diff --git a/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/AsmGen.kt b/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/AsmGen.kt
index 22b869db3..0bc3a1cd2 100644
--- a/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/AsmGen.kt
+++ b/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/AsmGen.kt
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ class AsmGen6502Internal (
     private val pointerGen = PointerAssignmentsGen(this, allocator)
     private val assignmentAsmGen = AssignmentAsmGen(program, this, pointerGen, anyExprGen, allocator)
     private val builtinFunctionsAsmGen = BuiltinFunctionsAsmGen(program, this, assignmentAsmGen)
-    private val ifElseAsmgen = IfElseAsmGen(program, symbolTable, this, assignmentAsmGen, errors)
+    private val ifElseAsmgen = IfElseAsmGen(program, symbolTable, this, pointerGen, assignmentAsmGen, errors)
     private val ifExpressionAsmgen = IfExpressionAsmGen(this, assignmentAsmGen, errors)
 
     fun compileToAssembly(): IAssemblyProgram? {
diff --git a/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/IfElseAsmGen.kt b/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/IfElseAsmGen.kt
index 6fdecf2df..b71e7b9a4 100644
--- a/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/IfElseAsmGen.kt
+++ b/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/IfElseAsmGen.kt
@@ -6,11 +6,13 @@ import prog8.code.ast.*
 import prog8.code.core.*
 import prog8.codegen.cpu6502.assignment.AsmAssignTarget
 import prog8.codegen.cpu6502.assignment.AssignmentAsmGen
+import prog8.codegen.cpu6502.assignment.PointerAssignmentsGen
 import prog8.codegen.cpu6502.assignment.TargetStorageKind
 
 internal class IfElseAsmGen(private val program: PtProgram,
                             private val st: SymbolTable,
                             private val asmgen: AsmGen6502Internal,
+                            private val pointergen: PointerAssignmentsGen,
                             private val assignmentAsmGen: AssignmentAsmGen,
                             private val errors: IErrorReporter) {
 
@@ -63,9 +65,14 @@ internal class IfElseAsmGen(private val program: PtProgram,
             }
         }
 
-        val deref = stmt.condition as? PtPointerDeref
-        if(deref!=null) {
-            TODO("ptr deref resulting in bool ${deref.position}")
+        val dereference = stmt.condition as? PtPointerDeref
+        if(dereference!=null) {
+            val zpPtrVar = pointergen.deref(dereference)
+            pointergen.loadIndirectByte(zpPtrVar)
+            return if (jumpAfterIf != null)
+                translateJumpElseBodies("bne", "beq", jumpAfterIf, stmt.elseScope)
+            else
+                translateIfElseBodies("beq", stmt)
         }
 
         throw AssemblyError("weird non-boolean condition node type ${stmt.condition} at ${stmt.condition.position}")
diff --git a/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/assignment/PointerAssignmentsGen.kt b/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/assignment/PointerAssignmentsGen.kt
index d10f30338..53e635706 100644
--- a/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/assignment/PointerAssignmentsGen.kt
+++ b/codeGenCpu6502/src/prog8/codegen/cpu6502/assignment/PointerAssignmentsGen.kt
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ internal class PointerAssignmentsGen(private val asmgen: AsmGen6502Internal, pri
 
 
 
-    private fun deref(pointer: PtPointerDeref): String {
+    internal fun deref(pointer: PtPointerDeref): String {
         // walk the pointer deref chain and leaves the final pointer value in a ZP var
         // this will often be the temp var P8ZP_SCRATCH_W1 but can also be the original pointer variable if it is already in zeropage
         if(pointer.chain.isEmpty()) {
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ internal class PointerAssignmentsGen(private val asmgen: AsmGen6502Internal, pri
         """)
     }
 
-    private fun loadIndirectByte(zpPtrVar: String) {
+    internal fun loadIndirectByte(zpPtrVar: String) {
         // loads byte pointed to by the ptrvar into A
         if(asmgen.isTargetCpu(CpuType.CPU65C02))
             asmgen.out("  lda  ($zpPtrVar)")
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index 9bf06147e..2d6bb029c 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -1,14 +1,30 @@
+%import textio
+%import floats
+%option no_sysinit
+%zeropage basicsafe
+
+
 main {
-    uword[5] a
+    struct Enemy {
+        ubyte xpos, ypos
+        uword health
+        bool elite
+    }
 
     sub start() {
-        pokebool(cx16.r0, false)
-        pokebool(a[2], false)
-        pokebool(cx16.r0+cx16.r1, false)
+        ^^Enemy e1 = 30000
+        e1.elite=false
 
+        if e1.elite
+            txt.print("elite")
+        else
+            txt.print("pleb")
 
-        cx16.r0bL = peekbool(cx16.r0)
-        cx16.r0bL = peekbool(a[2])
-        cx16.r0bL = peekbool(cx16.r0+cx16.r1)
+        e1.elite = true
+
+        if e1.elite
+            txt.print("elite")
+        else
+            txt.print("pleb")
     }
 }