diff --git a/assembler-8608.lua b/assembler-8608.lua
index d65536f..a77eb9b 100644
--- a/assembler-8608.lua
+++ b/assembler-8608.lua
@@ -180,6 +180,8 @@ local function evaluateExpression(expr)
 	return eval
 end
 local function preprocessCode(code)
+	code = "\n"..code.."\n"
+	
 	local curscope = ""
 	local codet = {}
 	local wordt = {}
@@ -340,12 +342,14 @@ local function prefixCode(code, fn) -- fix strings, add line numbers
 			elseif c=="\"" then state = "code"
 			else outn(c:byte()) end
 		elseif state=="stringesc" then
-			out(stringEscapes[c] or error("invalid escape "..c)); state = "string";
+			outn(string.byte(stringEscapes[c] or error("invalid escape "..c))); state = "string";
 		end
 	end
 	assert(#bracestack==0, "unclosed brace")
 	local code2 = table.concat(outt)
 	
+	print(code2)
+	
 	return code2
 end
 local function fixFilename(fn)