diff --git a/forge/rep/rep.go b/forge/rep/rep.go
index 953565b..f9618b9 100644
--- a/forge/rep/rep.go
+++ b/forge/rep/rep.go
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@ package rep
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"git.sr.ht/~cco/go-scopes/forge"
 )
 
-// maybe: code, defs, string, int, float
+// may be: code, defs, string, int, float
 type citem interface{}
 
 // code, represented by a slice
@@ -29,12 +30,17 @@ func (ci code) Compile(f forge.FE) forge.FPtr {
 			} else {
 				fmt.Println(err)
 			}
+		case code:
+			c.Append(i.Compile(f))
 		}
 	}
 	return c.Reset()
 }
 
 func compStr(f forge.FE, s string) (forge.FItem, error) {
+	if strings.HasPrefix(s, "'") {
+		return forge.FItem(strings.Trim(s, "'")), nil
+	}
 	if v, ok := f.Voc().Lookup(s); ok {
 		return forge.FItem(v), nil
 	}
diff --git a/tests/forge_test.go b/tests/forge_test.go
index 50929cd..7230598 100644
--- a/tests/forge_test.go
+++ b/tests/forge_test.go
@@ -43,4 +43,8 @@ func RepTest(t *testing.T) {
 	c := src.Compile(fe)
 	fe.Call(c)
 	t.AssertEqual(fe.Pop(), 6)
+	src = rep.Code(rep.Code("dup", "dup", "*", "*"), "'cube'", "reg")
+	fe.Call(src.Compile(fe))
+	fe.Call(rep.Code(3, "cube").Compile(fe))
+	t.AssertEqual(fe.Pop(), 27)
 }