diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/native/amd64.v b/vlib/v/gen/native/amd64.v
index 27302b8c79..91709bd692 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/native/amd64.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/native/amd64.v
@@ -1521,11 +1521,16 @@ fn (mut g Gen) mul_reg(a Register, b Register) {
 			g.write8(0xf7)
 			g.write8(0xeb)
 		}
+		.rdx {
+			g.write8(0x48)
+			g.write8(0xf7)
+			g.write8(0xe2)
+		}
 		else {
-			panic('unhandled div ${a}')
+			panic('unhandled mul ${b}')
 		}
 	}
-	g.println('mul ${a}')
+	g.println('mul ${b}')
 }
 
 fn (mut g Gen) imul_reg(r Register) {
@@ -1558,11 +1563,16 @@ fn (mut g Gen) div_reg(a Register, b Register) {
 			g.write8(0xf7)
 			g.write8(0xfb) // idiv ebx
 		}
+		.rdx {
+			g.write8(0x48)
+			g.write8(0xf7)
+			g.write8(0xf2)
+		}
 		else {
-			panic('unhandled div ${a}')
+			panic('unhandled div ${b}')
 		}
 	}
-	g.println('div ${a}')
+	g.println('div ${b}')
 }
 
 fn (mut g Gen) mod_reg(a Register, b Register) {
@@ -2207,7 +2217,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) assign_right_expr(node ast.AssignStmt, i int, right ast.Expr, nam
 					}
 					ast.StringLiteral {
 						// TODO: use learel
-						str := g.eval_escape_codes(e)
+						str := g.eval_str_lit_escape_codes(e)
 						g.mov64(.rsi, g.allocate_string(str, 2, .abs64)) // for rsi its 2
 						g.mov_reg_to_var(LocalVar{pos, ast.u64_type_idx, ''}, .rsi)
 						pos += 8
@@ -2247,7 +2257,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) assign_right_expr(node ast.AssignStmt, i int, right ast.Expr, nam
 		ast.StringLiteral {
 			dest := g.allocate_var(name, 8, 0)
 			ie := right as ast.StringLiteral
-			str := g.eval_escape_codes(ie)
+			str := g.eval_str_lit_escape_codes(ie)
 			g.learel(.rsi, g.allocate_string(str, 3, .rel32))
 			g.mov_reg_to_var(LocalVar{dest, ast.u64_type_idx, name}, .rsi)
 		}
@@ -2831,7 +2841,8 @@ fn (mut g Gen) infix_expr(node ast.InfixExpr) {
 			}
 		}
 		if node.left_type !in ast.integer_type_idxs && node.left_type != ast.bool_type_idx
-			&& g.table.sym(node.left_type).info !is ast.Enum {
+			&& g.table.sym(node.left_type).info !is ast.Enum && !node.left_type.is_ptr()
+			&& !node.left_type.is_voidptr() {
 			g.n_error('unsupported type for `${node.op}`: ${node.left_type}')
 		}
 		// left: rax, right: rdx
@@ -3203,6 +3214,18 @@ fn (mut g Gen) for_stmt(node ast.ForStmt) {
 				.gt {
 					jump_addr = g.cjmp(.jle)
 				}
+				.le {
+					jump_addr = g.cjmp(.jg)
+				}
+				.ge {
+					jump_addr = g.cjmp(.jl)
+				}
+				.ne {
+					jump_addr = g.cjmp(.je)
+				}
+				.eq {
+					jump_addr = g.cjmp(.jne)
+				}
 				else {
 					g.n_error('unhandled infix cond token')
 				}
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/native/gen.v b/vlib/v/gen/native/gen.v
index 588398cf74..b450bb105e 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/native/gen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/native/gen.v
@@ -686,12 +686,15 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_match_expr(expr ast.MatchExpr) {
 	}
 }
 
-fn (mut g Gen) eval_escape_codes(str_lit ast.StringLiteral) string {
+fn (mut g Gen) eval_str_lit_escape_codes(str_lit ast.StringLiteral) string {
 	if str_lit.is_raw {
 		return str_lit.val
+	} else {
+		return g.eval_escape_codes(str_lit.val)
 	}
+}
 
-	str := str_lit.val
+fn (mut g Gen) eval_escape_codes(str string) string {
 	mut buffer := []u8{}
 
 	mut i := 0
@@ -705,7 +708,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) eval_escape_codes(str_lit ast.StringLiteral) string {
 		// skip \
 		i++
 		match str[i] {
-			`\\`, `'`, `"` {
+			`\\`, `'`, `"`, `\`` {
 				buffer << str[i]
 				i++
 			}
@@ -792,9 +795,23 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_to_string(reg Register, typ ast.Type) {
 	}
 }
 
-fn (mut g Gen) gen_var_to_string(reg Register, var Var, config VarConfig) {
+fn (mut g Gen) gen_var_to_string(reg Register, expr ast.Expr, var Var, config VarConfig) {
 	typ := g.get_type_from_var(var)
-	if typ.is_int() {
+	if typ == ast.rune_type_idx {
+		buffer := g.allocate_var('rune-buffer', 8, 0)
+		g.lea_var_to_reg(reg, buffer)
+		match reg {
+			.rax {
+				g.mov_var_to_reg(.rdi, var, config)
+				g.write8(0x48)
+				g.write8(0x89)
+				g.write8(0x38)
+			}
+			else {
+				g.n_error('rune to string not implemented for ${reg}')
+			}
+		}
+	} else if typ.is_int() {
 		buffer := g.allocate_array('itoa-buffer', 1, 32) // 32 characters should be enough
 		g.mov_var_to_reg(g.get_builtin_arg_reg(.int_to_string, 0), var, config)
 		g.lea_var_to_reg(g.get_builtin_arg_reg(.int_to_string, 1), buffer)
@@ -804,7 +821,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_var_to_string(reg Register, var Var, config VarConfig) {
 		g.mov_var_to_reg(g.get_builtin_arg_reg(.bool_to_string, 0), var, config)
 		g.call_builtin(.bool_to_string)
 	} else if typ.is_string() {
-		g.mov_var_to_reg(.rax, var, config)
+		g.mov_var_to_reg(reg, var, config)
 	} else {
 		g.n_error('int-to-string conversion not implemented for type ${typ}')
 	}
@@ -815,7 +832,15 @@ pub fn (mut g Gen) gen_print_from_expr(expr ast.Expr, typ ast.Type, name string)
 	fd := if name in ['eprint', 'eprintln'] { 2 } else { 1 }
 	match expr {
 		ast.StringLiteral {
-			str := g.eval_escape_codes(expr)
+			str := g.eval_str_lit_escape_codes(expr)
+			if newline {
+				g.gen_print(str + '\n', fd)
+			} else {
+				g.gen_print(str, fd)
+			}
+		}
+		ast.CharLiteral {
+			str := g.eval_escape_codes(expr.val)
 			if newline {
 				g.gen_print(str + '\n', fd)
 			} else {
@@ -826,7 +851,7 @@ pub fn (mut g Gen) gen_print_from_expr(expr ast.Expr, typ ast.Type, name string)
 			vo := g.try_var_offset(expr.name)
 
 			if vo != -1 {
-				g.gen_var_to_string(.rax, expr as ast.Ident)
+				g.gen_var_to_string(.rax, expr, expr as ast.Ident)
 				g.gen_print_reg(.rax, -1, fd)
 				if newline {
 					g.gen_print('\n', fd)
@@ -1173,7 +1198,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) stmt(node ast.Stmt) {
 			if node.exprs.len == 1 {
 				match node.exprs[0] {
 					ast.StringLiteral {
-						s = g.eval_escape_codes(node.exprs[0] as ast.StringLiteral)
+						s = g.eval_str_lit_escape_codes(node.exprs[0] as ast.StringLiteral)
 						g.expr(node.exprs[0])
 						g.mov64(.rax, g.allocate_string(s, 2, .abs64))
 					}
@@ -1383,7 +1408,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_syscall(node ast.CallExpr) {
 				if expr.field_name == 'str' {
 					match expr.expr {
 						ast.StringLiteral {
-							s := g.eval_escape_codes(expr.expr)
+							s := g.eval_str_lit_escape_codes(expr.expr)
 							g.allocate_string(s, 2, .abs64)
 							g.mov64(ra[i], 1)
 							done = true
@@ -1400,7 +1425,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_syscall(node ast.CallExpr) {
 					g.warning('C.syscall expects c"string" or "string".str, C backend will crash',
 						node.pos)
 				}
-				s := g.eval_escape_codes(expr)
+				s := g.eval_str_lit_escape_codes(expr)
 				g.allocate_string(s, 2, .abs64)
 				g.mov64(ra[i], 1)
 			}
@@ -1512,9 +1537,21 @@ fn (mut g Gen) expr(node ast.Expr) {
 			g.prefix_expr(node)
 		}
 		ast.StringLiteral {
-			str := g.eval_escape_codes(node)
+			str := g.eval_str_lit_escape_codes(node)
 			g.allocate_string(str, 3, .rel32)
 		}
+		ast.CharLiteral {
+			bytes := g.eval_escape_codes(node.val)
+				.bytes()
+			mut val := rune(0)
+			for i, v in bytes {
+				val |= v << (i * 8)
+				if i >= sizeof(rune) {
+					g.n_error('runes are only 4 bytes wide')
+				}
+			}
+			g.movabs(.rax, i64(val))
+		}
 		ast.StructInit {
 			pos := g.allocate_by_type('_anonstruct', node.typ)
 			g.init_struct(LocalVar{ offset: pos, typ: node.typ }, node)
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/pointers.vv b/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/pointers.vv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bafe190836
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/pointers.vv
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+fn main() {
+	test_eq_ne()
+	test_lt_gt()
+	test_ref_deref()
+	println("ok")
+}
+
+fn test_eq_ne() {
+	unsafe {
+		mut a := voidptr(0)
+		mut b := voidptr(0)
+		assert a == a
+		assert !(a != a)
+		assert a == b
+		assert !(a != b)
+
+		a = voidptr(0xdeadbeef)
+		assert a != b
+		assert !(a == b)
+
+		b = voidptr(0xdeadbeef)
+		assert a == b
+		assert !(a != b)
+	}
+}
+
+fn test_lt_gt() {
+	unsafe {
+		mut a := voidptr(0)
+		mut b := voidptr(1)
+
+		assert !(a < a)
+		assert !(a > a)
+		assert a >= a
+		assert a <= a
+
+		assert a < b
+		assert !(a > b)
+		assert a <= b
+		assert !(a >= b)
+
+		a = voidptr(0x42)
+		assert a > b
+		assert a >= b
+		assert !(a < b)
+		assert !(a <= b)
+
+		b = voidptr(0x42)
+		assert a >= b
+		assert a <= b
+		assert !(a > b)
+		assert !(a < b) 
+	}	
+}
+
+fn test_ref_deref() {
+	mut a := 42
+	b := &a
+	c := &b
+
+	assert *b == 42
+
+	a = 50
+	assert *b == 50
+
+	assert *c == b
+	assert **c == *b
+}
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/pointers.vv.out b/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/pointers.vv.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9766475a41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/pointers.vv.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ok
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/string.vv b/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/string.vv
index ebe72f9cb5..7cbcd35369 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/string.vv
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/string.vv
@@ -21,8 +21,25 @@ fn test_raw_string() {
 	println(raw)
 }
 
+fn test_runes() {
+	mut a := `V`
+	println(a)
+
+	a = `😀`
+	println(a)
+
+	rocket := `🚀`
+	println(rocket)
+
+	// should all print `★`
+	print(`\u2605`)
+	print(`\xe2\x98\x85`)
+	println(`\xe2\x98\x85`) 
+}
+
 fn main() {
 	test_unicode_characters()
 	test_escape_codes()
 	test_raw_string()
+	test_runes()
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/string.vv.out b/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/string.vv.out
index 188e46ae74..c6d8227ab8 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/string.vv.out
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/native/tests/string.vv.out
@@ -4,4 +4,8 @@
 aaa
 ##	#
 ###	#
-hello\tworld\n
\ No newline at end of file
+hello\tworld\n
+V
+😀
+🚀
+★★★
\ No newline at end of file