diff --git a/src/c/symbols_list.h b/src/c/symbols_list.h
index d18cdd07f..96824e30e 100755
--- a/src/c/symbols_list.h
+++ b/src/c/symbols_list.h
@@ -1233,6 +1233,7 @@ cl_symbols[] = {
 {SYS_ "RMDIR" ECL_FUN("si_rmdir", si_rmdir, 1) ECL_VAR(SI_ORDINARY, OBJNULL)},
 {EXT_ "MAKE-PIPE" ECL_FUN("si_make_pipe", si_make_pipe, 0) ECL_VAR(EXT_ORDINARY, OBJNULL)},
 /* package extensions */
+{EXT_ "*ED-FUNCTIONS*" ECL_FUN(NULL, NULL, -1) ECL_VAR(EXT_SPECIAL, OBJNULL)},
 {SYS_ "*IGNORE-PACKAGE-LOCKS*" ECL_FUN(NULL, NULL, -1) ECL_VAR(SI_SPECIAL, ECL_NIL)},
 {EXT_ "PACKAGE-LOCK" ECL_FUN("si_package_lock", si_package_lock, 2) ECL_VAR(EXT_ORDINARY, OBJNULL)},
 {EXT_ "PACKAGE-LOCKED-P" ECL_FUN("si_package_locked_p", si_package_locked_p, 1) ECL_VAR(EXT_ORDINARY, OBJNULL)},
diff --git a/src/cmp/proclamations.lsp b/src/cmp/proclamations.lsp
index a9497a403..2a52a1eff 100644
--- a/src/cmp/proclamations.lsp
+++ b/src/cmp/proclamations.lsp
@@ -1363,8 +1363,7 @@
 (proclamation get-internal-run-time () unsigned-byte :no-side-effects)
 (proclamation disassemble ((or function-designator list)) null)
 (proclamation room (&optional (member t nil :default)) (values &rest t))
-(proclamation ed (&optional (or null pathname string function-name))
-              (values &rest t))
+(proclamation ed (&optional t) (values &rest t))
 (proclamation inspect (t) (values &rest t))
 (proclamation dribble (&optional pathname-designator) (values &rest t))
 (proclamation lisp-implementation-type () (or string null) :pure)
diff --git a/src/lsp/autoload.lsp b/src/lsp/autoload.lsp
index ff6ea5c69..a6e16399b 100644
--- a/src/lsp/autoload.lsp
+++ b/src/lsp/autoload.lsp
@@ -46,12 +46,44 @@ Gives a global declaration.  See DECLARE for possible DECL-SPECs."
 
 ;;; Editor.
 
-(defun ed (&optional filename)
-  "Args: (&optional filename)
-Invokes the editor.  The action depends on the version of ECL.  See the ECL
-Report for details."
-  (ext:system (format nil "~S ~A" (or (si::getenv "EDITOR") "vi") filename)))
+;;; Default editor hook which calls external program defined by the EDITOR
+;;; environment variable or vi if that is not defined.
+(declaim (ftype (function (t) boolean) ed-external))
+(defun ed-external (x)
+  (when (typep x '(or null pathname string))
+    (run-program (or (getenv "EDITOR") "vi") (and x (list x)))
+    t))
 
+;;; Copied mostly from SBCL
+(declaim (type list *ed-functions*))
+(defvar *ed-functions* (list #'ed-external)
+  "See function documentation for ED.")
+
+(defun ed (&optional x)
+  "Starts the editor (on a file or an object if named).  Functions from the
+list EXT:*ED-FUNCTIONS* are called in order with X as an argument until one
+of them returns non-NIL; these functions are responsible for signalling a
+FILE-ERROR to indicate failure to perform an operation on the file system.
+If no function returns a non-NIL value or EXT:*ED-FUNCTIONS* is NIL then a
+SIMPLE-ERROR will be signalled.
+
+The Common Lisp specification states that the X argument is either NIL, a
+function name, or an instance of STRING or PATHNAME and that a TYPE-ERROR
+may be signalled if is not one of these types. ECL does not check the type
+of X and thus permits any object to be passed to the hook functions. This
+allows for the possibility of editing other objects that have a
+representation in source code such as class definitions. Therefore, the
+hook functions should not make any assumptions about the type of X and
+should instead return NIL if there is not an approriate edit method for a
+specific value of X.
+
+By default EXT:*ED-FUNCTIONS* contains a single function that attempts to
+run the program named in the environment variable EDITOR. If this
+environment variable is not set then the fallback program is vi."
+  (dolist (fun *ed-functions*
+           (error "Do not know how to ED ~a." x))
+    (when (funcall fun x)
+      (return t))))
 
 ;;; Allocator.