diff --git a/src/acme.c b/src/acme.c
index 83acee3..db7da21 100644
--- a/src/acme.c
+++ b/src/acme.c
@@ -478,9 +478,11 @@ static const char *long_option(const char *string)
 		config.honor_leading_zeroes = FALSE;
 	else if (strcmp(string, OPTION_STRICT_SEGMENTS) == 0)
 		config.segment_warning_is_error = TRUE;
-	else if (strcmp(string, OPTION_TEST) == 0)
+	else if (strcmp(string, OPTION_TEST) == 0) {
+		if (config.test_new_features)
+			config.backslash_escaping = TRUE;
 		config.test_new_features = TRUE;
-	PLATFORM_LONGOPTION_CODE
+	} PLATFORM_LONGOPTION_CODE
 	else if (strcmp(string, OPTION_COLOR) == 0)
 		config.format_color = TRUE;
 	else if (strcmp(string, OPTION_VERSION) == 0)
diff --git a/src/config.h b/src/config.h
index 3f1931f..c820adc 100644
--- a/src/config.h
+++ b/src/config.h
@@ -29,16 +29,31 @@ struct number {
 	} val;
 	int	addr_refs;	// address reference count (only look at this if value is DEFINED)
 };
-// structure for ints/floats/TODO...
+// structure for ints/floats/lists/strings (TODO)
 struct type;
+struct string;
+struct listitem;
 struct object {
 	struct type	*type;
 	union {
 		struct number	number;
+		struct string	*string;
+		struct listitem	*listhead;
 		// TODO - add string struct
 	} u;
 };
-
+struct string {
+	int 	length;
+	int 	refs;
+	char	payload[1];	// real structs are malloc'd to correct size
+};
+struct listitem {
+	struct listitem	*next;
+	struct listitem	*prev;
+	int		length;	// only used if item is list head (head itself is not included in length)
+	int		refs;	// only used if item is list head
+	struct object	payload;
+};
 
 // debugging flag, should be undefined in release version
 // #define FDEBUG
diff --git a/src/global.c b/src/global.c
index 248c290..b932b62 100644
--- a/src/global.c
+++ b/src/global.c
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ void config_default(struct config *conf)
 	conf->honor_leading_zeroes	= TRUE;		// disabled by --ignore-zeroes
 	conf->segment_warning_is_error	= FALSE;	// enabled by --strict-segments		TODO - toggle default?
 	conf->test_new_features		= FALSE;	// enabled by --test
+	conf->backslash_escaping	= FALSE;	// enabled by --test --test
 }
 
 // memory allocation stuff
diff --git a/src/global.h b/src/global.h
index 1097593..fc1f6ea 100644
--- a/src/global.h
+++ b/src/global.h
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ struct config {
 	boolean		honor_leading_zeroes;	// TRUE, disabled by --ignore-zeroes
 	boolean		segment_warning_is_error;	// FALSE, enabled by --strict-segments
 	boolean		test_new_features;	// FALSE, enabled by --test
+	boolean		backslash_escaping;	// FALSE, enabled by --test --test
 };
 extern struct config	config;
 
diff --git a/src/input.c b/src/input.c
index 944b2cc..80f940a 100644
--- a/src/input.c
+++ b/src/input.c
@@ -327,7 +327,13 @@ void Input_ensure_EOS(void)	// Now GotByte = first char to test
 {
 	SKIPSPACE();
 	if (GotByte) {
-		Throw_error("Garbage data at end of statement.");
+		char	buf[80];	// actually needed are 51
+		char	quote	= '\'';
+
+		if (GotByte == '\'')
+			quote = '"';
+		sprintf(buf, "Garbage data at end of statement (unexpected %c%c%c).", quote, GotByte, quote);	// FIXME - change in docs!
+		Throw_error(buf);
 		Input_skip_remainder();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/version.h b/src/version.h
index e1ef291..c5a509b 100644
--- a/src/version.h
+++ b/src/version.h
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 #define RELEASE		"0.96.5"	// update before release	FIXME
 #define CODENAME	"Fenchurch"	// update before release
-#define CHANGE_DATE	"15 May"	// update before release	FIXME
+#define CHANGE_DATE	"18 May"	// update before release	FIXME
 #define CHANGE_YEAR	"2020"		// update before release
 //#define HOME_PAGE	"http://home.pages.de/~mac_bacon/smorbrod/acme/"
 #define HOME_PAGE	"http://sourceforge.net/p/acme-crossass/"	// FIXME