diff --git a/.idea/libraries/io_kotest_property_jvm.xml b/.idea/libraries/io_kotest_property_jvm.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index 8649b4aac..000000000
--- a/.idea/libraries/io_kotest_property_jvm.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-<component name="libraryTable">
-  <library name="io.kotest.property.jvm" type="repository">
-    <properties maven-id="io.kotest:kotest-property-jvm:5.6.2" />
-    <CLASSES>
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/io/kotest/kotest-property-jvm/5.6.2/kotest-property-jvm-5.6.2.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/com/github/curious-odd-man/rgxgen/1.4/rgxgen-1.4.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/org/jetbrains/kotlin/kotlin-stdlib-jdk8/1.8.10/kotlin-stdlib-jdk8-1.8.10.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/org/jetbrains/kotlin/kotlin-stdlib/1.8.10/kotlin-stdlib-1.8.10.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/org/jetbrains/kotlin/kotlin-stdlib-jdk7/1.8.10/kotlin-stdlib-jdk7-1.8.10.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/io/kotest/kotest-common-jvm/5.6.2/kotest-common-jvm-5.6.2.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/io/kotest/kotest-assertions-shared-jvm/5.6.2/kotest-assertions-shared-jvm-5.6.2.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/io/kotest/kotest-assertions-api-jvm/5.6.2/kotest-assertions-api-jvm-5.6.2.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/kotlinx-coroutines-jdk8/1.7.0/kotlinx-coroutines-jdk8-1.7.0.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/org/opentest4j/opentest4j/1.2.0/opentest4j-1.2.0.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/org/jetbrains/kotlin/kotlin-stdlib-common/1.8.10/kotlin-stdlib-common-1.8.10.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/io/github/java-diff-utils/java-diff-utils/4.12/java-diff-utils-4.12.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/org/jetbrains/kotlin/kotlin-reflect/1.8.10/kotlin-reflect-1.8.10.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/kotlinx-coroutines-core-jvm/1.7.0/kotlinx-coroutines-core-jvm-1.7.0.jar!/" />
-      <root url="jar://$MAVEN_REPOSITORY$/org/jetbrains/annotations/23.0.0/annotations-23.0.0.jar!/" />
-    </CLASSES>
-    <JAVADOC />
-    <SOURCES />
-  </library>
-</component>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/compiler/res/prog8lib/c64/floats.p8 b/compiler/res/prog8lib/c64/floats.p8
index 2a544754a..d90b7852b 100644
--- a/compiler/res/prog8lib/c64/floats.p8
+++ b/compiler/res/prog8lib/c64/floats.p8
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ romsub $b391 = GIVAYF(ubyte lo @ Y, ubyte hi @ A) clobbers(A,X,Y)
 
 romsub $b3a2 = FREADUY(ubyte value @ Y) clobbers(A,X,Y)     ; 8 bit unsigned Y -> float in fac1
 romsub $bc3c = FREADSA(byte value @ A) clobbers(A,X,Y)      ; 8 bit signed A -> float in fac1
-romsub $b7b5 = FREADSTR(ubyte length @ A) clobbers(A,X,Y)   ; str -> fac1, $22/23 must point to string, A=string length
+romsub $b7b5 = FREADSTR(ubyte length @ A) clobbers(A,X,Y)   ; str -> fac1, $22/23 must point to string, A=string length.  Also see parse_f()
 romsub $aabc = FPRINTLN() clobbers(A,X,Y)                   ; print string of fac1, on one line (= with newline) destroys fac1.  (consider FOUT + STROUT as well)
 romsub $bddd = FOUT() clobbers(X) -> uword @ AY             ; fac1 -> string, address returned in AY ($0100)
 
@@ -165,6 +165,16 @@ sub rndf() -> float {
     }}
 }
 
+asmsub parse_f(str value @AY) -> float @FAC1 {
+    %asm {{
+        sta  $22
+        sty  $23
+        jsr  prog8_lib.strlen
+        tya
+        jmp  FREADSTR
+    }}
+}
+
 
 %asminclude "library:c64/floats.asm"
 %asminclude "library:c64/floats_funcs.asm"
diff --git a/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/floats.p8 b/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/floats.p8
index c5b8cb642..d63ab9512 100644
--- a/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/floats.p8
+++ b/compiler/res/prog8lib/cx16/floats.p8
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ romsub $fe00 = AYINT() clobbers(A,X,Y)          ; fac1-> signed word in 100-101
 romsub $fe03 = GIVAYF(ubyte lo @ Y, ubyte hi @ A) clobbers(A,X,Y)
 
 romsub $fe06 = FOUT() clobbers(X) -> uword @ AY             ; fac1 -> string, address returned in AY
-; romsub $fe09 = VAL_1() clobbers(A,X,Y)                      ; convert ASCII string to floating point [not yet implemented!!!]
+; romsub $fe09 = VAL_1() clobbers(A,X,Y)                      ; convert ASCII string to floating point [not yet implemented!!!] see parse_f() instead
 
 ; GETADR: fac1 -> unsigned word in Y/A (might throw ILLEGAL QUANTITY) (result also in $14/15)
 ; (tip: use GETADRAY to get A/Y output; lo/hi switched to normal little endian order)
@@ -136,6 +136,19 @@ asmsub  FREADUY (ubyte value @Y) {
     }}
 }
 
+asmsub parse_f(str value @AY) -> float @FAC1 {
+    ; -- parse a string value of a number to float in FAC1
+    ;    warning: uses an internal BASIC routine that may be rom version dependent
+    ;    ($ddf2 is inside the routine for VAL at $ddef)
+    %asm {{
+        sta  $a9
+        sty  $aa
+        jsr  prog8_lib.strlen
+        tya
+        jmp  $ddf2
+    }}
+}
+
 
 &uword AYINT_facmo = $c6      ; $c6/$c7 contain result of AYINT
 
diff --git a/compiler/res/prog8lib/virtual/floats.p8 b/compiler/res/prog8lib/virtual/floats.p8
index 976f733a2..4c2e209d9 100644
--- a/compiler/res/prog8lib/virtual/floats.p8
+++ b/compiler/res/prog8lib/virtual/floats.p8
@@ -16,6 +16,15 @@ sub print_f(float value) {
     }}
 }
 
+sub parse_f(str value) -> float {
+    ; -- parse a string value of a number to float
+    %ir {{
+        loadm.w  r65535,floats.parse_f.value
+        syscall 45 (r65535.w): fr0.f
+        returnr.f fr0
+    }}
+}
+
 sub pow(float value, float power) -> float {
     %ir {{
         loadm.f fr0,floats.pow.value
diff --git a/docs/source/libraries.rst b/docs/source/libraries.rst
index a4874e826..2b0d2ec7a 100644
--- a/docs/source/libraries.rst
+++ b/docs/source/libraries.rst
@@ -312,13 +312,10 @@ point variables.  This includes ``print_f``, the routine used to print floating
 ``rndseedf (seed)``
     Sets a new seed for the float pseudo-RNG sequence. Use a negative non-zero number as seed value.
 
-.. attention::
-    A "parse" routine to convert a string into a floating point number is suspiciously absent.
-    This is because unfortunately there is no such routine available on each of the compiler targets.
-    Only the C64 target has the ``floats.FREADSTR()`` kernal routine that parses a string into a float into FAC1,
-    but the X16 has no equivalent in the kernal rom at this time.
-    The same is true for parsing an *integer* number however you can use the parse routines in the ``conv`` module as
-    a stepping stone to eventually load the number into FAC1 using one of the available kernal routines.
+``parse_f (stringvalue)``
+    Parses the string value as floating point number.
+    Warning: this routine may stop working on the Commander X16 when a new ROM version is released,
+    because it uses an internal BASIC routine. Then it will require a fix.
 
 
 graphics
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index 06a79e28e..f3d9c10ee 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -1,16 +1,11 @@
 %import textio
+%import string
+%import floats
 %zeropage basicsafe
 
 main {
     sub start() {
-        ubyte value = 1
-        uword wvalue = 1
-        ubyte zero = 0
-        txt.print_ub(value<<zero)       ; TODO fix result 6502 codegen! should be 1.
-        txt.print_uw(wvalue<<zero)      ; TODO fix result 6502 codegen! should be 1.
-        ubyte value2 = value<<zero      ; result is ok, 1
-        uword wvalue2 = wvalue<<zero    ; result is ok, 1
-        txt.print_ub(value2)
-        txt.print_uw(wvalue2)
+        float fl = floats.parse_f("-123.45678e20")
+        floats.print_f(fl)
     }
 }
diff --git a/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/SysCalls.kt b/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/SysCalls.kt
index ee0dd01c3..b796170eb 100644
--- a/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/SysCalls.kt
+++ b/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/SysCalls.kt
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ SYSCALLS:
 42 = CLAMP_UWORD
 43 = CLAMP_FLOAT
 44 = ATAN
+45 = STR_TO_FLOAT
 */
 
 enum class Syscall {
@@ -99,7 +100,8 @@ enum class Syscall {
     CLAMP_WORD,
     CLAMP_UWORD,
     CLAMP_FLOAT,
-    ATAN
+    ATAN,
+    STR_TO_FLOAT
     ;
 
     companion object {
@@ -366,6 +368,11 @@ object SysCalls {
                 }
                 return returnValue(callspec.returns!!, value, vm)
             }
+            Syscall.STR_TO_FLOAT -> {
+                val stringAddr = getArgValues(callspec.arguments, vm).single() as UShort
+                val memstring = vm.memory.getString(stringAddr.toInt())
+                returnValue(callspec.returns!!, memstring.toFloat(), vm)
+            }
             Syscall.COMPARE_STRINGS -> {
                 val (firstV, secondV) = getArgValues(callspec.arguments, vm)
                 val firstAddr = firstV as UShort