diff --git a/cmd/tools/vtest-cleancode.v b/cmd/tools/vtest-cleancode.v
index 49ff869e08..95eed82fd0 100644
--- a/cmd/tools/vtest-cleancode.v
+++ b/cmd/tools/vtest-cleancode.v
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ const (
 	]
 	verify_known_failing_exceptions = [
 		'vlib/builtin/int_test.v' /* special number formatting that should be tested */,
+		'vlib/builtin/int.v' /* vfmt converts `pub fn (nn byteptr) str() string {` to `nn &byte` and that conflicts with `nn byte` */,
+		'vlib/builtin/string_charptr_byteptr_helpers.v' /* a temporary shim to ease the byteptr=>&byte transition */,
 		'vlib/gg/m4/graphic.v' /* has hand crafted meaningful formatting of matrices */,
 		'vlib/gg/m4/m4_test.v' /* has hand crafted meaningful formatting of matrices */,
 		'vlib/gg/m4/matrix.v' /* has hand crafted meaningful formatting of matrices */,
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/linuxsys_bare.v b/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/linuxsys_bare.v
index 7c4e1aa415..10748113b0 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/linuxsys_bare.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/linuxsys_bare.v
@@ -337,16 +337,16 @@ fn split_int_errno(rc_in u64) (i64, Errno) {
 }
 
 // 0 sys_read unsigned int fd char *buf size_t count
-pub fn sys_read(fd i64, buf byteptr, count u64) (i64, Errno) {
+pub fn sys_read(fd i64, buf &byte, count u64) (i64, Errno) {
 	return split_int_errno(sys_call3(0, u64(fd), u64(buf), count))
 }
 
 // 1 sys_write unsigned int fd, const char *buf, size_t count
-pub fn sys_write(fd i64, buf byteptr, count u64) (i64, Errno) {
+pub fn sys_write(fd i64, buf &byte, count u64) (i64, Errno) {
 	return split_int_errno(sys_call3(1, u64(fd), u64(buf), count))
 }
 
-pub fn sys_open(filename byteptr, flags i64, mode int) (i64, Errno) {
+pub fn sys_open(filename &byte, flags i64, mode int) (i64, Errno) {
 	// 2 sys_open  const char *filename  int flags int mode
 	return split_int_errno(sys_call3(2, u64(filename), u64(flags), u64(mode)))
 }
@@ -357,10 +357,10 @@ pub fn sys_close(fd i64) Errno {
 }
 
 // 9 sys_mmap unsigned long addr  unsigned long len unsigned long prot  unsigned long flags unsigned long fd  unsigned long off
-pub fn sys_mmap(addr byteptr, len u64, prot Mm_prot, flags Map_flags, fildes u64, off u64) (byteptr, Errno) {
+pub fn sys_mmap(addr &byte, len u64, prot Mm_prot, flags Map_flags, fildes u64, off u64) (&byte, Errno) {
 	rc := sys_call6(9, u64(addr), len, u64(prot), u64(flags), fildes, off)
 	a, e := split_int_errno(rc)
-	return byteptr(a), e
+	return &byte(a), e
 }
 
 pub fn sys_munmap(addr voidptr, len u64) Errno {
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/mm_bare.v b/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/mm_bare.v
index a651fdc908..cee5f99857 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/mm_bare.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/mm_bare.v
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ pub fn mm_pages(size u64) u32 {
 	return u32(pages)
 }
 
-pub fn mm_alloc(size u64) (byteptr, Errno) {
+pub fn mm_alloc(size u64) (&byte, Errno) {
 	pages := mm_pages(size)
 	n_bytes := u64(pages * u32(Linux_mem.page_size))
 
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ pub fn mm_alloc(size u64) (byteptr, Errno) {
 	if e == .enoerror {
 		mut ap := &int(a)
 		*ap = pages
-		return byteptr(a + 4), e
+		return &byte(a + 4), e
 	}
-	return byteptr(0), e
+	return &byte(0), e
 }
 
-pub fn mm_free(addr byteptr) Errno {
+pub fn mm_free(addr &byte) Errno {
 	ap := &int(addr - 4)
 	size := u64(*ap) * u64(Linux_mem.page_size)
 
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ pub fn mm_free(addr byteptr) Errno {
 }
 
 pub fn mem_copy(dest0 voidptr, src0 voidptr, n int) voidptr {
-	mut dest := byteptr(dest0)
-	src := byteptr(src0)
+	mut dest := &byte(dest0)
+	src := &byte(src0)
 	for i in 0 .. n {
 		dest[i] = src[i]
 	}
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ pub fn mem_copy(dest0 voidptr, src0 voidptr, n int) voidptr {
 }
 
 [unsafe]
-pub fn malloc(n int) byteptr {
+pub fn malloc(n int) &byte {
 	if n < 0 {
 		panic('malloc(<0)')
 	}
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/string_bare.v b/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/string_bare.v
index 122dd989f9..06f95d429e 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/string_bare.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/linux_bare/string_bare.v
@@ -2,17 +2,17 @@ module builtin
 
 pub struct string {
 pub:
-	str byteptr
+	str &byte
 	len int
 }
 
-pub fn strlen(s byteptr) int {
+pub fn strlen(s &byte) int {
 	mut i := 0
 	for ; s[i] != 0; i++ {}
 	return i
 }
 
-pub fn tos(s byteptr, len int) string {
+pub fn tos(s &byte, len int) string {
 	if s == 0 {
 		panic('tos(): nil string')
 	}
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ pub fn tos_clone(s byteptr) string {
 
 // Same as `tos`, but calculates the length. Called by `string(bytes)` casts.
 // Used only internally.
-pub fn tos2(s byteptr) string {
+pub fn tos2(s &byte) string {
 	if s == 0 {
 		panic('tos2: nil string')
 	}
@@ -59,13 +59,13 @@ pub fn tos2(s byteptr) string {
 	}
 }
 
-pub fn tos3(s charptr) string {
+pub fn tos3(s &char) string {
 	if s == 0 {
 		panic('tos3: nil string')
 	}
 	return string{
-		str: byteptr(s)
-		len: strlen(byteptr(s))
+		str: &byte(s)
+		len: strlen(&byte(s))
 	}
 }
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ pub fn string_ne(s1 string, s2 string) bool {
 	return !string_eq(s1, s2)
 }
 
-pub fn i64_tos(buf byteptr, len int, n0 i64, base int) string {
+pub fn i64_tos(buf &byte, len int, n0 i64, base int) string {
 	if base < 2 {
 		panic('base must be >= 2')
 	}
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/map.v b/vlib/builtin/map.v
index c8ad84bcfd..f2d982a623 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/map.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/map.v
@@ -349,8 +349,8 @@ fn new_map_2(key_bytes int, value_bytes int, hash_fn MapHashFn, key_eq_fn MapEqF
 fn new_map_init_2(hash_fn MapHashFn, key_eq_fn MapEqFn, clone_fn MapCloneFn, free_fn MapFreeFn, n int, key_bytes int, value_bytes int, keys voidptr, values voidptr) map {
 	mut out := new_map_2(key_bytes, value_bytes, hash_fn, key_eq_fn, clone_fn, free_fn)
 	// TODO pre-allocate n slots
-	mut pkey := byteptr(keys)
-	mut pval := byteptr(values)
+	mut pkey := &byte(keys)
+	mut pval := &byte(values)
 	for _ in 0 .. n {
 		unsafe {
 			out.set_1(pkey, pval)
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ fn (mut m map) rehash() {
 fn (mut m map) cached_rehash(old_cap u32) {
 	old_metas := m.metas
 	metasize := int(sizeof(u32) * (m.even_index + 2 + m.extra_metas))
-	m.metas = unsafe {  &u32(vcalloc(metasize)) }
+	m.metas = unsafe { &u32(vcalloc(metasize)) }
 	old_extra_metas := m.extra_metas
 	for i := u32(0); i <= old_cap + old_extra_metas; i += 2 {
 		if unsafe { old_metas[i] } == 0 {
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ pub fn (mut m map) delete_1(key voidptr) {
 // delete this
 pub fn (m &map) keys() []string {
 	mut keys := []string{len: m.len}
-	mut item := unsafe { byteptr(keys.data) }
+	mut item := unsafe { &byte(keys.data) }
 	for i := 0; i < m.key_values.len; i++ {
 		if !m.key_values.has_index(i) {
 			continue
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ pub fn (m &map) keys() []string {
 // Returns all keys in the map.
 fn (m &map) keys_1() array {
 	mut keys := __new_array(m.len, 0, m.key_bytes)
-	mut item := unsafe { byteptr(keys.data) }
+	mut item := unsafe { &byte(keys.data) }
 	if m.key_values.deletes == 0 {
 		for i := 0; i < m.key_values.len; i++ {
 			unsafe {
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/map_test.v b/vlib/builtin/map_test.v
index 8b41284542..469596d29c 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/map_test.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/map_test.v
@@ -196,9 +196,9 @@ fn test_various_map_value() {
 	mut m14 := map[string]voidptr{}
 	m14['test'] = voidptr(0)
 	assert m14['test'] == voidptr(0)
-	mut m15 := map[string]byteptr{}
-	m15['test'] = byteptr(0)
-	assert m15['test'] == byteptr(0)
+	mut m15 := map[string]&byte{}
+	m15['test'] = &byte(0)
+	assert m15['test'] == &byte(0)
 	mut m16 := map[string]i64{}
 	m16['test'] = i64(0)
 	assert m16['test'] == i64(0)
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/option.v b/vlib/builtin/option.v
index 054965f560..6ab693ac2f 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/option.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/option.v
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ fn opt_ok(data voidptr, mut option Option, size int) {
 	unsafe {
 		*option = Option{}
 		// use err to get the end of OptionBase and then memcpy into it
-		C.memcpy(byteptr(&option.err) + sizeof(IError), data, size)
+		C.memcpy(&byte(&option.err) + sizeof(IError), data, size)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/sorted_map.v b/vlib/builtin/sorted_map.v
index bb28d1dc99..2567a3cca4 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/sorted_map.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/sorted_map.v
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ fn new_sorted_map_init(n int, value_bytes int, keys &string, values voidptr) Sor
 	mut out := new_sorted_map(n, value_bytes)
 	for i in 0 .. n {
 		unsafe {
-			out.set(keys[i], byteptr(values) + i * value_bytes)
+			out.set(keys[i], &byte(values) + i * value_bytes)
 		}
 	}
 	return out
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
index a9aa4e578d..544f83cc8c 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
@@ -3126,7 +3126,11 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) assign_stmt(mut assign_stmt ast.AssignStmt) {
 			&& left_sym.kind != .interface_ {
 			// Dual sides check (compatibility check)
 			c.check_expected(right_type_unwrapped, left_type_unwrapped) or {
-				c.error('cannot assign to `$left`: $err.msg', right.position())
+				// allow for ptr += 2
+				if !left_type_unwrapped.is_ptr() && !right_type_unwrapped.is_int()
+					&& assign_stmt.op !in [.plus_assign, .minus_assign] {
+					c.error('cannot assign to `$left`: $err.msg', right.position())
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		if left_sym.kind == .interface_ {