diff --git a/expression.c b/expression.c
index 78cb586..c287229 100644
--- a/expression.c
+++ b/expression.c
@@ -191,6 +191,16 @@ void ExpressionStackPushLValue(struct ParseState *Parser, struct ExpressionStack
     ExpressionStackPushValueNode(Parser, StackTop, ValueLoc);
 }
 
+void ExpressionStackPushDereference(struct ParseState *Parser, struct ExpressionStack **StackTop, struct Value *DereferenceValue)
+{
+    struct Value *DerefVal;
+    int Offset;
+    struct ValueType *DerefType;
+    void *DerefDataLoc = VariableDereferencePointer(Parser, DereferenceValue, &DerefVal, &Offset, &DerefType);
+    struct Value *ValueLoc = VariableAllocValueFromExistingData(Parser, DerefType, (union AnyValue *)DerefDataLoc, DerefVal->IsLValue, DerefVal);
+    ExpressionStackPushValueNode(Parser, StackTop, ValueLoc);
+}
+
 void ExpressionPushInt(struct ParseState *Parser, struct ExpressionStack **StackTop, int IntValue)
 {
     debugf("ExpressionPushInt()\n");
@@ -239,8 +249,7 @@ void ExpressionPrefixOperator(struct ParseState *Parser, struct ExpressionStack
             break;
 
         case TokenAsterisk:
-            VariableCheckPointer(Parser, TopValue);
-            ExpressionStackPushLValue(Parser, StackTop, TopValue->Val->Pointer.Segment, TopValue->Val->Pointer.Offset);
+            ExpressionStackPushDereference(Parser, StackTop, TopValue);
             break;
         
         case TokenSizeof:
@@ -640,21 +649,19 @@ void ExpressionGetStructElement(struct ParseState *Parser, struct ExpressionStac
         struct Value *ParamVal = (*StackTop)->p.Val;
         struct Value *StructVal = ParamVal;
         int StructOffset = 0;
+        struct ValueType *StructType = ParamVal->Typ;
+        void *DerefDataLoc = (void *)ParamVal->Val;
         struct Value *MemberValue;
         struct Value *Result;
 
+        /* if we're doing '->' dereference the struct pointer first */
         if (Token == TokenArrow)
-        {
-            /* dereference the struct pointer first */
-            VariableCheckPointer(Parser, ParamVal);
-            StructVal = ParamVal->Val->Pointer.Segment;
-            StructOffset = ParamVal->Val->Pointer.Offset;
-        }
+            DerefDataLoc = VariableDereferencePointer(Parser, ParamVal, &StructVal, &StructOffset, &StructType);
         
-        if (StructVal->Typ->Base != TypeStruct && StructVal->Typ->Base != TypeUnion)
+        if (StructType->Base != TypeStruct && StructType->Base != TypeUnion)
             ProgramFail(Parser, "can't use '%s' on something that's not a struct or union %s : it's a %t", (Token == TokenDot) ? "." : "->", (Token == TokenArrow) ? "pointer" : "", ParamVal->Typ);
             
-        if (!TableGet(StructVal->Typ->Members, Ident->Val->Identifier, &MemberValue))
+        if (!TableGet(StructType->Members, Ident->Val->Identifier, &MemberValue))
             ProgramFail(Parser, "doesn't have a member called '%s'", Ident->Val->Identifier);
         
         /* pop the value - assume it'll still be there until we're done */
@@ -662,7 +669,7 @@ void ExpressionGetStructElement(struct ParseState *Parser, struct ExpressionStac
         *StackTop = (*StackTop)->Next;
         
         /* make the result value for this member only */
-        Result = VariableAllocValueFromExistingData(Parser, MemberValue->Typ, (void *)StructVal->Val + StructOffset + MemberValue->Val->Integer, TRUE, StructVal->LValueFrom);
+        Result = VariableAllocValueFromExistingData(Parser, MemberValue->Typ, DerefDataLoc + MemberValue->Val->Integer, TRUE, StructVal->LValueFrom);
         ExpressionStackPushValueNode(Parser, StackTop, Result);
     }
 }
diff --git a/lex.c b/lex.c
index 2c44610..6a71331 100644
--- a/lex.c
+++ b/lex.c
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ static struct ReservedWord ReservedWords[] =
     { "long", TokenLongType, NULL },
     { "new", TokenNew, NULL },
     { "return", TokenReturn, NULL },
-//    { "short", TokenShortType, NULL },
     { "signed", TokenSignedType, NULL },
     { "sizeof", TokenSizeof, NULL },
     { "struct", TokenStructType, NULL },
diff --git a/picoc.h b/picoc.h
index 15a07b4..2a4e57c 100644
--- a/picoc.h
+++ b/picoc.h
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ void VariableStackFrameAdd(struct ParseState *Parser, int NumParams);
 void VariableStackFramePop(struct ParseState *Parser);
 struct Value *VariableStringLiteralGet(char *Ident);
 void VariableStringLiteralDefine(char *Ident, struct Value *Val);
-void VariableCheckPointer(struct ParseState *Parser, struct Value *PointerValue);
+void *VariableDereferencePointer(struct ParseState *Parser, struct Value *PointerValue, struct Value **DerefVal, int *DerefOffset, struct ValueType **DerefType);
 
 /* clibrary.c */
 void LibraryInit(struct Table *GlobalTable, const char *LibraryName, struct LibraryFunction (*FuncList)[]);
diff --git a/tests/21_char_array.c b/tests/21_char_array.c
index 4d1d284..c2ff2f2 100644
--- a/tests/21_char_array.c
+++ b/tests/21_char_array.c
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+int x = 'a';
+char y = x;
+
 char *a = "hello";
 
 printf("%s\n", a);
diff --git a/variable.c b/variable.c
index a9adf1a..de7a2f7 100644
--- a/variable.c
+++ b/variable.c
@@ -261,8 +261,8 @@ void VariableStringLiteralDefine(char *Ident, struct Value *Val)
     TableSet(&StringLiteralTable, Ident, Val);
 }
 
-/* check a pointer for validity */
-void VariableCheckPointer(struct ParseState *Parser, struct Value *PointerValue)
+/* check a pointer for validity and dereference it for use */
+void *VariableDereferencePointer(struct ParseState *Parser, struct Value *PointerValue, struct Value **DerefVal, int *DerefOffset, struct ValueType **DerefType)
 {
     struct Value *PointedToValue = PointerValue->Val->Pointer.Segment;
 
@@ -274,5 +274,18 @@ void VariableCheckPointer(struct ParseState *Parser, struct Value *PointerValue)
     
     if (PointerValue->Val->Pointer.Offset < 0 || PointerValue->Val->Pointer.Offset > TypeLastAccessibleOffset(PointedToValue))
         ProgramFail(Parser, "attempt to access invalid pointer");
+    
+    /* pass back the optional dereferenced pointer, offset and type */
+    if (DerefVal != NULL)
+    {
+        *DerefVal = PointedToValue;
+        *DerefOffset = PointerValue->Val->Pointer.Offset;
+        *DerefType = PointerValue->Typ->FromType;
+    }
+    
+    /* return a pointer to the data */
+    if (PointedToValue->Typ->Base == TypeArray)
+        return PointedToValue->Val->Array.Data + PointerValue->Val->Pointer.Offset;
+    else
+        return (void *)PointedToValue->Val + PointerValue->Val->Pointer.Offset;
 }
-