diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5f861c59..e7e7ef7b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ Bug Fixes:
     * compiler: do not abort on type system inconsistencies (e.g. unresolved forwarded types)
     * compiler: check and resolve all forward ptrs
     * compiler: fix err msg position for constant declaration expression
-    * compiler: fix string type coercion
+    * compiler: fix string type coercion (fixes #17, thanks to Tom Wilson for reporting this one)
     * compiler: fix negative numeric literal handling in DATA statements
+    * compiler: fix string handling in DATA statements (fixes #18, thanks to Tom Wilson for reporting this one)
     * runtime: fix INT() behavior (matches ACE now), add CLNG() to online help
     * use EXIT\_FAILURE for fatal error conditions (fixes issue #13 by polluks)
     * add "$VER" version string
diff --git a/src/compiler/frontend.c b/src/compiler/frontend.c
index a7fc50a7..ffcbc5a7 100644
--- a/src/compiler/frontend.c
+++ b/src/compiler/frontend.c
@@ -3576,7 +3576,7 @@ static bool dataItem(S_tkn *tkn)
 			c = Ty_ConstString (Ty_String(), S_name((*tkn)->u.sym));
             break;
         case S_STRING:
-			c = Ty_ConstString (Ty_String(), (*tkn)->u.str);
+			c = Ty_ConstString (Ty_String(), String(UP_frontend, (*tkn)->u.str));
             break;
         default:
             return EM_error((*tkn)->pos, "DATA: numeric or string literal expected here.");