diff --git a/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/palette.p8 b/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/palette.p8
index 3a890754c..52efbe991 100644
--- a/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/palette.p8
+++ b/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/palette.p8
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ palette {
         cx16.vpoke(1, vera_palette_ptr, msb(color))
     }
 
+    sub get_color(ubyte index) -> uword {
+        vera_palette_ptr = $fa00+(index as uword * 2)
+        return mkword(cx16.vpeek(1, vera_palette_ptr+1), cx16.vpeek(1, vera_palette_ptr))
+    }
+
     sub set_rgb_be(uword palette_ptr, uword num_colors) {
         ; 1 word per color entry, $0rgb in big endian format
         vera_palette_ptr = $fa00
@@ -147,26 +152,27 @@ palette {
         set_rgb(colors, len(colors))
     }
 
+    uword[] default_colors_16 = [
+        $000,   ; 0 = black
+        $fff,   ; 1 = white
+        $800,   ; 2 = red
+        $afe,   ; 3 = cyan
+        $c4c,   ; 4 = purple
+        $0c5,   ; 5 = green
+        $00a,   ; 6 = blue
+        $ee7,   ; 7 = yellow
+        $d85,   ; 8 = orange
+        $640,   ; 9 = brown
+        $f77,   ; 10 = light red
+        $333,   ; 11 = dark grey
+        $777,   ; 12 = medium grey
+        $af6,   ; 13 = light green
+        $08f,   ; 14 = light blue
+        $bbb    ; 15 = light grey
+    ]
+
     sub set_default16() {
         ; set first 16 colors to the defaults on the X16
-        uword[] colors = [
-            $000,   ; 0 = black
-            $fff,   ; 1 = white
-            $800,   ; 2 = red
-            $afe,   ; 3 = cyan
-            $c4c,   ; 4 = purple
-            $0c5,   ; 5 = green
-            $00a,   ; 6 = blue
-            $ee7,   ; 7 = yellow
-            $d85,   ; 8 = orange
-            $640,   ; 9 = brown
-            $f77,   ; 10 = light red
-            $333,   ; 11 = dark grey
-            $777,   ; 12 = medium grey
-            $af6,   ; 13 = light green
-            $08f,   ; 14 = light blue
-            $bbb    ; 15 = light grey
-        ]
-        set_rgb(colors, len(colors))
+        set_rgb(default_colors_16, len(default_colors_16))
     }
 }
diff --git a/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/syslib.p8 b/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/syslib.p8
index 8573d147b..456a305cc 100644
--- a/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/syslib.p8
+++ b/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/syslib.p8
@@ -620,7 +620,6 @@ asmsub vpeek(ubyte bank @A, uword address @XY) -> ubyte @A {
         ;    note: inefficient when reading multiple sequential bytes!
         %asm {{
                 stz  cx16.VERA_CTRL
-                and  #1
                 sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_H
                 sty  cx16.VERA_ADDR_M
                 stx  cx16.VERA_ADDR_L
@@ -634,7 +633,6 @@ asmsub vaddr(ubyte bank @A, uword address @R0, ubyte addrsel @R1, byte autoIncrO
         ;    with optional auto increment or decrement of 1.
         ;    Note that the vaddr_autoincr() and vaddr_autodecr() routines allow to set all possible strides, not just 1.
         %asm {{
-            and  #1
             pha
             lda  cx16.r1
             and  #1
@@ -690,8 +688,7 @@ asmsub vaddr_autoincr(ubyte bank @A, uword address @R0, ubyte addrsel @R1, uword
             sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_H
             rts
 
-_setup      and  #1
-            sta  P8ZP_SCRATCH_REG
+_setup      sta  P8ZP_SCRATCH_REG
             lda  cx16.r1
             and  #1
             sta  cx16.VERA_CTRL
@@ -761,7 +758,6 @@ asmsub vpoke(ubyte bank @A, uword address @R0, ubyte value @Y) clobbers(A) {
     ;    note: inefficient when writing multiple sequential bytes!
     %asm {{
         stz  cx16.VERA_CTRL
-        and  #1
         sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_H
         lda  cx16.r0
         sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_L
@@ -777,7 +773,6 @@ asmsub vpoke_or(ubyte bank @A, uword address @R0, ubyte value @Y) clobbers (A) {
     ;    note: inefficient when writing multiple sequential bytes!
     %asm {{
         stz  cx16.VERA_CTRL
-        and  #1
         sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_H
         lda  cx16.r0
         sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_L
@@ -795,7 +790,6 @@ asmsub vpoke_and(ubyte bank @A, uword address @R0, ubyte value @Y) clobbers(A) {
     ;    note: inefficient when writing multiple sequential bytes!
     %asm {{
         stz  cx16.VERA_CTRL
-        and  #1
         sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_H
         lda  cx16.r0
         sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_L
@@ -813,7 +807,6 @@ asmsub vpoke_xor(ubyte bank @A, uword address @R0, ubyte value @Y) clobbers (A)
     ;    note: inefficient when writing multiple sequential bytes!
     %asm {{
         stz  cx16.VERA_CTRL
-        and  #1
         sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_H
         lda  cx16.r0
         sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_L
@@ -832,7 +825,6 @@ asmsub vpoke_mask(ubyte bank @A, uword address @R0, ubyte mask @X, ubyte value @
     %asm {{
         sty  P8ZP_SCRATCH_B1
         stz  cx16.VERA_CTRL
-        and  #1
         sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_H
         lda  cx16.r0
         sta  cx16.VERA_ADDR_L