diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/AstChecker.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/AstChecker.kt
index a0f971603..d9aa532a2 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/AstChecker.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/AstChecker.kt
@@ -308,6 +308,8 @@ internal class AstChecker(private val program: Program,
             err("subroutines can only be defined in the scope of a block or within another subroutine")
 
         if(subroutine.isAsmSubroutine) {
+            if(compilerOptions.compTarget.name==VMTarget.NAME)
+                err("cannot use asmsub for vm target, use regular subs")
             if(subroutine.asmParameterRegisters.size != subroutine.parameters.size)
                 err("number of asm parameter registers is not the isSameAs as number of parameters")
             if(subroutine.asmReturnvaluesRegisters.size != subroutine.returntypes.size)
diff --git a/compiler/test/vm/TestCompilerVirtual.kt b/compiler/test/vm/TestCompilerVirtual.kt
index 06007a04a..ff0d5ba81 100644
--- a/compiler/test/vm/TestCompilerVirtual.kt
+++ b/compiler/test/vm/TestCompilerVirtual.kt
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import prog8.intermediate.IRFileReader
 import prog8.intermediate.IRSubroutine
 import prog8.intermediate.Opcode
 import prog8.vm.VmRunner
+import prog8tests.helpers.ErrorReporterForTests
 import prog8tests.helpers.compileText
 import kotlin.io.path.readText
 
@@ -218,7 +219,7 @@ main {
         }
     }
 
-    test("asmsub for virtual target") {
+    test("asmsub for virtual target not supported") {
         val src = """
 main {
   sub start() {
@@ -230,6 +231,28 @@ main {
         lda #99
         tay
         rts
+    }}
+  }
+}"""
+        val othertarget = Cx16Target()
+        compileText(othertarget, true, src, writeAssembly = true) shouldNotBe null
+
+        val target = VMTarget()
+        val errors = ErrorReporterForTests()
+        compileText(target, false, src, writeAssembly = false, errors = errors) shouldBe null
+        errors.errors.size shouldBe 1
+        errors.errors[0] shouldContain "cannot use asmsub for vm target"
+    }
+
+    test("asmsub for virtual target not supported even with IR") {
+        val src = """
+main {
+  sub start() {
+    void test(42)
+  }
+
+  asmsub test(ubyte xx @A) -> ubyte @Y {
+    %ir {{
         return
     }}
   }
@@ -237,13 +260,52 @@ main {
         val othertarget = Cx16Target()
         compileText(othertarget, true, src, writeAssembly = true) shouldNotBe null
 
+        val target = VMTarget()
+        val errors = ErrorReporterForTests()
+        compileText(target, false, src, writeAssembly = false, errors = errors) shouldBe null
+        errors.errors.size shouldBe 1
+        errors.errors[0] shouldContain "cannot use asmsub for vm target"
+    }
+
+    test("inline asm for virtual target should be IR") {
+        val src = """
+main {
+  sub start() {
+    %asm {{
+        lda #99
+        tay
+        rts
+    }}
+  }
+}"""
+        val othertarget = Cx16Target()
+        compileText(othertarget, true, src, writeAssembly = true) shouldNotBe null
+
         val target = VMTarget()
         val result = compileText(target, false, src, writeAssembly = true)!!
         val virtfile = result.compilationOptions.outputDir.resolve(result.program.name + ".p8ir")
         val exc = shouldThrow<Exception> {
             VmRunner().runProgram(virtfile.readText())
         }
-        exc.message shouldContain("does not support non-IR asmsubs")
+        exc.message shouldContain("does not support real inlined assembly")
+    }
+
+    test("inline asm for virtual target with IR is accepted") {
+        val src = """
+main {
+  sub start() {
+    %ir {{
+        return
+    }}
+  }
+}"""
+        val othertarget = Cx16Target()
+        compileText(othertarget, true, src, writeAssembly = true) shouldNotBe null
+
+        val target = VMTarget()
+        val result = compileText(target, false, src, writeAssembly = true)!!
+        val virtfile = result.compilationOptions.outputDir.resolve(result.program.name + ".p8ir")
+        VmRunner().runProgram(virtfile.readText())
     }
 
     test("addresses from labels/subroutines not yet supported in VM") {
diff --git a/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/VmProgramLoader.kt b/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/VmProgramLoader.kt
index 8de6a244a..d5e7f3ec3 100644
--- a/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/VmProgramLoader.kt
+++ b/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/VmProgramLoader.kt
@@ -38,14 +38,7 @@ class VmProgramLoader {
 
             block.children.forEach { child ->
                 when(child) {
-                    is IRAsmSubroutine -> {
-                        if(!child.asmChunk.isIR)
-                            throw IRParseException("vm currently does not support non-IR asmsubs: ${child.label}")
-                        else {
-                            val replacement = addAssemblyToProgram(child.asmChunk, programChunks, variableAddresses)
-                            chunkReplacements += replacement
-                        }
-                    }
+                    is IRAsmSubroutine -> throw IRParseException("vm does not support asmsubs (use normal sub): ${child.label}")
                     is IRCodeChunk -> programChunks += child
                     is IRInlineAsmChunk -> {
                         val replacement = addAssemblyToProgram(child, programChunks, variableAddresses)
diff --git a/virtualmachine/test/TestVm.kt b/virtualmachine/test/TestVm.kt
index 1eed3887a..d826c3a4a 100644
--- a/virtualmachine/test/TestVm.kt
+++ b/virtualmachine/test/TestVm.kt
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import io.kotest.assertions.throwables.shouldThrowWithMessage
 import io.kotest.core.spec.style.FunSpec
 import io.kotest.matchers.collections.shouldBeEmpty
 import io.kotest.matchers.shouldBe
-import io.kotest.matchers.shouldNotBe
 import prog8.code.core.*
 import prog8.code.target.VMTarget
 import prog8.intermediate.*
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ class TestVm: FunSpec( {
         }
     }
 
-    test("non-IR asmsub not supported in vm") {
+    test("asmsub not supported in vm even with IR") {
         val program = IRProgram("test", IRSymbolTable(null), getTestOptions(), VMTarget())
         val block = IRBlock("main", null, IRBlock.BlockAlignment.NONE, Position.DUMMY)
         val startSub = IRAsmSubroutine(
@@ -93,33 +92,16 @@ class TestVm: FunSpec( {
             emptySet(),
             emptyList(),
             emptyList(),
-            IRInlineAsmChunk("main.asmstart", "inlined asm here", false, null),
+            IRInlineAsmChunk("main.asmstart", "return", false, null),
             Position.DUMMY
         )
         block += startSub
         program.addBlock(block)
-        shouldThrowWithMessage<IRParseException>("vm currently does not support non-IR asmsubs: main.asmstart") {
+        shouldThrowWithMessage<IRParseException>("vm does not support asmsubs (use normal sub): main.asmstart") {
             VirtualMachine(program)
         }
     }
 
-    test("IR asmsub ok in vm") {
-        val program = IRProgram("test", IRSymbolTable(null), getTestOptions(), VMTarget())
-        val block = IRBlock("main", null, IRBlock.BlockAlignment.NONE, Position.DUMMY)
-        val startSub = IRAsmSubroutine(
-            "main.start",
-            0x2000u,
-            emptySet(),
-            emptyList(),
-            emptyList(),
-            IRInlineAsmChunk("main.start", "return", true, null),
-            Position.DUMMY
-        )
-        block += startSub
-        program.addBlock(block)
-        VirtualMachine(program).run()
-    }
-
     test("vmrunner") {
         val runner = VmRunner()
         val irSource="""<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>