diff --git a/.idea/editor.xml b/.idea/editor.xml
index 43702aa..aa2a125 100644
--- a/.idea/editor.xml
+++ b/.idea/editor.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
     <option name="/Default/CodeStyle/CodeFormatting/CppFormatting/SIMPLE_EMBEDDED_STATEMENT_STYLE/@EntryValue" value="LINE_BREAK" type="string" />
     <option name="/Default/CodeStyle/CodeFormatting/CppFormatting/SPACE_AFTER_CAST_EXPRESSION_PARENTHESES/@EntryValue" value="true" type="bool" />
     <option name="/Default/CodeStyle/CodeFormatting/CppFormatting/WRAP_LINES/@EntryValue" value="false" type="bool" />
-    <option name="/Default/CodeStyle/Generate/=CppEqualityOperators/Options/=GenerateSecondaryOperators/@EntryIndexedValue" value="False" type="string" />
     <option name="/Default/CodeStyle/Naming/CppNaming/Rules/=Classes_0020and_0020structs/@EntryIndexedValue" value="&lt;NamingElement Priority=&quot;1&quot;&gt;&lt;Descriptor Static=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Constexpr=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Const=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Volatile=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Accessibility=&quot;NOT_APPLICABLE&quot;&gt;&lt;type Name=&quot;__interface&quot; /&gt;&lt;type Name=&quot;class&quot; /&gt;&lt;type Name=&quot;struct&quot; /&gt;&lt;/Descriptor&gt;&lt;Policy Inspect=&quot;True&quot; Prefix=&quot;&quot; Suffix=&quot;&quot; Style=&quot;AaBb&quot; /&gt;&lt;/NamingElement&gt;" type="string" />
     <option name="/Default/CodeStyle/Naming/CppNaming/Rules/=Concepts/@EntryIndexedValue" value="&lt;NamingElement Priority=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;Descriptor Static=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Constexpr=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Const=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Volatile=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Accessibility=&quot;NOT_APPLICABLE&quot;&gt;&lt;type Name=&quot;concept&quot; /&gt;&lt;/Descriptor&gt;&lt;Policy Inspect=&quot;True&quot; Prefix=&quot;&quot; Suffix=&quot;&quot; Style=&quot;AaBb&quot; /&gt;&lt;/NamingElement&gt;" type="string" />
     <option name="/Default/CodeStyle/Naming/CppNaming/Rules/=Enum_0020members/@EntryIndexedValue" value="&lt;NamingElement Priority=&quot;14&quot;&gt;&lt;Descriptor Static=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Constexpr=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Const=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Volatile=&quot;Indeterminate&quot; Accessibility=&quot;NOT_APPLICABLE&quot;&gt;&lt;type Name=&quot;scoped enumerator&quot; /&gt;&lt;type Name=&quot;unscoped enumerator&quot; /&gt;&lt;/Descriptor&gt;&lt;Policy Inspect=&quot;True&quot; Prefix=&quot;&quot; Suffix=&quot;&quot; Style=&quot;AaBb&quot; /&gt;&lt;/NamingElement&gt;" type="string" />
diff --git a/src/assembler/lexer.cc b/src/assembler/lexer.cc
index c4e734f..b581858 100644
--- a/src/assembler/lexer.cc
+++ b/src/assembler/lexer.cc
@@ -24,14 +24,17 @@ Token Lexer::ingest()
 
 void Lexer::ingest_next_token()
 {
+    if (pos_ >= source_.size()) {
+        current_token_ = { TokenType::EOF_, "" };
+        return;
+    }
+
     char c = source_.at(pos_);
 
     TokenType type {};
     std::string token;
 
-    if (pos_ >= source_.size()) {
-        type = TokenType::EOF_;
-    } else if (c == '.') {
+    if (c == '.') {
         type = TokenType::Directive;
         token += '.';
         while (c = source_.at(++pos_), isalpha(c) || c == '_')
@@ -40,7 +43,7 @@ void Lexer::ingest_next_token()
         type = TokenType::String;
         ++pos_;
         while (true) {
-            if (source_.at(pos_) == '\'') {   // TODO - improve this for special characters
+            if (source_.at(pos_) == '\\') {   // TODO - improve this for special characters
                 ++pos_;
             } else if (source_.at(pos_) == '"') {
                 ++pos_;
@@ -69,10 +72,15 @@ void Lexer::ingest_next_token()
             token += c;
     } else if (c == '\n') {
         type = TokenType::Enter;
-    } else if (c != ' ' && c != '\t' && c != '\r') {
+        ++pos_;
+    } else {
         throw AssemblyError(std::string("Unexpected character '") + c + "' (ascii: " + std::to_string((int) c) + ")");
     }
 
+    // skip ignored tokens
+    while (pos_ < source_.size() && (source_.at(pos_) == ' ' || source_.at(pos_) == '\t' || source_.at(pos_) == '\r'))
+        ++pos_;
+
     current_token_ = { .type = type, .token = token };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/assembler/lexer.hh b/src/assembler/lexer.hh
index 6dfd191..0c70e04 100644
--- a/src/assembler/lexer.hh
+++ b/src/assembler/lexer.hh
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ struct Token {
 
 class Lexer {
 public:
-    explicit Lexer(std::string source) : source_(std::move(source) + "\n") { reset(); }
+    explicit Lexer(std::string source) : source_(std::move(source)) { reset(); }
 
     void reset();
     [[nodiscard]] Token peek() const;
diff --git a/src/assembler/tests.cc b/src/assembler/tests.cc
index bfdf45a..c0e53f2 100644
--- a/src/assembler/tests.cc
+++ b/src/assembler/tests.cc
@@ -12,10 +12,23 @@ using namespace tyche::vm;
 
 TEST(Lexer, Lexer)
 {
-    Lexer lexer(".dir push 382 -12 3.14 -12.8 \"Hello\" \"Hel\"lo\"\n");
+    Lexer lexer(".dir push 382 -12 3.14 -12.8 \"Hello\" \"Hel\\\"lo\"\n");
 
     ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::Directive, ".dir" }));
     ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::Instruction, "push" }));
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::Integer, "382" }));
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::Integer, "-12" }));
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::Float, "3.14" }));
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::Float, "-12.8" }));
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::String, "Hello" }));
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::String, "Hel\"lo" }));
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::Enter }));
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::EOF_ }));
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::EOF_ }));
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::EOF_ }));
+
+    lexer.reset();
+    ASSERT_EQ(lexer.ingest(), (Token { TokenType::Directive, ".dir" }));
 }
 
 TEST(Assember, Assembler)