diff --git a/Core/EVIL.Grammar/AST/Statements/ExpressionStatement.cs b/Core/EVIL.Grammar/AST/Statements/ExpressionStatement.cs
index 7b9ec9ba..052ae037 100644
--- a/Core/EVIL.Grammar/AST/Statements/ExpressionStatement.cs
+++ b/Core/EVIL.Grammar/AST/Statements/ExpressionStatement.cs
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ public sealed class ExpressionStatement : Statement
         public ExpressionStatement(Expression expression)
         {
             Expression = expression;
+            Reparent(Expression);
+            
             Line = expression.Line;
         }
     }
diff --git a/FrontEnd/EVIL.evil/EVIL.evil.csproj b/FrontEnd/EVIL.evil/EVIL.evil.csproj
index 29d4b47e..8353d6a8 100644
--- a/FrontEnd/EVIL.evil/EVIL.evil.csproj
+++ b/FrontEnd/EVIL.evil/EVIL.evil.csproj
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
     <AssemblyName>evil</AssemblyName>
-    <Version>1.6.0</Version>
+    <Version>1.7.0</Version>
   </PropertyGroup>
   
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/FrontEnd/EVIL.evil/EvmFrontEnd.cs b/FrontEnd/EVIL.evil/EvmFrontEnd.cs
index 47bc9c2a..b4eedc86 100644
--- a/FrontEnd/EVIL.evil/EvmFrontEnd.cs
+++ b/FrontEnd/EVIL.evil/EvmFrontEnd.cs
@@ -30,12 +30,14 @@ public partial class EvmFrontEnd
             { "h|help", "display this message and quit.", (h) => _displayHelpAndQuit = h != null },
             { "v|version", "display compiler and VM version information.", (v) => _displayVersionAndQuit = v != null },
             { "I|include-dir=", "add include directory to the list of search paths.", (I) => _includeHandler.AddIncludeSearchPath(I) },
-            { "g|gen-docs", "generate documentation for all detected native modules.", (g) => _generateModuleDocsAndQuit = g != null }
+            { "g|gen-docs", "generate documentation for all detected native modules.", (g) => _generateModuleDocsAndQuit = g != null },
+            { "d|disasm", "disassemble the compiled script.", (d) => _disassembleCompiledScript = d != null }
         };
 
         private static bool _displayHelpAndQuit;
         private static bool _displayVersionAndQuit;
-        private static bool _generateModuleDocsAndQuit; 
+        private static bool _generateModuleDocsAndQuit;
+        private static bool _disassembleCompiledScript;
         
         public async Task Run(string[] args)
         {
@@ -122,6 +124,16 @@ public async Task Run(string[] args)
                 Terminate(msg, exitCode: ExitCode.CompilerError);
             }
 
+            if (_disassembleCompiledScript)
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine($"Disassembly of '{scriptPath}'\n-------------------");
+
+                foreach (var chunk in script.Chunks)
+                {
+                    Disassembler.Disassemble(chunk, Console.Out);
+                }
+            }
+
             if (!script.TryFindChunkByName("main", out var mainChunk))
             {
                 Terminate(
diff --git a/VirtualMachine/Ceres/Ceres.csproj b/VirtualMachine/Ceres/Ceres.csproj
index 2e193d58..e0945ff6 100644
--- a/VirtualMachine/Ceres/Ceres.csproj
+++ b/VirtualMachine/Ceres/Ceres.csproj
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
     <LangVersion>11.0</LangVersion>
     
-    <Version>1.3.0</Version>
+    <Version>1.3.1</Version>
     <AssemblyName>Ceres</AssemblyName>
     <AssemblyTitle>Ceres</AssemblyTitle>
   </PropertyGroup>
diff --git a/VirtualMachine/Ceres/TranslationEngine/Compiler.Expression.Assignment.cs b/VirtualMachine/Ceres/TranslationEngine/Compiler.Expression.Assignment.cs
index b6a3c177..181bb96e 100644
--- a/VirtualMachine/Ceres/TranslationEngine/Compiler.Expression.Assignment.cs
+++ b/VirtualMachine/Ceres/TranslationEngine/Compiler.Expression.Assignment.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 using Ceres.TranslationEngine.Diagnostics;
 using EVIL.Grammar;
 using EVIL.Grammar.AST.Expressions;
+using EVIL.Grammar.AST.Statements;
 
 namespace Ceres.TranslationEngine
 {
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ public override void Visit(AssignmentExpression assignmentExpression)
                     Chunk.CodeGenerator.Emit(OpCode.LDNIL);
                     Chunk.CodeGenerator.Emit(OpCode.CNE);
                     Chunk.CodeGenerator.Emit(OpCode.TJMP, valueNotNilLabel);
+                    Chunk.CodeGenerator.Emit(OpCode.POP);
                     Visit(assignmentExpression.Right);
                     Chunk.CodeGenerator.Emit(OpCode.DUP);
                     EmitVarSet(symRef.Identifier);
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ public override void Visit(AssignmentExpression assignmentExpression)
 
                     return;
                 }
-                
+
                 if (assignmentExpression.OperationType != AssignmentOperationType.Direct)
                 {
                     EmitVarGet(symRef.Identifier);
@@ -77,6 +79,7 @@ public override void Visit(AssignmentExpression assignmentExpression)
                     Chunk.CodeGenerator.Emit(OpCode.LDNIL);
                     Chunk.CodeGenerator.Emit(OpCode.CNE);
                     Chunk.CodeGenerator.Emit(OpCode.TJMP, valueNotNilLabel);
+                    Chunk.CodeGenerator.Emit(OpCode.POP);
                     Visit(assignmentExpression.Right);
                     Chunk.CodeGenerator.Emit(OpCode.DUP);
                     Visit(ie.Indexable);
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ public override void Visit(AssignmentExpression assignmentExpression)
 
                     return;
                 }
-                
+
                 if (assignmentExpression.OperationType != AssignmentOperationType.Direct)
                 {
                     Visit(ie);
diff --git a/VirtualMachine/Tests/Ceres.LanguageTests/tests/004_assignment_operators.vil b/VirtualMachine/Tests/Ceres.LanguageTests/tests/004_assignment_operators.vil
index 43e1c0c1..e71dcf5d 100644
--- a/VirtualMachine/Tests/Ceres.LanguageTests/tests/004_assignment_operators.vil
+++ b/VirtualMachine/Tests/Ceres.LanguageTests/tests/004_assignment_operators.vil
@@ -194,10 +194,10 @@ fn coalescing_assignment_table_entry() {
 #[test]
 fn chained_coalescing_assignment_table_entry_when_first_is_nil() {
   val t = { };
-  val a = "";
+  val a = "string";
   rw val b = nil;
   
-  t.entry ??= b ??= a;
+  t.entry ??= (b ??= a);
   
   assert.equal(b, a);
   assert.equal(t.entry, a);