diff --git a/src/config.mk b/src/config.mk
index 944c098..8667777 100644
--- a/src/config.mk
+++ b/src/config.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# ---- CONFIG ---- #
+# ---- [config] ---- #
 HEADER_COLOR ?= b_cyan
 PARAMS_COLOR ?= b_magenta
 ACCENT_COLOR ?= b_yellow
@@ -7,11 +7,6 @@ MSG_COLOR ?= faint
 DIVIDER_COLOR ?= default
 DIVIDER ?= ─
 HELP_SEP ?= │
-
 # python f-string literals
 EPILOG ?=
-define USAGE ?=
-{ansi.$(HEADER_COLOR)}usage{ansi.end}:
-  make <recipe>
-
-endef
+USAGE ?={ansi.$(HEADER_COLOR)}usage{ansi.end}:\n  make <recipe>
diff --git a/src/runners.mk b/src/runners.mk
index 36262a9..1303137 100644
--- a/src/runners.mk
+++ b/src/runners.mk
@@ -1,21 +1,16 @@
 # ---- [python/bash script runner] ---- #
-
-# modified from https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/223093
+###-- modified from https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/223093 -###
 define \n
 
 
 endef
-
 escape_shellstring = $(subst `,\`,$(subst ",\",$(subst $$,\$$,$(subst \,\\,$1))))
 escape_printf = $(subst \,\\,$(subst %,%%,$1))
 create_string = $(subst $(\n),\n,$(call escape_shellstring,$(call escape_printf,$1)))
-
+printline = printf -- "<----------------------------------->\n"
 ifdef DEBUG
 define _debug_runner
-@printf "$(1) Script:\n"
-@printf -- "<----------------------------------->\n"
-@printf "$(call create_string,$(3))\n"
-@printf -- "<----------------------------------->\n"
+@printf "$(1) Script:\n";$(printline);printf "$(call create_string,$(3))\n";$(printline)
 @printf "$(call create_string,$(3))" | $(2)
 endef
 py = $(call _debug_runner,Python,python3,$($(1)))
@@ -24,5 +19,4 @@ else
 py = @python3 <(printf "$(call create_string,$($(1)))")
 tbash = @bash <(printf "$(call create_string,$($(1)))")
 endif
-
 pysh = python3 <(printf "$(call create_string,$($(1)))")
diff --git a/src/task.mk b/src/task.mk
index e3417dc..663ee51 100644
--- a/src/task.mk
+++ b/src/task.mk
@@ -1,13 +1,8 @@
 #% include 'header.mk' %#
-
 #% include 'config.mk' %#
-
 #% include 'builtins.mk' %#
-
 #% include 'runners.mk' %#
-
 # ---- [python scripts] ---- #
-
-#% for script in py_scripts %#
+#%- for script in py_scripts %#
 ##- script -##
-#% endfor %#
\ No newline at end of file
+#%- endfor %#