diff --git a/codeGeneration/src/prog8/codegen/target/cpu6502/codegen/assignment/AugmentableAssignmentAsmGen.kt b/codeGeneration/src/prog8/codegen/target/cpu6502/codegen/assignment/AugmentableAssignmentAsmGen.kt
index 5a3e8c7a6..69f559f79 100644
--- a/codeGeneration/src/prog8/codegen/target/cpu6502/codegen/assignment/AugmentableAssignmentAsmGen.kt
+++ b/codeGeneration/src/prog8/codegen/target/cpu6502/codegen/assignment/AugmentableAssignmentAsmGen.kt
@@ -744,18 +744,18 @@ internal class AugmentableAssignmentAsmGen(private val program: Program,
             "^", "xor" -> asmgen.out(" lda  $name |  eor  #$value |  sta  $name")
             "==" -> {
                 asmgen.out("""
-                    lda  #$value
-                    cmp  $name
+                    lda  $name
+                    cmp  #$value
                     beq  +
                     lda  #0
-                    bne  ++
+                    beq  ++
 +                   lda  #1
 +                   sta  $name""")
             }
             "!=" -> {
                 asmgen.out("""
-                    lda  #$value
-                    cmp  $name
+                    lda  $name
+                    cmp  #$value
                     beq  +
                     lda  #1
                     bne  ++
diff --git a/codeOptimizers/src/prog8/optimizer/BinExprSplitter.kt b/codeOptimizers/src/prog8/optimizer/BinExprSplitter.kt
index 4d34be1b6..f4e15e2d8 100644
--- a/codeOptimizers/src/prog8/optimizer/BinExprSplitter.kt
+++ b/codeOptimizers/src/prog8/optimizer/BinExprSplitter.kt
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ X =      BinExpr                                    X   =   LeftExpr
 
 
  */
-            if(binExpr.operator in AugmentAssignmentOperators + listOf("==", "!=") && isSimpleTarget(assignment.target)) {
+            if(binExpr.operator in AugmentAssignmentOperators && isSimpleTarget(assignment.target)) {
                 if(assignment.target isSameAs binExpr.right)
                     return noModifications
                 if(assignment.target isSameAs binExpr.left) {
@@ -74,15 +74,6 @@ X =      BinExpr                                    X   =   LeftExpr
 //                    )
                 }
 
-                if(binExpr.operator == "==" || binExpr.operator == "!=") {
-                    // don't split if the operand(s) don't fit the type of the resulting variable
-                    val targetDt = assignment.target.inferType(program)
-                    val leftDt = binExpr.left.inferType(program)
-                    val rightDt = binExpr.right.inferType(program)
-                    if(leftDt isNotAssignableTo targetDt || rightDt isNotAssignableTo targetDt)
-                        return noModifications
-                }
-
                 if(binExpr.right.isSimple) {
                     val firstAssign = Assignment(assignment.target.copy(), binExpr.left, AssignmentOrigin.OPTIMIZER, binExpr.left.position)
                     val targetExpr = assignment.target.toExpression()
diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/TypecastsAdder.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/TypecastsAdder.kt
index 618b0ff53..0fb0ed859 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/TypecastsAdder.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/TypecastsAdder.kt
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class TypecastsAdder(val program: Program, val options: CompilationOptions, val
 
 
             // determine common datatype and add typecast as required to make left and right equal types
-            val (commonDt, toFix) = BinaryExpression.commonDatatype(leftDt.getOr(DataType.UNDEFINED), rightDt.getOr(DataType.UNDEFINED), expr.left, expr.operator, expr.right)
+            val (commonDt, toFix) = BinaryExpression.commonDatatype(leftDt.getOr(DataType.UNDEFINED), rightDt.getOr(DataType.UNDEFINED), expr.left, expr.right)
             if(toFix!=null) {
                 val modifications = mutableListOf<IAstModification>()
                 when {
diff --git a/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/expressions/AstExpressions.kt b/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/expressions/AstExpressions.kt
index c3d46e191..4fa7eb58a 100644
--- a/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/expressions/AstExpressions.kt
+++ b/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/expressions/AstExpressions.kt
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ class BinaryExpression(var left: Expression, var operator: String, var right: Ex
                             commonDatatype(
                                 leftDt.getOr(DataType.BYTE),
                                 rightDt.getOr(DataType.BYTE),
-                                null, "", null
+                                null, null
                             ).first
                         )
                     } catch (x: FatalAstException) {
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ class BinaryExpression(var left: Expression, var operator: String, var right: Ex
 
     companion object {
         fun commonDatatype(leftDt: DataType, rightDt: DataType,
-                           left: Expression?, operator: String, right: Expression?): Pair<DataType, Expression?> {
+                           left: Expression?, right: Expression?): Pair<DataType, Expression?> {
             // byte + byte -> byte
             // byte + word -> word
             // word + byte -> word
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index 45af49ab3..b5fa41f73 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -7,17 +7,33 @@ main {
     %option force_output
 
     sub start() {
-
-        ubyte foobar = 2
-        str @shared @zp name = "irmen"
-        ubyte[] @shared @zp array = [1,2,3,4]
-
-        txt.print_uwhex(&name, true)
+        uword b1
+        b1 = 'a'
+        b1 = b1=='z'    ; TODO fix code generation!
+        txt.print("should print 0: ")
+        txt.print_ub(b1)
         txt.nl()
-        txt.print_uwhex(&name, true)
-        txt.print_ub(foobar)
+        b1 = 'a'
+        b1 = b1!='z'    ; TODO fix code generation!
+        txt.print("should print 1: ")
+        txt.print_ub(b1)
         txt.nl()
 
+;        str text = "???????????"
+;        void txt.input_chars(text)
+;        txt.print("\ninput=")
+;        txt.print(text)
+;        txt.nl()
+;        b1 = text[0]=='z'
+;        txt.print_ub(b1)
+;        txt.nl()
+;
+;        if text[0]=='z' {
+;            txt.print("z!\n")
+;        }
+;
+;        test(text[0]=='z')
+
 ;        float fl
 ;        test_stack.test()
 ;
@@ -53,6 +69,12 @@ main {
 ;        test_stack.test()
     }
 
+    sub test(ubyte what) {
+        txt.print("test: what=")
+        txt.print_ub(what)
+        txt.nl()
+    }
+
     sub func() -> ubyte {
         txt.print("func!\n")
         return 99