diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/BuiltinFunctionsAsmGen.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/BuiltinFunctionsAsmGen.kt
index ce76e38c0..c73edfaf0 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/BuiltinFunctionsAsmGen.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/target/c64/codegen/BuiltinFunctionsAsmGen.kt
@@ -965,7 +965,15 @@ internal class BuiltinFunctionsAsmGen(private val program: Program, private val
             asmgen.out("  sta  P8ESTACK_LO,x |  tya |  sta  P8ESTACK_HI,x |  dex")
         } else {
             val reg = resultRegister ?: RegisterOrPair.AY
-            val needAsave = !(fcall.args[0] is DirectMemoryRead || fcall.args[0] is NumericLiteralValue || fcall.args[0] is IdentifierReference)
+            var needAsave = !(fcall.args[0] is DirectMemoryRead || fcall.args[0] is NumericLiteralValue || fcall.args[0] is IdentifierReference)
+            if(!needAsave) {
+                val mr0 = fcall.args[0] as? DirectMemoryRead
+                val mr1 = fcall.args[1] as? DirectMemoryRead
+                if (mr0 != null)
+                    needAsave = mr0.addressExpression !is NumericLiteralValue && mr0.addressExpression !is IdentifierReference
+                if (mr1 != null)
+                    needAsave = needAsave or (mr1.addressExpression !is NumericLiteralValue && mr1.addressExpression !is IdentifierReference)
+            }
             when(reg) {
                 RegisterOrPair.AX -> {
                     asmgen.assignExpressionToRegister(fcall.args[1], RegisterOrPair.A)      // lsb
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index 39c0ba4aa..93d7cc7ec 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -4,29 +4,24 @@
 main {
 
     sub start() {
-        ubyte ib
-        uword iw
-        ubyte xx
 
-        xx=0
+        uword ptr = $4000
 
-        for ib in 241 to 253 step 2 {
-            txt.print_ub(ib)
-            txt.nl()
-            xx++
-        }
+        @(ptr) = $34
+        @(ptr+1) = $ea
 
-        for ib in 10 downto 2 step -2 {
-            txt.print_ub(ib)
-            txt.nl()
-            xx--
-        }
-        for ib in 6 downto 0 step -2 {
-            txt.print_ub(ib)
-            txt.nl()
-            xx--
-        }
+        txt.print_ubhex(@(ptr), 1)
+        txt.print_ubhex(@(ptr+1), 1)
+        txt.nl()
 
-        txt.print_ub(xx)
+        uword ww = mkword(@(ptr+1), @(ptr))         ; TODO FIX
+        txt.print_uwhex(ww,1)
+        txt.nl()
+
+        ubyte low = @(ptr)
+        ubyte high = @(ptr+1)
+        ww = mkword(high, low)
+        txt.print_uwhex(ww,1)
+        txt.nl()
     }
 }