diff --git a/docs/source/todo.rst b/docs/source/todo.rst
index 2c8d29d7d..d28f97d31 100644
--- a/docs/source/todo.rst
+++ b/docs/source/todo.rst
@@ -1,13 +1,6 @@
 TODO
 ====
 
-- fix IR loading of romsubs
-    romsub $FFD2 = chrout(ubyte ch @ A)
-    sub start() {
-        ubyte ch = '\n'
-        chrout(ch)
-    }
-
 ...
 
 
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index d750d0ca9..ec333d23d 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -2,10 +2,9 @@
 %zeropage basicsafe
 
 main {
-
     romsub $FFD2 = chrout(ubyte ch @ A)
     sub start() {
-        ubyte ch = '\n'
+        ubyte ch = '2'
         chrout(ch)
     }
 }
diff --git a/intermediate/src/prog8/intermediate/IRProgram.kt b/intermediate/src/prog8/intermediate/IRProgram.kt
index 23b5a0881..29f036fee 100644
--- a/intermediate/src/prog8/intermediate/IRProgram.kt
+++ b/intermediate/src/prog8/intermediate/IRProgram.kt
@@ -138,9 +138,14 @@ class IRProgram(val name: String,
 
                         // link all jump and branching instructions to their target
                         chunk.instructions.forEach {
-                            if(it.opcode in OpcodesThatBranch && it.opcode!=Opcode.RETURN && it.opcode!=Opcode.RETURNR && it.labelSymbol!=null)
-                                it.branchTarget = labeledChunks.getValue(it.labelSymbol)
-                            // note: branches with an address value cannot be linked to something...
+                            if(it.opcode in OpcodesThatBranch && it.opcode!=Opcode.RETURN && it.opcode!=Opcode.RETURNR && it.labelSymbol!=null) {
+                                if(it.labelSymbol.startsWith('$') || it.labelSymbol.first().isDigit()) {
+                                    // it's a call to an address (romsub most likely)
+                                    require(it.address!=null)
+                                } else {
+                                    it.branchTarget = labeledChunks.getValue(it.labelSymbol)
+                                }
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                     is IRInlineAsmChunk -> {
@@ -199,8 +204,10 @@ class IRProgram(val name: String,
                                 require(!chunk.isIR) { "inline IR-asm should have been converted into regular code chunk"}
                         }
                         chunk.instructions.forEach {
-                            if(it.labelSymbol!=null && it.opcode in OpcodesThatBranch)
-                                require(it.branchTarget != null) { "branching instruction to label should have branchTarget set" }
+                            if(it.labelSymbol!=null && it.opcode in OpcodesThatBranch) {
+                                if(!it.labelSymbol.startsWith('$') && !it.labelSymbol.first().isDigit())
+                                    require(it.branchTarget != null) { "branching instruction to label should have branchTarget set" }
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/intermediate/src/prog8/intermediate/Utils.kt b/intermediate/src/prog8/intermediate/Utils.kt
index 378c48f07..472104780 100644
--- a/intermediate/src/prog8/intermediate/Utils.kt
+++ b/intermediate/src/prog8/intermediate/Utils.kt
@@ -131,11 +131,11 @@ fun parseIRCodeLine(line: String): Either<IRInstruction, String> {
     }
     if(format.sysCall) {
         val call = parseCall(rest)
-        val syscallNum = parseIRValue(call.target).toInt()
+        val syscallNum = call.address ?: parseIRValue(call.target ?: "").toInt()
         return left(IRInstruction(Opcode.SYSCALL, immediate = syscallNum, fcallArgs = FunctionCallArgs(call.args, call.returns)))
     } else if (format.funcCall) {
         val call = parseCall(rest)
-        return left(IRInstruction(Opcode.CALL, labelSymbol = call.target, fcallArgs = FunctionCallArgs(call.args, call.returns)))
+        return left(IRInstruction(Opcode.CALL, address = call.address, labelSymbol = call.target, fcallArgs = FunctionCallArgs(call.args, call.returns)))
     } else {
         operands.forEach { oper ->
             if (oper[0] == '&')
@@ -222,7 +222,8 @@ fun parseIRCodeLine(line: String): Either<IRInstruction, String> {
 }
 
 private class ParsedCall(
-    val target: String,
+    val target: String?,
+    val address: Int?,
     val args: List<FunctionCallArgs.ArgumentSpec>,
     val returns: FunctionCallArgs.RegSpec?
 )
@@ -266,8 +267,17 @@ private fun parseCall(rest: String): ParsedCall {
     val args = match.groups["arglist"]!!.value
     val arguments = parseArgs(args)
     val returns = match.groups["returns"]?.value
+    var address: Int? = null
+    var actualTarget: String? = target
+
+    if(target.startsWith('$') || target[0].isDigit()) {
+        address = parseIRValue(target).toInt()
+        actualTarget = null
+    }
+
     return ParsedCall(
-        target,
+        actualTarget,
+        address,
         arguments,
         if(returns==null) null else parseRegspec(returns)
     )
diff --git a/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/VmProgramLoader.kt b/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/VmProgramLoader.kt
index 7f3007e6e..daf236a0a 100644
--- a/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/VmProgramLoader.kt
+++ b/virtualmachine/src/prog8/vm/VmProgramLoader.kt
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ class VmProgramLoader {
                             if(arg.address!=null)
                                 arg
                             else {
-                                val address = variableAddresses.getValue(ins.labelSymbol + "." + arg.name)
+                                val address = ins.address ?: variableAddresses.getValue(ins.labelSymbol + "." + arg.name)
                                 FunctionCallArgs.ArgumentSpec(arg.name, address, arg.reg)
                             }
                         }