diff --git a/asm.cpp b/asm.cpp
index 307cf1c..71b7c50 100644
--- a/asm.cpp
+++ b/asm.cpp
@@ -416,9 +416,9 @@ void CLASS::set(std::string line)
 				restofline = Poco::trim(tline.substr(i, tline.length())) + " ";
 				//printf("ROL: |%s|\n",restofline.c_str());
 
-				if (restofline=="")
+				if (restofline == "")
 				{
-					i=l;
+					i = l;
 					break;
 				}
 				strs.clear();
@@ -493,15 +493,16 @@ void CLASS::set(std::string line)
 	x = lable.length();
 	if (x > 1)
 	{
-		// SGQ M32 syntax
-#if 1
-		while ((x > 1) && (lable[x - 1] == ':'))
+		// M32 syntax allows a colon after lable, and it is not part of the lable
+		if ((syntax & SYNTAX_MERLIN32)==SYNTAX_MERLIN32)
 		{
-			lable = lable.substr(0, x - 1);
-			x--;
+			while ((x > 1) && (lable[x - 1] == ':'))
+			{
+				lable = lable.substr(0, x - 1);
+				x--;
+			}
+			//printf("linelable: |%s|\n", lable.c_str());
 		}
-		//printf("linelable: |%s|\n", lable.c_str());
-#endif
 	}
 
 	opcodelower = Poco::toLower(opcode);
@@ -532,9 +533,24 @@ void CLASS::init(void)
 	filenames.clear();
 	starttime = GetTickCount();
 	initialdir = Poco::Path::current();
-	syntax = 0;
+	syntax = SYNTAX_MERLIN;
 	filecount = 0;
 
+	s = getConfig("option.syntax", "merlin16");
+	s = Poco::toUpper(Poco::trim(s));
+	if ((s == "MERLIN") || (s == "MERLIN16"))
+	{
+		syntax = SYNTAX_MERLIN;
+	}
+	else if (s == "MERLIN32")
+	{
+		syntax = SYNTAX_MERLIN32;
+	}
+	else if (s == "QASM")
+	{
+		syntax = SYNTAX_QASM;
+	}
+
 	std::string tabstr = getConfig("reformat.tabs", "8,16,32");
 	tabstr = Poco::trim(tabstr);
 
@@ -1422,6 +1438,21 @@ void CLASS::initpass(void)
 	merlinerrors = getBool("asm.merlinerrors", true);
 
 	trackrep = getBool("asm.trackrep", false);
+	if (syntax == SYNTAX_MERLIN32)
+	{
+		trackrep = true; // can't turn this off in M32
+	}
+	else if (syntax == SYNTAX_MERLIN)
+	{
+		trackrep = false; // can't turn this ON in M16
+	}
+	else if (syntax == SYNTAX_QASM)
+	{
+		// we will allow this to be settable default off
+		trackrep = false;
+		trackrep = getBool("asm.trackrep", trackrep);
+
+	}
 	//merlincompat = getBool("asm.merlincompatible", true);
 	allowdup = getBool("asm.allowduplicate", true);
 
@@ -1464,7 +1495,12 @@ void CLASS::initpass(void)
 
 	lastcarry = false;
 	relocatable = false;
-	currentsym = &topSymbol;  // this is the default symbol for :locals without a global above;
+	currentsym = NULL;
+	if ((syntax & SYNTAX_MERLIN32)==SYNTAX_MERLIN32)
+	{
+		// M32 allows locals that don't have a global above. this is the catchall for that
+		currentsym = &topSymbol;    // this is the default symbol for :locals without a global above;
+	}
 	currentsymstr = "";
 	lineno = 0;
 	errorct = 0;
@@ -1668,18 +1704,17 @@ int CLASS::getAddrMode(MerlinLine & line)
 											// symbol is defined later, we will generate different
 											// bytes on the next pass
 
-											if (Poco::toUpper(oper) == "A") // check the whole operand, not just the expression
+											if ((line.syntax&SYNTAX_MERLIN32)  == SYNTAX_MERLIN32)
 											{
-												// SGQ
-												// Merlin32 supports the 'A" operand for immediate
-												// mode for opcodes like "ROR A". Problem is, Merlin16
-												// does not, and 'A' could be a lable.
-												TSymbol *sym = findSymbol("A");
-												if (sym == NULL)
+												if (Poco::toUpper(oper) == "A") // check the whole operand, not just the expression
 												{
-													line.flags |= FLAG_FORCEIMPLIED;
-													mode = syn_implied; // if the label hasn't been defined yet, assume Immediate addressing
-													goto out;
+													TSymbol *sym = findSymbol("A");
+													if (sym == NULL)
+													{
+														line.flags |= FLAG_FORCEIMPLIED;
+														mode = syn_implied; // if the label hasn't been defined yet, assume Immediate addressing
+														goto out;
+													}
 												}
 											}
 										}
@@ -1861,6 +1896,7 @@ void CLASS::process(void)
 			line.linemx = mx;
 			line.bytect = 0;
 			line.showmx = showmx;
+			line.syntax = syntax;
 			line.merlinerrors = merlinerrors;
 
 			if ((line.lable != ""))
diff --git a/asm.h b/asm.h
index d4ffb6c..b6ed183 100644
--- a/asm.h
+++ b/asm.h
@@ -8,8 +8,17 @@
 #define MODE_65816 2
 
 #define SYNTAX_MERLIN 0
-#define SYNTAX_APW	  1
-#define SYNTAX_ORCA	  2
+#define SYNTAX_MERLIN32 0x01
+#define SYNTAX_APW	    0x02
+#define SYNTAX_ORCA	    0x04
+#define SYNTAX_QASM	    (0x08 | SYNTAX_MERLIN32)
+#define OPTION_ALLOW_A_OPERAND 0x0100
+#define OPTION_ALLOW_LOCAL     0x0200
+#define OPTION_ALLOW_COLON	   0x0400
+#define OPTION_FORCE_REPSEP    0x0800
+#define OPTION_NO_REPSEP       0x1000
+#define OPTION_CFG_REPSEP	   0x2000
+
 
 #define FLAG_FORCELONG 0x01
 #define FLAG_FORCEABS  0x02
@@ -177,7 +186,7 @@ class MerlinLine
 {
 public:
 
-	uint8_t syntax;
+	uint32_t syntax;
 	std::string lable;
 	std::string printlable;
 	std::string opcode;
@@ -224,7 +233,7 @@ class TFileProcessor
 protected:
 	std::string initialdir;
 	std::vector<std::string> filenames;
-	uint8_t syntax;
+	uint32_t syntax;
 	uint64_t starttime;
 	uint8_t tabs[16];
 
@@ -335,7 +344,6 @@ public:
 	bool casesen;
 	bool showmx;
 	bool trackrep;
-	//bool merlincompat;
 	bool merlinerrors;
 	bool allowdup;
 	uint8_t mx;
diff --git a/qasm.cpp b/qasm.cpp
index 8c06b3f..c065ecd 100644
--- a/qasm.cpp
+++ b/qasm.cpp
@@ -18,9 +18,11 @@ programOption PAL::appOptions[] =
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	{ "debug", "d", "enable debug info (repeat for more verbosity)", "", false, true},
 #endif
-	//{ "config", "f", "load configuration data from a <file>", " <file>", false, false},
-	{ "exec", "x", "execute a command [asm, link, reformat] default=asm", " <command>", false, false},
-	{ "objfile", "o", "write output to file", " <file>", false, false},
+	//{ "config", "f", "load configuration data from a <file>", "<file>", false, false},
+	{ "exec", "x", "execute a command [asm, link, reformat] default=asm", "<command>", false, false},
+	{ "objfile", "o", "write output to file", "<file>", false, false},
+	{ "syntax", "s", "enforce syntax of other assembler [merlin16, merlin32]", "<syntax>", false, false},
+
 
 	{ "", "", "", "", false, false}
 };
diff --git a/qasm.ini b/qasm.ini
index 9ba320a..9769696 100644
--- a/qasm.ini
+++ b/qasm.ini
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ logfile=mylog.log
 [option]
 debug=1
 nocolor=false
-syntax=merlin
+;syntax=merlin32
 ;debug must be an integer. Code can use this as a level
 
 [application]
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ startmx=3
 lst=true
 ; can be M6502, M65C02, M65816
 cpu=M65816
-trackrep=false
+trackrep=true
 allowduplicate=true
 merlinerrors=true
 symcolumns=3
diff --git a/runtests.sh b/runtests.sh
index 8cbb574..6e4ae83 100755
--- a/runtests.sh
+++ b/runtests.sh
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ for S in $SRC ; do
 	BASE=${BASE/.s/}
 	#./qasm -o 0/$OUTDIR/$S1 ./testdata/$S 
 
-	./qasm -o 0/$OUTDIR/$S1 ./testdata/$S >> $TMPFILE
+	./qasm --syntax merlin32 -o 0/$OUTDIR/$S1 ./testdata/$S >> $TMPFILE
 
 	R=?$
 	#echo $S " " $S1