diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/AsmGen.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/AsmGen.kt
index de6316718..20948e277 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/AsmGen.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/AsmGen.kt
@@ -1412,13 +1412,15 @@ $label              nop""")
                     when(ptrAndIndex.second) {
                         is NumericLiteralValue, is IdentifierReference -> {
                             if(pointervar!=null && isZpVar(pointervar)) {
+                                out("  pha")
                                 assignExpressionToRegister(ptrAndIndex.second, RegisterOrPair.Y)
-                                out("  sta  (${asmSymbolName(pointervar)}),y")
+                                out("  pla |  sta  (${asmSymbolName(pointervar)}),y")
                             } else {
                                 // copy the pointer var to zp first
+                                out("  pha")
                                 assignExpressionToVariable(ptrAndIndex.first, asmVariableName("P8ZP_SCRATCH_W2"), DataType.UWORD, null)
                                 assignExpressionToRegister(ptrAndIndex.second, RegisterOrPair.Y)
-                                out("  sta  (P8ZP_SCRATCH_W2),y")
+                                out("  pla |  sta  (P8ZP_SCRATCH_W2),y")
                             }
                         }
                         else -> {
@@ -1426,15 +1428,13 @@ $label              nop""")
                             if(pointervar!=null && isZpVar(pointervar)) {
                                 out("  pha")
                                 assignExpressionToRegister(ptrAndIndex.second, RegisterOrPair.Y)
-                                out("  pla")
-                                out("  sta  (${asmSymbolName(pointervar)}),y")
+                                out("  pla |  sta  (${asmSymbolName(pointervar)}),y")
                             } else {
                                 // copy the pointer var to zp first
                                 assignExpressionToVariable(ptrAndIndex.first, asmVariableName("P8ZP_SCRATCH_W2"), DataType.UWORD, null)
                                 out("  pha")
                                 assignExpressionToRegister(ptrAndIndex.second, RegisterOrPair.Y)
-                                out("  pla")
-                                out("  sta  (P8ZP_SCRATCH_W2),y")
+                                out("  pla |  sta  (P8ZP_SCRATCH_W2),y")
                             }
                         }
                     }
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index 81d0a1a3d..52697a5e8 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -1,21 +1,19 @@
 %import textio
-%zeropage basicsafe
+%zeropage dontuse
 %option no_sysinit
 
 main {
 
 ;   $1F9C0 - $1F9FF 	PSG registers
 
+    sub init(uword addr, ubyte length) {
+        @(addr+length) = $ea
+    }
+
     sub start() {
 
-        ubyte xx = '?'
-        when xx {
-            'a' -> txt.print("a\n")
-            'b' -> txt.print("b\n")
-            '?' -> {
-            }
-            else -> txt.print("else\n")
-        }
+        init($4000, 0)
+        txt.print_uwhex(@($4000), true)
 
 ;        uword freq = 1181
 ;        cx16.vpoke(1, $f9c0, lsb(freq))