diff --git a/apps/basic/glue.asm b/apps/basic/glue.asm
index 9b9a634..dee6b50 100644
--- a/apps/basic/glue.asm
+++ b/apps/basic/glue.asm
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
 
 	jp	basStart
 
+; RAM space used in different routines for short term processing.
+.equ	SCRATCHPAD_SIZE	0x20
+.equ	SCRATCHPAD	USER_RAMSTART
+
 .inc "core.asm"
 .inc "lib/util.asm"
 .inc "lib/ari.asm"
@@ -17,7 +21,7 @@
 .equ	EXPR_PARSE	parseLiteralOrVar
 .inc "lib/expr.asm"
 .inc "basic/tok.asm"
-.equ	VAR_RAMSTART	USER_RAMSTART
+.equ	VAR_RAMSTART	SCRATCHPAD+SCRATCHPAD_SIZE
 .inc "basic/var.asm"
 .equ	BUF_RAMSTART	VAR_RAMEND
 .inc "basic/buf.asm"
diff --git a/apps/basic/main.asm b/apps/basic/main.asm
index 4a81e71..3812101 100644
--- a/apps/basic/main.asm
+++ b/apps/basic/main.asm
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-; *** Constants ***
-.equ	BAS_SCRATCHPAD_SIZE	0x20
 ; *** Variables ***
 ; Value of `SP` when basic was first invoked. This is where SP is going back to
 ; on restarts.
@@ -9,8 +7,7 @@
 ; Important note: this is **not** a line number, it's a pointer to a line index
 ; in buffer. If it's not zero, its a valid pointer.
 .equ	BAS_PNEXTLN	@+2
-.equ	BAS_SCRATCHPAD	@+2
-.equ	BAS_RAMEND	@+BAS_SCRATCHPAD_SIZE
+.equ	BAS_RAMEND	@+2
 
 ; *** Code ***
 basStart:
@@ -18,11 +15,11 @@ basStart:
 	call	varInit
 	call	bufInit
 	xor	a
+	ld	(BAS_PNEXTLN), a
+	ld	(BAS_PNEXTLN+1), a
 	ld	hl, .welcome
 	call	printstr
 	call	printcrlf
-	ld	hl, 0		; points to a zero word
-	ld	(BAS_PNEXTLN), hl
 	jr	basLoop
 
 .welcome:
@@ -43,8 +40,8 @@ basLoop:
 	jr	basLoop
 .number:
 	push	ix \ pop de
-	call	toWS
-	call	rdWS
+	call	toSep
+	call	rdSep
 	call	bufAdd
 	jp	nz, basERR
 	jr	basLoop
@@ -55,16 +52,7 @@ basLoop:
 ; If found, jump to it. If not found, unset Z. We expect commands to set Z
 ; on success. Therefore, when calling basCallCmd results in NZ, we're not sure
 ; where the error come from, but well...
-; Before being evaluated, (HL) is copied in BAS_SCRATCHPAD because some
-; evaluation routines (such as parseExpr) mutate the string it evaluates.
-; TODO: straighten this situation up. Mutating a string like this breaks
-; expectations.
 basCallCmd:
-	push	de	; --> lvl 1
-	ld	de, BAS_SCRATCHPAD
-	call	strcpy
-	ex	de, hl	; HL now points to scratchpad
-	pop	de	; <-- lvl 1
 	; let's see if it's a variable assignment.
 	call	varTryAssign
 	ret	z	; Done!
@@ -95,17 +83,13 @@ basCallCmd:
 	ex	de, hl
 	ld	a, b	; cmd's length
 	call	addHL
-	call	rdWS
+	call	rdSep
 	jp	(ix)
 
-
-basPrintLn:
-	call	printstr
-	jp	printcrlf
-
 basERR:
 	ld	hl, .sErr
-	jr	basPrintLn
+	call	printstr
+	jp	printcrlf
 .sErr:
 	.db	"ERR", 0
 
@@ -118,7 +102,8 @@ basERR:
 ; Commands are expected to set Z on success.
 basBYE:
 	ld	hl, .sBye
-	call	basPrintLn
+	call	printstr
+	call	printcrlf
 	; To quit the loop, let's return the stack to its initial value and
 	; then return.
 	xor	a
@@ -133,7 +118,7 @@ basLIST:
 .loop:
 	ld	e, (ix)
 	ld	d, (ix+1)
-	ld	hl, BAS_SCRATCHPAD
+	ld	hl, SCRATCHPAD
 	call	fmtDecimal
 	call	printstr
 	ld	a, ' '
@@ -169,7 +154,7 @@ basRUN:
 	; Print line number, then return NZ (which will print ERR)
 	ld	e, (ix)
 	ld	d, (ix+1)
-	ld	hl, BAS_SCRATCHPAD
+	ld	hl, SCRATCHPAD
 	call	fmtDecimal
 	call	printstr
 	ld	a, ' '
@@ -191,15 +176,33 @@ basRUN:
 	ret
 
 basPRINT:
+	ld	de, SCRATCHPAD
+	call	rdWord
+	push	hl		; --> lvl 1
+	ex	de, hl
 	call	parseExpr
 	ret	nz
 	push	ix \ pop de
-	ld	hl, BAS_SCRATCHPAD
+	ld	hl, SCRATCHPAD
 	call	fmtDecimal
+	call	printstr
+	pop	hl		; <-- lvl 1
+	; Do we have another arg?
+	call	rdSep
+	jr	z, .another
+	; no, we can stop here
 	cp	a		; ensure Z
-	jp	basPrintLn
+	jp	printcrlf
+.another:
+	; Before we jump to basPRINT, let's print a space
+	ld	a, ' '
+	call	stdioPutC
+	jr	basPRINT
 
 basGOTO:
+	ld	de, SCRATCHPAD
+	call	rdWord
+	ex	de, hl
 	call	parseExpr
 	ret	nz
 	push	ix \ pop de
diff --git a/apps/basic/tok.asm b/apps/basic/tok.asm
index d073898..0e07ffb 100644
--- a/apps/basic/tok.asm
+++ b/apps/basic/tok.asm
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+; Sets Z is A is ' ' or '\t' (whitespace), or ',' (arg sep)
+isSep:
+	cp	' '
+	ret	z
+	cp	0x09
+	ret	z
+	cp	','
+	ret
+
 ; Expect at least one whitespace (0x20, 0x09) at (HL), and then advance HL
 ; until a non-whitespace character is met.
 ; HL is advanced to the first non-whitespace char.
@@ -5,7 +14,7 @@
 ; Failure is either not having a first whitespace or reaching the end of the
 ; string.
 ; Sets Z if we found a non-whitespace char, unset if we found the end of string.
-rdWS:
+rdSep:
 	ld	a, (hl)
 	call	isSep
 	ret	nz	; failure
@@ -47,10 +56,32 @@ fnWSIdx:
 	pop	hl
 	ret
 
-; Advance HL to the next whitespace or to the end of string.
-toWS:
+; Advance HL to the next separator or to the end of string.
+toSep:
 	ld	a, (hl)
 	call	isSep
 	ret	z
 	inc	hl
-	jr	toWS
+	jr	toSep
+
+; Read (HL) until the next separator and copy it in (DE)
+; DE is preserved, but HL is advanced to the end of the read word.
+rdWord:
+	push	af
+	push	de
+.loop:
+	ld	a, (hl)
+	call	isSep
+	jr	z, .stop
+	or	a
+	jr	z, .stop
+	ld	(de), a
+	inc	hl
+	inc	de
+	jr	.loop
+.stop:
+	xor	a
+	ld	(de), a
+	pop	de
+	pop	af
+	ret
diff --git a/apps/basic/var.asm b/apps/basic/var.asm
index 038cde3..b76f58b 100644
--- a/apps/basic/var.asm
+++ b/apps/basic/var.asm
@@ -44,29 +44,33 @@ varTryAssign:
 	; We have a variable! Its table index is currently in A.
 	push	ix	; --> lvl 1
 	push	hl	; --> lvl 2
-	push	af	; --> lvl 3. save for later
-	; Let's start by evaluating that expression
+	push	de	; --> lvl 3
+	push	af	; --> lvl 4. save for later
+	; Let's put that expression to read in scratchpad
 	inc	hl \ inc hl
+	ld	de, SCRATCHPAD
+	call	rdWord
+	ex	de, hl
+	; Now, evaluate that expression now in (HL)
 	call	parseExpr	; --> number in IX
 	jr	nz, .exprErr
-	pop	af	; <-- lvl 3
+	pop	af	; <-- lvl 4
 	add	a, a	; * 2 because each element is a word
 	ld	hl, VAR_TBL
 	call	addHL
 	; HL placed, write number
-	push	de	; --> lvl 3
 	push	ix \ pop de
 	ld	(hl), e
 	inc	hl
 	ld	(hl), d
-	pop	de	; <-- lvl 3
 	xor	a	; ensure Z
 .end:
+	pop	de	; <-- lvl 3
 	pop	hl	; <-- lvl 2
 	pop	ix	; <-- lvl 1
 	ret
 .exprErr:
-	pop	af	; <-- lvl 3
+	pop	af	; <-- lvl 4
 	jr	.end
 
 ; Check if value at (HL) is a variable. If yes, returns its associated value.
diff --git a/apps/lib/parse.asm b/apps/lib/parse.asm
index 52e5cef..86ee32b 100644
--- a/apps/lib/parse.asm
+++ b/apps/lib/parse.asm
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ parseDecimal:
 	pop	hl
 	ret	z
 	; A is not 0? Ok, but if it's a space, we're happy too.
-	jp	isSep
+	jp	isWS
 .error:
 	pop	hl
 	jp	unsetZ
diff --git a/apps/lib/util.asm b/apps/lib/util.asm
index 736208f..b5be841 100644
--- a/apps/lib/util.asm
+++ b/apps/lib/util.asm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-; Sets Z is A is ' ' or '\t'
-isSep:
+; Sets Z is A is ' ' or '\t' (whitespace)
+isWS:
 	cp	' '
 	ret	z
 	cp	0x09
diff --git a/apps/zasm/tok.asm b/apps/zasm/tok.asm
index 86e4638..e8657be 100644
--- a/apps/zasm/tok.asm
+++ b/apps/zasm/tok.asm
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ isLineEnd:
 
 ; Sets Z is A is ' ', ',', ';', CR, LF, or null.
 isSepOrLineEnd:
-	call	isSep
+	call	isWS
 	ret	z
 	jr	isLineEndOrComment
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ isLabel:
 ; read char in A
 _eatWhitespace:
 	call	ioGetB
-	call	isSep
+	call	isWS
 	ret	nz
 	jr	_eatWhitespace