diff --git a/repl/lib_compound.c b/repl/lib_compound.c
index 3e6a681..cc7c1e7 100644
--- a/repl/lib_compound.c
+++ b/repl/lib_compound.c
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@ static int nativeTrim(Toy_Interpreter* interpreter, Toy_LiteralArray* arguments)
 
 	if (arguments->count == 2) {
 		trimCharsLiteral = Toy_popLiteralArray(arguments);
+
+		Toy_Literal trimCharsLiteralIdn = trimCharsLiteral;
+		if (TOY_IS_IDENTIFIER(trimCharsLiteral) && Toy_parseIdentifierToValue(interpreter, &trimCharsLiteral)) {
+			Toy_freeLiteral(trimCharsLiteralIdn);
+		}
 	}
 	else {
 		trimCharsLiteral = TOY_TO_STRING_LITERAL(Toy_createRefString(" \t\n\r"));
diff --git a/test/scripts/lib/compound.toy b/test/scripts/lib/compound.toy
index 3d727d1..3a8c9c2 100644
--- a/test/scripts/lib/compound.toy
+++ b/test/scripts/lib/compound.toy
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import compound;
 	assert "Hello World".toUpper() == "HELLO WORLD", "_toUpper() failed";
 }
 
-//test trim
+//test trim defaults
 {
 	//test a bunch
 	fn test(s, pass) {
@@ -33,4 +33,12 @@ import compound;
 	assert " hello world ".trim() == "hello world", "hello world.trim() failed";
 }
 
+//test trim custom values
+{
+	var chars = "heilod";
+
+	assert "hello world".trim(chars) == " wor", "custom _trim() failed";
+}
+
+
 print "All good";