diff --git a/include/fh_runtime.h b/include/fh_runtime.h
index 9fbc980..85a9473 100644
--- a/include/fh_runtime.h
+++ b/include/fh_runtime.h
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ enum fh_instruction_kind {
   /** This is the `s"` instruction, the length (u32) and string data immediately follow */
   FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR,
 
+  /** This is the `c"` instruction, the length (u32) and string data immediately follow.
+   * The string data already contains the length prefix.
+   */
+  FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR_C,
+
   /** This is the `."` instruction, same format as above. */
   FH_INSTR_TYPESTR,
 
diff --git a/src/fh_builtins_text.c b/src/fh_builtins_text.c
index e436882..be2c58b 100644
--- a/src/fh_builtins_text.c
+++ b/src/fh_builtins_text.c
@@ -209,6 +209,39 @@ static enum fh_error w_s_quote(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w
   return FH_OK;
 }
 
+static enum fh_error w_c_quote(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
+{
+  (void) w;
+  enum fh_error rv;
+  size_t len;
+  uint32_t addr = fh->here + (fh->state == FH_STATE_INTERPRET ? 0 : INSTR_SIZE);
+
+  /* read the string straight into HEAP */
+
+  fh_input_consume_spaces(fh);
+  char *start = ((char *) &fh->heap[addr]) + 1; // space for the counter
+  uint32_t maxlen = HEAP_END - addr;
+  if (maxlen > 255) { 
+    maxlen = 255;
+  }
+  TRY(fh_input_read_quotedstring(fh, w->param == 1, start, maxlen, &len));
+  fh->here = WORDALIGNED(addr + len + 1);
+  fh->heap[addr] = (uint8_t) len; // char count
+
+  struct fh_instruction_s instr;
+  if (fh->state == FH_STATE_INTERPRET) {
+    LOG("Interpret a c-string alloc: \"%.*s\"", len, start);
+    TRY(ds_push(fh, addr));
+  } else {
+    LOG("Compile a c-string: \"%.*s\"", len, start);
+    instr.kind = FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR_C;
+    instr.data = WORDALIGNED(len + 1);
+    fh_heap_write(fh, addr - INSTR_SIZE, &instr, INSTR_SIZE);
+  }
+
+  return FH_OK;
+}
+
 static bool chartest_equals_or_end(char c, void *param)
 {
   char cc = *(char*)param;
@@ -443,6 +476,7 @@ static enum fh_error w_to_number(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s
 
 const struct name_and_handler fh_builtins_text[] = {
     {"s\"",   w_s_quote,    1, 0},
+    {"c\"",   w_c_quote,    1, 0},
     {"s\\\"", w_s_quote,    1, 1}, // escaped
     {".\"",   w_dot_quote,  1, '"'},
     {".(",    w_dot_quote,   1, ')'},
diff --git a/src/fh_runtime.c b/src/fh_runtime.c
index f9e0774..bacddac 100644
--- a/src/fh_runtime.c
+++ b/src/fh_runtime.c
@@ -344,18 +344,24 @@ enum fh_error w_user_word(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w0)
       TRY(ds_pop(fh, &val)); // discard the tested value
       goto instr;
 
-      /* special case for strings stored in compile memory */
     case FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR:
+      strl = instr->data;
+      LOG("\x1b[35mExec: alloc-str\x1b[m \"%.*s\"", strl, fh_str_at(fh, fh->execptr));
+      TRY(ds_push(fh, fh->execptr)); // give pointer directly into the definition
+      TRY(ds_push(fh, strl));
+      fh->execptr += strl;
+      goto instr;
+
+    case FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR_C:
+      LOG("\x1b[35mExec: alloc-str-c\x1b[m \"%.*s\"", fh->heap[fh->execptr], fh_str_at(fh, fh->execptr+1));
+      TRY(ds_push(fh, fh->execptr));
+      fh->execptr += instr->data;
+      goto instr;
+      
     case FH_INSTR_TYPESTR:
       strl = instr->data;
-      if (instr->kind == FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR) {
-        LOG("\x1b[35mExec: alloc-str\x1b[m \"%.*s\"", strl, fh_str_at(fh, fh->execptr));
-        TRY(ds_push(fh, fh->execptr)); // give pointer directly into the definition
-        TRY(ds_push(fh, strl));
-      } else {
-        LOG("\x1b[35mExec: type-str\x1b[m \"%.*s\"", strl, fh_str_at(fh, fh->execptr));
-        FHPRINT("%.*s", (int) strl, fh_str_at(fh, fh->execptr));
-      }
+      LOG("\x1b[35mExec: type-str\x1b[m \"%.*s\"", strl, fh_str_at(fh, fh->execptr));
+      FHPRINT("%.*s", (int) strl, fh_str_at(fh, fh->execptr));
       fh->execptr += strl;
       goto instr;
 
diff --git a/src/fh_see.c b/src/fh_see.c
index e336583..25a2814 100644
--- a/src/fh_see.c
+++ b/src/fh_see.c
@@ -100,15 +100,21 @@ static void show_word(struct fh_thread_s *fh, const struct fh_word_s *w)
 
             /* special case for strings stored in compile memory */
           case FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR:
+            strl = instr->data;
+            FHPRINT("AllocStr(\"%.*s\")\n", strl, fh_str_at(fh, execptr));
+            execptr += strl;
+            break;
+            
           case FH_INSTR_TYPESTR:
             strl = instr->data;
-            if (instr->kind == FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR) {
-              FHPRINT("AllocStr(\"%.*s\")\n", strl, fh_str_at(fh, execptr));
-              execptr += strl;
-            } else {
-              FHPRINT("PrintStr(\"%.*s\")\n", strl, fh_str_at(fh, execptr));
-              execptr += strl;
-            }
+            FHPRINT("PrintStr(\"%.*s\")\n", strl, fh_str_at(fh, execptr));
+            execptr += strl;
+            break;
+            
+          case FH_INSTR_ALLOCSTR_C:
+            strl = instr->data;
+            FHPRINT("AllocStrC(%d, \"%.*s\")\n", fh->heap[execptr], fh->heap[execptr], fh_str_at(fh, execptr + 1));
+            execptr += strl;
             break;
 
           case FH_INSTR_ENDWORD: