diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/AstPreprocessor.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/AstPreprocessor.kt
index 416269692..10512a06c 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/AstPreprocessor.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/AstPreprocessor.kt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package prog8.compiler.astprocessing
 import prog8.ast.Node
 import prog8.ast.Program
 import prog8.ast.base.NumericDatatypes
+import prog8.ast.base.SyntaxError
 import prog8.ast.base.VarDeclType
 import prog8.ast.expressions.IdentifierReference
 import prog8.ast.expressions.NumericLiteralValue
@@ -21,19 +22,31 @@ class AstPreprocessor(val program: Program) : AstWalker() {
         // has to be done before the constant folding, otherwise certain checks there will fail on invalid range sizes
         val modifications = mutableListOf<IAstModification>()
         if(range.from !is NumericLiteralValue) {
-            val constval = range.from.constValue(program)
-            if(constval!=null)
-                modifications += IAstModification.ReplaceNode(range.from, constval, range)
+            try {
+                val constval = range.from.constValue(program)
+                if (constval != null)
+                    modifications += IAstModification.ReplaceNode(range.from, constval, range)
+            } catch (x: SyntaxError) {
+                // syntax errors will be reported later
+            }
         }
         if(range.to !is NumericLiteralValue) {
-            val constval = range.to.constValue(program)
-            if(constval!=null)
-                modifications += IAstModification.ReplaceNode(range.to, constval, range)
+            try {
+                val constval = range.to.constValue(program)
+                if(constval!=null)
+                    modifications += IAstModification.ReplaceNode(range.to, constval, range)
+            } catch (x: SyntaxError) {
+                // syntax errors will be reported later
+            }
         }
         if(range.step !is NumericLiteralValue) {
-            val constval = range.step.constValue(program)
-            if(constval!=null)
-                modifications += IAstModification.ReplaceNode(range.step, constval, range)
+            try {
+                val constval = range.step.constValue(program)
+                if(constval!=null)
+                    modifications += IAstModification.ReplaceNode(range.step, constval, range)
+            } catch (x: SyntaxError) {
+                // syntax errors will be reported later
+            }
         }
         return modifications
     }
diff --git a/compiler/test/TestCompilerOnRanges.kt b/compiler/test/TestCompilerOnRanges.kt
index 83585abfd..5bc2e3dfa 100644
--- a/compiler/test/TestCompilerOnRanges.kt
+++ b/compiler/test/TestCompilerOnRanges.kt
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@ import io.kotest.assertions.withClue
 import io.kotest.core.spec.style.FunSpec
 import io.kotest.matchers.shouldBe
 import io.kotest.matchers.string.shouldContain
+import io.kotest.matchers.types.instanceOf
 import prog8.ast.base.DataType
 import prog8.ast.base.Position
 import prog8.ast.expressions.*
 import prog8.ast.statements.ForLoop
 import prog8.ast.statements.VarDecl
+import prog8.compiler.printProgram
 import prog8.compiler.target.C64Target
 import prog8.compiler.target.Cx16Target
 import prog8.compilerinterface.size
@@ -262,4 +264,42 @@ class TestCompilerOnRanges: FunSpec({
         expr.size() shouldBe 6
         expr.toConstantIntegerRange()
     }
+
+    test("range with negative step should be constvalue") {
+        val result = compileText(C64Target, false, """
+            main {
+                sub start() {
+                    ubyte[] array = 100 to 50 step -2
+                    ubyte xx
+                    for xx in 100 to 50 step -2 {
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        """).assertSuccess()
+        val statements = result.program.entrypoint.statements
+        val array = (statements[0] as VarDecl).value
+        array shouldBe instanceOf<ArrayLiteralValue>()
+        (array as ArrayLiteralValue).value.size shouldBe 26
+        val forloop = (statements.dropLast(1).last() as ForLoop)
+        forloop.iterable shouldBe instanceOf<RangeExpr>()
+        (forloop.iterable as RangeExpr).step shouldBe NumericLiteralValue(DataType.UBYTE, -2.0, Position.DUMMY)
+    }
+
+    test("range with start/end variables should be ok") {
+        val result = compileText(C64Target, false, """
+            main {
+                sub start() {
+                    byte from = 100
+                    byte end = 50
+                    byte xx
+                    for xx in from to end step -2 {
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        """).assertSuccess()
+        val statements = result.program.entrypoint.statements
+        val forloop = (statements.dropLast(1).last() as ForLoop)
+        forloop.iterable shouldBe instanceOf<RangeExpr>()
+        (forloop.iterable as RangeExpr).step shouldBe NumericLiteralValue(DataType.UBYTE, -2.0, Position.DUMMY)
+    }
 })
diff --git a/docs/source/todo.rst b/docs/source/todo.rst
index 51b580f53..a601eacaf 100644
--- a/docs/source/todo.rst
+++ b/docs/source/todo.rst
@@ -4,10 +4,6 @@ TODO
 For next compiler release (7.4)
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
-BUG: line-circle-text doesn't compile anymore due to missing symbol!
-     Add unit test to avoid this in the future?
-
-
 Use GoSub to call subroutines (statements):
     - [DONE] allow separate assigns to subroutine's parameter variables / registers
     - [DONE] turn a regular subroutine call into assignments to the parameters + GoSub (take code from gosub branch)
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index 9f8662379..e9222b96f 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -5,24 +5,6 @@
 main {
 
     sub start() {
-        test_stack.test()
-
-        ubyte[20] xpos = 19 to 0 step -1
-        ubyte[20] ypos = 19 to 0 step -1
-
-        ubyte ball
-        for ball in 0 to len(xpos)-1 {
-            ubyte xx = xpos[ball] + 1
-            ubyte yy = ypos[ball]
-            txt.setchr(xx,yy,87)        ; correct codegen
-            txt.setclr(xx,yy,5)         ; correct codegen
-            txt.setchr(xpos[ball], ypos[ball], 81)          ; TODO WRONG CODEGEN WITH NOOPT
-            txt.setclr(xpos[ball], ypos[ball], 6)           ; TODO WRONG CODEGEN WITH NOOPT
-        }
-
-        test_stack.test()
-        repeat {
-        }
-
+        ubyte[] array = 100 to 50 step -2
     }
 }