diff --git a/codeCore/src/prog8/code/target/virtual/VirtualMachineDefinition.kt b/codeCore/src/prog8/code/target/virtual/VirtualMachineDefinition.kt
index ab242ea68..e63426423 100644
--- a/codeCore/src/prog8/code/target/virtual/VirtualMachineDefinition.kt
+++ b/codeCore/src/prog8/code/target/virtual/VirtualMachineDefinition.kt
@@ -20,7 +20,13 @@ class VirtualMachineDefinition: IMachineDefinition {
     override lateinit var zeropage: Zeropage    // not actually used
     override lateinit var golden: GoldenRam     // not actually used
 
-    override fun getFloatAsmBytes(num: Number) = TODO("float asm bytes from number")
+    override fun getFloatAsmBytes(num: Number): String {
+        // little endian binary representation
+        val bits = num.toFloat().toBits().toUInt()
+        val hexStr = bits.toString(16).padStart(8, '0')
+        val parts = hexStr.chunked(2).map { "\$" + it }
+        return parts.joinToString(", ")
+    }
 
     override fun importLibs(compilerOptions: CompilationOptions, compilationTargetName: String): List<String> {
         return listOf("syslib")
diff --git a/virtualmachine/test/TestVm.kt b/virtualmachine/test/TestVm.kt
index d826c3a4a..970bd7e45 100644
--- a/virtualmachine/test/TestVm.kt
+++ b/virtualmachine/test/TestVm.kt
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ import io.kotest.matchers.collections.shouldBeEmpty
 import io.kotest.matchers.shouldBe
 import prog8.code.core.*
 import prog8.code.target.VMTarget
+import prog8.code.target.c64.C64MachineDefinition
+import prog8.code.target.cx16.CX16MachineDefinition
+import prog8.code.target.virtual.VirtualMachineDefinition
 import prog8.intermediate.*
 import prog8.vm.VirtualMachine
 import prog8.vm.VmRunner
@@ -132,4 +135,14 @@ class TestVm: FunSpec( {
 """
         runner.runProgram(irSource)
     }
+
+    test("vm machine float bits") {
+        val cx16machine = CX16MachineDefinition()
+        cx16machine.getFloatAsmBytes(Math.PI) shouldBe "\$82, \$49, \$0f, \$da, \$a2"
+        val c64machine = C64MachineDefinition()
+        c64machine.getFloatAsmBytes(Math.PI) shouldBe "\$82, \$49, \$0f, \$da, \$a2"
+
+        val vm = VirtualMachineDefinition()
+        vm.getFloatAsmBytes(Math.PI) shouldBe "\$40, \$49, \$0f, \$db"
+    }
 })