Smooth rough edges and prepare for Metaschool.

[seba-1511]

Description

Various improvements for compatibility with metaschool.

Contribution Checklist

If your contribution modifies code in the core library (not docs, tests, or examples), please fill the following checklist.

• [x] My contribution modifies code in the main library.
• [ ] My modifications are tested.
• [ ] My modifications are documented.