diff --git a/ftplugin/ats.vim b/ftplugin/ats.vim
index 9fbb5c9..45452f7 100644
--- a/ftplugin/ats.vim
+++ b/ftplugin/ats.vim
@@ -36,10 +36,6 @@ function! AtsFormat()
     call setpos('.', cursor)
 endfunction
 
-augroup ats
-    autocmd BufWritePost *.ats,*.dats,*.sats,*.cats silent !rm -f a.out
-augroup END
-
 if g:ats_use_ctags == 1
     augroup ats
         autocmd BufWritePost *.dats,*.cats,*.sats,*.hats silent !ctags -R .
diff --git a/syntax/ats.vim b/syntax/ats.vim
index b32ae69..f4cd8c2 100644
--- a/syntax/ats.vim
+++ b/syntax/ats.vim
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@ if !exists('main_syntax')
   let main_syntax = 'ats'
 endif
 
-"
-" lexical
-"
-
 " comment highlighting
 syn keyword atsTodo TODO FIXME NOTE contained
 syn match   atscCommentError display "\*/"
@@ -18,8 +14,6 @@ syn match   atsNestedCommentError display "\*)"
 " mercilessly ripped from d.vim
 syn region  atsNestedComment start="(\*" end="\*)" contains=atsNestedComment,atsTodo,@Spell
 syn match   atsComment "//.*" contains=atsTodo
-" this rule needs to be after // (above) because of priority!
-syn region  atsComment start="////" end="\%$" contains=atsTodo
 
 "
 " denotation highlighting
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/ats/patscc.vim b/syntax_checkers/ats/patscc.vim
index 523571d..2c4e0fe 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/ats/patscc.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/ats/patscc.vim
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ let g:syntastic_ats_patscc_exec = 'patscc'
 function! SyntaxCheckers_ats_patscc_GetLocList() dict
     let makeprg = self.makeprgBuild({
                 \ 'exe': self.getExec(),
-                \ 'args': '-DATS_MEMALLOC_LIBC -cleanaft',
+                \ 'args': '-DATS_MEMALLOC_LIBC -cleanaft -o /tmp/patscc-vim',
                 \ 'fname': shellescape(expand('%') )})
 
     let errorformat =