diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f1f0d27..245d28c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ Primarily tested with personal archive of sources written for Kick assmebler, DA
 * irp (indefinite repeat)
 
 **FIXED**
+* Labels can start with numbers and values will only be interpreted as decimal numbers if terminated by a character that is not an alphabetic character or underscore
 * INCSYM failed with local labels, this is now properly handled. (fixed again..)
 * INCBIN and IMPORT BINARY always failed (force 0 bytes length)
 * Using more than 16 bytes of Pool labels was flawed as byte 15 and 16 would be the same address.
diff --git a/struse.h b/struse.h
index ec1843b..bed8fbd 100644
--- a/struse.h
+++ b/struse.h
@@ -545,6 +545,9 @@ public:
 	// grab a block of text starting with (, [ or { and end with the corresponding number of ), ] or }
 	strref scoped_block_skip();
 
+	// check matching characters that are terminated by any character in term or ends
+	int match_chars_str(const strref match, const strref term = strref());
+
 	strref get_line() const; // return the current line even if empty,t don't change this line
 	strref get_line(strl_t line) const; // return line by index
 	strref next_line(); // return the current line even if empty and skip this to line after
@@ -3115,6 +3118,7 @@ int strref::find_any_not_in_range(const strref range, strl_t pos) const {
 	
 	return int_find_range(string+pos, length-pos, length, rng, !include);
 }
+
 // search of a character in a given range while also checking that
 // skipped characters are in another given range.
 int strref::find_range_char_within_range(const strref range_find, const strref range_within, strl_t pos) const {
@@ -3157,6 +3161,30 @@ bool strref::char_matches_ranges(unsigned char c) const {
 	return (match && include) || (!match && !include);
 }
 
+// count number of characters matching the range match as long
+// as it is terminated by a given character or empty
+int strref::match_chars_str(const strref match, const strref term)
+{
+	bool include_match, include_term;
+	strref rng = int_check_exclude(match, include_match);
+	strref trm = int_check_exclude(term, include_term);
+	int ret = 0;
+	const char *str = string;
+	int left = length;
+	while (left) {
+		char c = *str++;
+		if (include_match == int_char_match_range_case(c, rng.get(), rng.get_len())) {
+			ret++;
+		} else if (!term || include_term == int_char_match_range_case(c, trm.get(), trm.get_len())) {
+			return ret;
+		} else
+			return 0;
+		left--;
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
+
+
 // wildcard search
 
 #define MAX_WILDCARD_SEGMENTS 64
diff --git a/x65.cpp b/x65.cpp
index 3884522..a277f16 100644
--- a/x65.cpp
+++ b/x65.cpp
@@ -3180,7 +3180,7 @@ EvalOperator Asm::RPNToken_Merlin(strref &expression, const struct EvalContext &
 			else if (c == '!' && !(expression + 1).len_label()) {
 				if (etx.scope_pc < 0) return EVOP_NRY;	// ! by itself is current scope, !+label char is a local label
 				++expression; value = etx.scope_pc; section = CurrSection().IsRelativeSection() ? SectionId() : -1; return EVOP_VAL;
-			} else if (strref::is_number(c)) {
+			} else if (expression.match_chars_str("0-9", "!a-zA-Z_")) {
 				if (prev_op == EVOP_VAL) return EVOP_STP;	// value followed by value doesn't make sense, stop
 				value = expression.atoi_skip(); return EVOP_VAL;
 			} else if (c == '!' || c == ']' || c==':' || strref::is_valid_label(c)) {
@@ -3245,8 +3245,8 @@ EvalOperator Asm::RPNToken(strref &exp, const struct EvalContext &etx, EvalOpera
 			if (c == '!' && !(exp + 1).len_label()) {
 				if (etx.scope_pc < 0) return EVOP_NRY;
 				++exp; value = etx.scope_pc; section = CurrSection().IsRelativeSection() ? SectionId() : -1; return EVOP_VAL;
-			} else if (strref::is_number(c)) {
-				if (prev_op == EVOP_VAL) return EVOP_STP;	// value followed by value doesn't make sense, stop
+			} else if (exp.match_chars_str("0-9", "!a-zA-Z_")) {
+				if (prev_op == EVOP_VAL) return EVOP_STP; // value followed by value doesn't make sense, stop
 				value = exp.atoi_skip(); return EVOP_VAL;
 			} else if (c == '!' || c == ':' || c=='.' || c=='@' || strref::is_valid_label(c)) {
 				if (prev_op == EVOP_VAL) return EVOP_STP; // a value followed by a value does not make sense, probably start of a comment (ORCA/LISA?)
@@ -5792,7 +5792,7 @@ StatusCode Asm::BuildLine(strref line)
 							line.clear();
 						} else if (syntax==SYNTAX_MERLIN && strref::is_ws(line_start[0])) {
 							error = ERROR_UNDEFINED_CODE;
-						} else if (label[0]=='$' || strref::is_number(label[0]))
+						} else if (label[0]=='$')
 							line.clear();
 						else {
 							if (label.get_last()==':')
@@ -7170,7 +7170,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 					}
 				}
 
-				// export vice label file
+				// export vice monitor commands
 				if (vs_file && !srcname.same_str(vs_file) && !assembler.map.empty()) {
 					if (FILE *f = fopen(vs_file, "w")) {
 						for (MapSymbolArray::iterator i = assembler.map.begin(); i!=assembler.map.end(); ++i) {