diff --git a/compiler.c b/compiler.c
index f5a181d..e8d0090 100644
--- a/compiler.c
+++ b/compiler.c
@@ -611,10 +611,20 @@ variable(void)
 			emitter->emit_nat(arena, code, "2", 1);
 			emitter->emit_add(arena, code, 2);
 			expression();			
-			emitter->emit_add(arena, code, 2);			
-			emitter->emit_deref(arena, code, 1);
+			emitter->emit_add(arena, code, 2);	
 			while (!match(TOKEN_RBRACKET)) {
 			}
+
+			if (match(TOKEN_EQ)) {
+				expression();
+
+				emitter->emit_stack_rot(arena, code, 1);
+				emitter->emit_stack_rot(arena, code, 1);				
+				emitter->emit_ref_store(arena, code, 1);
+			} else {					
+				emitter->emit_deref(arena, code, 1);
+			}
+
 			parser->current_type = SYMBOL_BYTE;
 		} else if (match(TOKEN_DOT)) {
 			if (sleq("length", parser->current.start, parser->current.length)) {
@@ -958,7 +968,6 @@ void
 write(void)
 {
 	consume(TOKEN_EQ);
-	advance();
 	variable();
 	emitter->emit_write(arena, code);
 }
diff --git a/emit.h b/emit.h
index e421e29..8104d7a 100644
--- a/emit.h
+++ b/emit.h
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ struct emitter_s {
 	StrArgEmit emit_inline_str;
 	U32ArgEmit emit_ref_store;
 	U32ArgEmit emit_stack_swap;
+	U32ArgEmit emit_stack_rot;
 };
 
 Emitter rer_emitter(void);
diff --git a/emit/uxn/emit.c b/emit/uxn/emit.c
index 28e7d08..8a7ccfc 100644
--- a/emit/uxn/emit.c
+++ b/emit/uxn/emit.c
@@ -1464,6 +1464,15 @@ uxn_emit_stack_swap(Arena *a, List *out, u32 size)
 		StrBuf_append(a, out, "SWP ");
 }
 
+void
+uxn_emit_stack_rot(Arena *a, List *out, u32 size)
+{	
+	if (size > 1)
+		StrBuf_append(a, out, "ROT2 ");
+	else
+		StrBuf_append(a, out, "ROT ");
+}
+
 Emitter
 uxn_emitter()
 {
@@ -1560,5 +1569,6 @@ uxn_emitter()
 			uxn_emit_inline_str,
 			uxn_emit_ref_store,
 			uxn_emit_stack_swap,
+			uxn_emit_stack_rot,
 	};
 }
diff --git a/test/string.ul b/test/string.ul
index 6536f77..62e7af2 100755
--- a/test/string.ul
+++ b/test/string.ul
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+str hello = "hello World!\n";
 str msg = " damage inflicted!\n";
 
 if (msg[1] == 'd') {
@@ -6,4 +7,7 @@ if (msg[1] == 'd') {
 
 print(msg.length as str);
 print(msg);
+
+hello[0] = hello[0] - ' ';
+print(hello);
 halt;