diff --git a/src/base/cmd/cmd.c b/src/base/cmd/cmd.c
index bbe3b7d8e..aae2f47d8 100644
--- a/src/base/cmd/cmd.c
+++ b/src/base/cmd/cmd.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ void Cmd_Init( Abc_Frame_t * pAbc )
     Cmd_CommandAdd( pAbc, "Basic", "quit",          CmdCommandQuit,            0 );
     Cmd_CommandAdd( pAbc, "Basic", "abcrc",         CmdCommandAbcrc,           0 );
     Cmd_CommandAdd( pAbc, "Basic", "history",       CmdCommandHistory,         0 );
+    Cmd_CommandAdd( pAbc, "Basic", "hi",            CmdCommandHistory,         0 );
     Cmd_CommandAdd( pAbc, "Basic", "alias",         CmdCommandAlias,           0 );
     Cmd_CommandAdd( pAbc, "Basic", "unalias",       CmdCommandUnalias,         0 );
     Cmd_CommandAdd( pAbc, "Basic", "help",          CmdCommandHelp,            0 );
@@ -441,38 +442,31 @@ int CmdCommandAbcrc( Abc_Frame_t * pAbc, int argc, char **argv )
 int CmdCommandHistory( Abc_Frame_t * pAbc, int argc, char **argv )
 {
     char * pName, * pStr = NULL;
-    int i, c;
+    char ** ppMatches = NULL;
+    int * pIds = NULL;
+    int i;
     int nPrints = 20;
     int nPrinted = 0;
-    Extra_UtilGetoptReset();
-    while ( ( c = Extra_UtilGetopt( argc, argv, "h" ) ) != EOF )
-    {
-        switch ( c )
-        {
-            case 'h':
-                goto usage;
-            default :
-                goto usage;
-        }
-    }
-    if ( argc > globalUtilOptind + 2 )
+    if ( argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h") )
+        goto usage;
+    if ( argc > 3 )
         goto usage;
     // parse arguments: can be [substring] [number] in either order
-    if ( argc == globalUtilOptind + 1 )
+    if ( argc == 2 )
     {
         // one argument: either number or substring
-        pStr = argv[globalUtilOptind];
+        pStr = argv[1];
         if ( pStr && pStr[0] >= '1' && pStr[0] <= '9' )
         {
             nPrints = atoi(pStr);
             pStr = NULL;
         }
     }
-    else if ( argc == globalUtilOptind + 2 )
+    else if ( argc == 3 )
     {
         // two arguments: substring and number
-        char * arg1 = argv[globalUtilOptind];
-        char * arg2 = argv[globalUtilOptind + 1];
+        char * arg1 = argv[1];
+        char * arg2 = argv[2];
 
         // Try to parse second argument as number
         if ( arg2[0] >= '1' && arg2[0] <= '9' )
@@ -500,14 +494,22 @@ int CmdCommandHistory( Abc_Frame_t * pAbc, int argc, char **argv )
             fprintf( pAbc->Out, "%4d : %s\n", Vec_PtrSize(pAbc->aHistory)-i, pName );
     }
     else {
-        // Search string provided, show up to nPrints matching entries
-        Vec_PtrForEachEntry( char *, pAbc->aHistory, pName, i )
+        // Search string provided, select up to nPrints most recent matching entries
+        ppMatches = ABC_ALLOC( char *, nPrints );
+        pIds = ABC_ALLOC( int, nPrints );
+        Vec_PtrForEachEntryReverse( char *, pAbc->aHistory, pName, i )
             if ( strstr(pName, pStr) )
             {
-                fprintf( pAbc->Out, "%4d : %s\n", Vec_PtrSize(pAbc->aHistory)-i, pName );
+                pIds[nPrinted] = Vec_PtrSize(pAbc->aHistory)-i;
+                ppMatches[nPrinted] = pName;
                 if ( ++nPrinted >= nPrints )
                     break;
             }
+        // Print the selected entries in reverse so larger history indices appear first
+        for ( i = nPrinted - 1; i >= 0; i-- )
+            fprintf( pAbc->Out, "%4d : %s\n", pIds[i], ppMatches[i] );
+        ABC_FREE( pIds );
+        ABC_FREE( ppMatches );
     }
     return 0;
 
diff --git a/src/base/cmd/cmdUtils.c b/src/base/cmd/cmdUtils.c
index e8e28078f..f0d8fc2dd 100644
--- a/src/base/cmd/cmdUtils.c
+++ b/src/base/cmd/cmdUtils.c
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 
 ABC_NAMESPACE_IMPL_START
-    // proper declaration of isspace
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 ///                        DECLARATIONS                              ///
@@ -393,9 +392,51 @@ int CmdApplyAlias( Abc_Frame_t * pAbc, int *argcp, char ***argvp, int *loop )
 ***********************************************************************/
 char * CmdHistorySubstitution( Abc_Frame_t * pAbc, char *line, int *changed )
 {
-    // as of today, no history substitution 
-    *changed = 0;
-    return line;
+    char * pBeg = line, * pEnd, * pStr;
+    int iRecall, nSize;
+    while ( *pBeg && isspace((unsigned char)*pBeg) )
+        pBeg++;
+    if ( *pBeg == 0 )
+    {
+        *changed = 0;
+        return line;
+    }
+    pEnd = pBeg;
+    while ( *pEnd && !isspace((unsigned char)*pEnd) )
+        pEnd++;
+    if ( *pEnd )
+    {
+        char * pTemp = pEnd;
+        while ( *pTemp && isspace((unsigned char)*pTemp) )
+            pTemp++;
+        if ( *pTemp )
+        {
+            *changed = 0;
+            return line;
+        }
+    }
+    if ( *pBeg < '1' || *pBeg > '9' )
+    {
+        *changed = 0;
+        return line;
+    }
+    for ( pStr = pBeg; pStr < pEnd; pStr++ )
+        if ( *pStr < '0' || *pStr > '9' )
+        {
+            *changed = 0;
+            return line;
+        }
+    iRecall = atoi( pBeg );
+    nSize = Vec_PtrSize( pAbc->aHistory );
+    if ( iRecall < 1 || iRecall > nSize )
+    {
+        fprintf( pAbc->Err, "History entry %d does not exist.\n", iRecall );
+        line[0] = 0;
+        *changed = 0;
+        return line;
+    }
+    *changed = 1;
+    return (char *)Vec_PtrEntry( pAbc->aHistory, nSize - iRecall );
 }
 
 /**Function*************************************************************
@@ -905,4 +946,3 @@ void Cmd_CommandSGen( Abc_Frame_t * pAbc, int nParts, int nIters, int fVerbose )
 ///                       END OF FILE                                ///
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 ABC_NAMESPACE_IMPL_END
-
diff --git a/src/base/main/mainReal.c b/src/base/main/mainReal.c
index 3c5d67b3f..9589d5239 100644
--- a/src/base/main/mainReal.c
+++ b/src/base/main/mainReal.c
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ SUPPORT, UPDATES, ENHANCEMENTS, OR MODIFICATIONS.
 #endif
 
 #include "base/abc/abc.h"
+#include "base/cmd/cmdInt.h"
 #include "mainInt.h"
 #include "base/wlc/wlc.h"
 
@@ -363,9 +364,15 @@ int Abc_RealMain( int argc, char * argv[] )
         // execute commands given by the user
         while ( !feof(stdin) )
         {
+            int did_subst;
             // print command line prompt and
             // get the command from the user
             sCommand = Abc_UtilsGetUsersInput( pAbc );
+            sCommand = CmdHistorySubstitution( pAbc, sCommand, &did_subst );
+            if ( sCommand == NULL )
+                break;
+            if ( did_subst )
+                fprintf( pAbc->Out, "%s\n", sCommand );
 
             // execute the user's command
             fStatus = Cmd_CommandExecute( pAbc, sCommand );