diff --git a/compiler/test/TestNumbers.kt b/compiler/test/TestNumbers.kt
index f7a3f355f..5157f00a5 100644
--- a/compiler/test/TestNumbers.kt
+++ b/compiler/test/TestNumbers.kt
@@ -6,10 +6,15 @@ import io.kotest.matchers.doubles.plusOrMinus
 import io.kotest.matchers.shouldBe
 import io.kotest.matchers.shouldNotBe
 import io.kotest.matchers.string.shouldContain
+import prog8.ast.expressions.NumericLiteral
+import prog8.ast.statements.Assignment
+import prog8.code.core.DataType
 import prog8.code.core.InternalCompilerException
+import prog8.code.core.Position
 import prog8.code.core.toHex
 import prog8.code.target.C64Target
 import prog8.code.target.cbm.Mflpt5
+import prog8.compiler.printProgram
 import prog8tests.helpers.ErrorReporterForTests
 import prog8tests.helpers.compileText
 
@@ -180,4 +185,27 @@ class TestNumbers: FunSpec({
         """
         compileText(C64Target(), true, src, writeAssembly = false) shouldNotBe null
     }
+
+    test("signed negative numbers cast to unsigned allowed") {
+        val src="""
+            main {
+                sub start() {
+                    uword uw1 = -32768
+                    uword uw = -1
+                    ubyte ub = -1
+                    uw = -2 as uword
+                    ub = -2 as ubyte 
+                }
+            }
+        """
+        val result = compileText(C64Target(), false, src, writeAssembly = false)!!
+        val statements = result.program.entrypoint.statements
+        statements.size shouldBe 8
+        printProgram(result.program)
+        (statements[1] as Assignment).value shouldBe NumericLiteral(DataType.UWORD, 32768.0, Position.DUMMY)
+        (statements[3] as Assignment).value shouldBe NumericLiteral(DataType.UWORD, 65535.0, Position.DUMMY)
+        (statements[5] as Assignment).value shouldBe NumericLiteral(DataType.UBYTE, 255.0, Position.DUMMY)
+        (statements[6] as Assignment).value shouldBe NumericLiteral(DataType.UWORD, 65534.0, Position.DUMMY)
+        (statements[7] as Assignment).value shouldBe NumericLiteral(DataType.UBYTE, 254.0, Position.DUMMY)
+    }
 })
diff --git a/compiler/test/TestOptimization.kt b/compiler/test/TestOptimization.kt
index 0b08a4e22..8f91cae85 100644
--- a/compiler/test/TestOptimization.kt
+++ b/compiler/test/TestOptimization.kt
@@ -565,17 +565,31 @@ class TestOptimization: FunSpec({
         val src="""
             main {
                 sub start()  {
-                    ubyte @shared z1 = - 1
+                    ubyte @shared z1 = - 200
                 }
             }
         """
         val errors = ErrorReporterForTests()
-        compileText(C64Target(), optimize=true, src, writeAssembly=false, errors = errors) shouldBe null
+        compileText(C64Target(), optimize=false, src, writeAssembly=false, errors = errors) shouldBe null
         errors.errors.size shouldBe 2
-        errors.errors[0] shouldContain  "type of value BYTE doesn't match target UBYTE"
+        errors.errors[0] shouldContain  "type of value WORD doesn't match target UBYTE"
         errors.errors[1] shouldContain  "out of range"
     }
 
+    test("out of range cast should give error") {
+        val src="""
+            main {
+                sub start()  {
+                    ubyte @shared z1 = - 200 as ubyte
+                }
+            }
+        """
+        val errors = ErrorReporterForTests()
+        compileText(C64Target(), optimize=false, src, writeAssembly=false, errors = errors) shouldBe null
+        errors.errors.size shouldBe 1
+        errors.errors[0] shouldContain  "can't cast"
+    }
+
     test("test augmented expression asmgen") {
         val src = """
         main {
diff --git a/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/expressions/AstExpressions.kt b/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/expressions/AstExpressions.kt
index 11338a502..e21a92df7 100644
--- a/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/expressions/AstExpressions.kt
+++ b/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/expressions/AstExpressions.kt
@@ -541,10 +541,18 @@ class NumericLiteral(val type: DataType,    // only numerical types allowed
                     return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
             }
             DataType.BYTE -> {
-                if(targettype== DataType.UBYTE && number >= 0)
-                    return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
-                if(targettype== DataType.UWORD && number >= 0)
-                    return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
+                if(targettype== DataType.UBYTE) {
+                    if(number in -128.0..0.0)
+                        return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number.toInt().toUByte().toDouble(), position))
+                    else if(number in 0.0..255.0)
+                        return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
+                }
+                if(targettype== DataType.UWORD) {
+                    if(number in -32768.0..0.0)
+                        return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number.toInt().toUShort().toDouble(), position))
+                    else if(number in 0.0..65535.0)
+                        return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
+                }
                 if(targettype== DataType.WORD)
                     return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
                 if(targettype== DataType.FLOAT)
@@ -563,10 +571,18 @@ class NumericLiteral(val type: DataType,    // only numerical types allowed
             DataType.WORD -> {
                 if(targettype== DataType.BYTE && number >= -128 && number <=127)
                     return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
-                if(targettype== DataType.UBYTE && number >= 0 && number <= 255)
-                    return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
-                if(targettype== DataType.UWORD && number >=0)
-                    return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
+                if(targettype== DataType.UBYTE) {
+                    if(number in -128.0..0.0)
+                        return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number.toInt().toUByte().toDouble(), position))
+                    else if(number in 0.0..255.0)
+                        return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
+                }
+                if(targettype== DataType.UWORD) {
+                    if(number in -32768.0 .. 0.0)
+                        return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number.toInt().toUShort().toDouble(), position))
+                    else if(number in 0.0..65535.0)
+                        return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
+                }
                 if(targettype== DataType.FLOAT)
                     return CastValue(true, NumericLiteral(targettype, number, position))
             }
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index 40281a10e..2ca8e7bad 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 %import textio
-%import test_stack
+;%import test_stack
 %zeropage basicsafe
 
 
@@ -31,8 +31,16 @@ main {
 
     sub start() {
         ; mcCarthy()
-        test_stack.test()
+        uword uw = -2
+        ubyte ub = -2
+        uw = -2 as uword
+        ub = -2 as ubyte
+        txt.print_uw(uw)
+        txt.spc()
+        txt.print_ub(ub)
+        txt.nl()
 
+        ;test_stack.test()
 
         ubyte value = 0
         ubyte one = 1
@@ -93,7 +101,7 @@ main {
         }
         txt.nl()
 
-        test_stack.test()
+        ;test_stack.test()
 
 
 ;        ; a "pixelshader":