diff --git a/source/toy_parser.c b/source/toy_parser.c
index 53c2e20..469b87b 100644
--- a/source/toy_parser.c
+++ b/source/toy_parser.c
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ static Toy_AstFlag literal(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle, Toy_Parser* parser, Toy_As
 
 			buffer[i] = '\0';
 			unsigned int len = i - escapeCounter; //NOTE: len is ONLY the string length
-			Toy_private_emitAstValue(bucketHandle, rootHandle, TOY_VALUE_FROM_STRING(Toy_toStringLength(bucketHandle, buffer, len)));
+			Toy_private_emitAstValue(bucketHandle, rootHandle, TOY_VALUE_FROM_STRING(Toy_createStringLength(bucketHandle, buffer, len))); //BUGFIX: create the string to avoid losing local var 'buffer'
 
 			return TOY_AST_FLAG_NONE;
 		}
diff --git a/source/toy_string.c b/source/toy_string.c
index 8fdef6e..2fbe958 100644
--- a/source/toy_string.c
+++ b/source/toy_string.c
@@ -42,6 +42,21 @@ Toy_String* Toy_toStringLength(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle, const char* cstring, u
 	return ret;
 }
 
+Toy_String* Toy_createStringLength(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle, const char* cstring, unsigned int length) {
+	Toy_String* ret = (Toy_String*)Toy_partitionBucket(bucketHandle, sizeof(Toy_String));
+	char* data = (char*)Toy_partitionBucket(bucketHandle, length + 1);
+
+	strncpy(data, cstring, length);
+
+	ret->info.type = TOY_STRING_LEAF;
+	ret->info.length = length;
+	ret->info.refCount = 1;
+	ret->info.cachedHash = 0; //don't calc until needed
+	ret->leaf.data = data; //DO make a copy, stored in the bucket
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 Toy_String* Toy_copyString(Toy_String* str) {
 	assert(str->info.refCount != 0 && "Can't copy a string with refcount of zero");
 	incrementRefCount(str);
diff --git a/source/toy_string.h b/source/toy_string.h
index 42fe622..7a310ab 100644
--- a/source/toy_string.h
+++ b/source/toy_string.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ typedef union Toy_String_t {
 TOY_API Toy_String* Toy_toString(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle, const char* cstring);
 TOY_API Toy_String* Toy_toStringLength(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle, const char* cstring, unsigned int length);
 
+TOY_API Toy_String* Toy_createStringLength(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle, const char* cstring, unsigned int length);
+
 TOY_API Toy_String* Toy_copyString(Toy_String* str);
 TOY_API Toy_String* Toy_concatStrings(Toy_Bucket** bucketHandle, Toy_String* left, Toy_String* right);
 
diff --git a/source/toy_vm.c b/source/toy_vm.c
index bf408ea..f0b2677 100644
--- a/source/toy_vm.c
+++ b/source/toy_vm.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ static void processRead(Toy_VM* vm) {
 
 		case TOY_VALUE_STRING: {
 			enum Toy_StringType stringType = READ_BYTE(vm);
-			int len = (int)READ_BYTE(vm); //only needed for name strings
+			//int len = (int)READ_BYTE(vm); //WARN: only used for name strings
 
 			//grab the jump as an integer
 			unsigned int jump = *((int*)(vm->code + vm->jumpsAddr + READ_INT(vm)));
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ static void processRead(Toy_VM* vm) {
 
 			//build a string from the data section
 			if (stringType == TOY_STRING_LEAF) {
-				value = TOY_VALUE_FROM_STRING(Toy_toStringLength(&vm->memoryBucket, cstring, len));
+				value = TOY_VALUE_FROM_STRING(Toy_toString(&vm->memoryBucket, cstring));
 			}
 			else {
 				Toy_error("Invalid string type found in opcode read");