diff --git a/compiler/res/prog8lib/prog8lib.asm b/compiler/res/prog8lib/prog8lib.asm
index bbe67c02b..06c194880 100644
--- a/compiler/res/prog8lib/prog8lib.asm
+++ b/compiler/res/prog8lib/prog8lib.asm
@@ -1772,6 +1772,7 @@ _loop_hi	ldy  _index_first
 
 ror2_mem_ub	.proc
 		; -- in-place 8-bit ror of byte at memory location on stack
+		; TODO use self modifying code here
 		inx
 		lda  c64.ESTACK_LO,x
 		sta  c64.SCRATCH_ZPWORD1
@@ -1788,7 +1789,7 @@ ror2_mem_ub	.proc
 
 rol2_mem_ub	.proc
 		; -- in-place 8-bit rol of byte at memory location on stack
-		;"  lda  ${number.toHex()} |  cmp  #\$80 |  rol  a |  sta  ${number.toHex()}"
+		; TODO use self modifying code here
 		inx
 		lda  c64.ESTACK_LO,x
 		sta  c64.SCRATCH_ZPWORD1
diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/Main.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/Main.kt
index 164904429..f558f578f 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/Main.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/Main.kt
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ fun compileProgram(filepath: Path,
             if (optimize)
                 optimizeAst(programAst, errors)
             postprocessAst(programAst, errors, compilationOptions)
+
+            printAst(programAst) // TODO
+
             if(writeAssembly)
                 programName = writeAssembly(programAst, errors, outputDir, optimize, compilationOptions)
         }
diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/ExpressionsAsmGen.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/ExpressionsAsmGen.kt
index b447d4373..917e4a2bd 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/ExpressionsAsmGen.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/ExpressionsAsmGen.kt
@@ -127,8 +127,16 @@ internal class ExpressionsAsmGen(private val program: Program, private val asmge
                 asmgen.out("  lda  ${address.toHex()} |  sta  $ESTACK_LO_HEX,x |  dex")
             }
             is IdentifierReference -> {
+                // the identifier is a pointer variable, so read the value from the address in it
                 val sourceName = asmgen.asmIdentifierName(expr.addressExpression as IdentifierReference)
-                asmgen.out("  lda  $sourceName |  sta  $ESTACK_LO_HEX,x |  dex")
+                asmgen.out("""
+        lda  $sourceName
+        sta  (+) +1
+        lda  $sourceName+1
+        sta  (+) +2
++       lda  ${'$'}ffff     ; modified
+        sta  $ESTACK_LO_HEX,x
+        dex""")
             }
             else -> {
                 translateExpression(expr.addressExpression)
diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/PostIncrDecrAsmGen.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/PostIncrDecrAsmGen.kt
index c17f47584..4b17b4790 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/PostIncrDecrAsmGen.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/PostIncrDecrAsmGen.kt
@@ -66,20 +66,11 @@ internal class PostIncrDecrAsmGen(private val program: Program, private val asmg
                     }
                     is IdentifierReference -> {
                         val what = asmgen.asmIdentifierName(addressExpr)
-                        asmgen.out("""
-    ldy  $what
-    sty  ${C64Zeropage.SCRATCH_W1}                                
-    ldy  $what+1
-    sty  ${C64Zeropage.SCRATCH_W1 + 1}
-    ldy  #0
-    lda  (${C64Zeropage.SCRATCH_W1}),y
-""")
+                        asmgen.out("  lda  $what |  sta  (+) +1 |  lda  $what+1 |  sta  (+) +2")
                         if(incr)
-                            asmgen.out("  clc |  adc  #1")
+                            asmgen.out("+\tinc  ${'$'}ffff\t; modified")
                         else
-                            asmgen.out("  sec |  sbc  #1")
-
-                        asmgen.out("  sta  (${C64Zeropage.SCRATCH_W1}),y")
+                            asmgen.out("+\tdec  ${'$'}ffff\t; modified")
                     }
                     else -> throw AssemblyError("weird target type $targetMemory")
                 }