diff --git a/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/checks.v b/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/checks.v
index 25c7618259..0868cf73e5 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/checks.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/checks.v
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ fn passed (msg string) {
 
 
 fn vcheck(vfile string) {
-	//os.system("ln -s ../forkedtest $vfile/forkedtest")
-	run_check := "v -user_mod_path . -freestanding --enable-globals run "
+	run_check := "v -user_mod_path . -freestanding run "
 	if 0 == os.system("$run_check $vfile/${vfile}.v") {
 		passed(run_check)
 	} else {
@@ -21,7 +20,6 @@ fn vcheck(vfile string) {
 	}
 	os.system("ls -lh $vfile/$vfile")
 	os.system("rm -f $vfile/$vfile")
-	//os.system("rm -f $vfile/forkedtest")
 }
 
 fn main() {
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/forkedtest/forkedtest.v b/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/forkedtest/forkedtest.v
index 9d1d27d895..bb2200a586 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/forkedtest/forkedtest.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/forkedtest/forkedtest.v
@@ -1,33 +1,25 @@
 module forkedtest
 
-__global buffer [128]byte
-
 pub fn run (op fn(), label string, code wi_si_code, status int) int {
 	child := sys_fork()
 	if child == 0 {
 		op()
 		sys_exit(0)
 	}
-	siginfo := [
-		0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
-		0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
-		0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
-		0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
-		0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
-		0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
-		0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
-		0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
 
-	e := sys_waitid(.p_pid, child, intptr(siginfo.data) , .wexited, 0)
+	siginfo := [0].repeat(int(sig_index.si_size))
+
+	e := sys_waitid(.p_pid, child, intptr(&siginfo[0]), .wexited, 0)
 
 	assert e == .enoerror
-	assert siginfo[sig_index.si_pid] == child
-	assert siginfo[sig_index.si_signo] == int(signo.sigchld)
-	assert siginfo[sig_index.si_uid] == sys_getuid()
+	assert siginfo[int(sig_index.si_pid)] == child
+	assert siginfo[int(sig_index.si_signo)] == int(signo.sigchld)
+	assert siginfo[int(sig_index.si_uid)] == sys_getuid()
 
 	r_code := siginfo[sig_index.si_code]
 	r_status := siginfo[sig_index.si_status]
 
+	print("+++ ")
 	print(label)
 	if (int(code) == r_code) && (status == r_status) {
 		println(" PASSED")
@@ -37,16 +29,16 @@ pub fn run (op fn(), label string, code wi_si_code, status int) int {
 
 	if int(code) != r_code {
 		print(">> Expecting si_code 0x")
-		println(i64_tos(buffer,80,int(code),16))
+		println(i64_str(int(code),16))
 		print(">> Got 0x")
-		println(i64_tos(buffer,80,r_code,16))
+		println(i64_str(r_code,16))
 	}
 
 	if status != r_status {
 		print(">> Expecting status 0x")
-		println(i64_tos(buffer,80,status,16))
+		println(i64_str(status,16))
 		print(">> Got 0x")
-		println(i64_tos(buffer,80,r_status,16))
+		println(i64_str(r_status,16))
 	}
 
 	return 1
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/linuxsys/linuxsys.v b/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/linuxsys/linuxsys.v
index dd72c6268d..903bbd8e31 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/linuxsys/linuxsys.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/linuxsys/linuxsys.v
@@ -40,15 +40,15 @@ fn check_read_write_pipe() {
 	//		sys_read
 	//		sys_close
 	//
-	buffer, e := mm_alloc(128)
-	assert e == .enoerror
+	buffer0 := [byte(0)].repeat(128)
+	buffer := byteptr(buffer0.data)
 
 	fd := [-1, -1]
 
 	assert fd[0] == -1
 	assert fd[1] == -1
 
-	a := sys_pipe(intptr(fd.data))
+	a := sys_pipe(intptr(&fd[0]))
 
 	assert a == .enoerror
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ fn check_read_write_pipe() {
 	assert e1 == .enoerror
 	assert c1 == b
 
-	c2, e2 := sys_read(fd[0], byteptr(buffer), u64(b))
+	c2, e2 := sys_read(fd[0], buffer, u64(b))
 
 	assert e2 == .enoerror
 	assert c2 == b
@@ -77,8 +77,6 @@ fn check_read_write_pipe() {
 	assert sys_close(fd[1]) == .enoerror
 
 	assert sys_close(-1) == .ebadf
-
-	assert mm_free(buffer) == .enoerror
 }
 
 fn check_read_file() {
@@ -89,8 +87,8 @@ fn check_read_file() {
 			sys_close
 			sys_open
 	*/
-	buffer, mae := mm_alloc(128)
-	assert mae == .enoerror
+	buffer0 := [byte(0)].repeat(128)
+	buffer := byteptr(buffer0.data)
 
 	test_file := "sample_text1.txt"
 	sample_text := "Do not change this text.\n"
@@ -105,7 +103,6 @@ fn check_read_file() {
 		assert sample_text[i] == buffer[i]
 	}
 	assert sys_close(fd) == .enoerror
-	assert mm_free(buffer) == .enoerror
 }
 
 fn check_open_file_fail() {
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/string/string.v b/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/string/string.v
index 5da867c6c6..01d4426cf4 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/string/string.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/bare/.checks/string/string.v
@@ -8,9 +8,8 @@ fn check_string_eq () {
 }
 
 fn check_i64_tos() {
-	buffer, e := mm_alloc(128)
-	assert e == .enoerror
-	assert !isnil(buffer)
+	buffer0 := [byte(0)].repeat(128)
+	buffer := byteptr(buffer0.data)
 
 	s0 := i64_tos(buffer, 70, 140, 10)
 	assert s0 == "140"
@@ -23,14 +22,29 @@ fn check_i64_tos() {
 
 	s3 := i64_tos(buffer, 70, -160000, 10)
 	assert s3 == "-160000"
+}
 
-	assert mm_free(buffer) == .enoerror
+fn check_i64_str() {
+	assert "141" == i64_str(141, 10)
+	assert "-161" == i64_str(-161, 10)
+	assert "10002" == i64_str(65538, 16)
+	assert "-160001" == i64_str(-160001, 10)
+}
+
+fn check_str_clone() {
+	a := i64_str(1234,10)
+	b := a.clone()
+	assert a == b
+	c := i64_str(-6789,10).clone()
+	assert c == "-6789"
 }
 
 fn main () {
 	mut fails := 0
 	fails += forkedtest.normal_run(check_string_eq, "check_string_eq")
 	fails += forkedtest.normal_run(check_i64_tos, "check_i64_tos")
+	fails += forkedtest.normal_run(check_i64_str, "check_i64_str")
+	fails += forkedtest.normal_run(check_str_clone, "check_str_clone")
 	assert fails == 0
 	sys_exit(0)
 }
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/bare/array_bare.v b/vlib/builtin/bare/array_bare.v
index eccf8b5ee5..e2fc075066 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/bare/array_bare.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/bare/array_bare.v
@@ -34,3 +34,21 @@ fn (a mut array) set(i int, val voidptr) {
 	}
 	mem_copy(a.data + a.element_size * i, val, a.element_size)
 }
+
+
+// array.repeat returns new array with the given array elements
+// repeated `nr_repeat` times
+pub fn (a array) repeat(nr_repeats int) array {
+	assert nr_repeats >= 0
+
+	arr := array {
+		len: nr_repeats * a.len
+		cap: nr_repeats * a.len
+		element_size: a.element_size
+		data: malloc(nr_repeats * a.len * a.element_size)
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < nr_repeats; i++ {
+		mem_copy(arr.data + i * a.len * a.element_size, a.data, a.len * a.element_size)
+	}
+	return arr
+}
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/bare/builtin_bare.v b/vlib/builtin/bare/builtin_bare.v
index 05096b908e..d47e53ecf4 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/bare/builtin_bare.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/bare/builtin_bare.v
@@ -18,25 +18,25 @@ pub fn println(s string) {
 }
 
 pub fn panic(s string) {
-	print('V panic: ')
-	println(s)
+	eprint('V panic: ')
+	eprintln(s)
 	sys_exit(1)
 }
 
 // replaces panic when -debug arg is passed
 fn panic_debug(line_no int, file,  mod, fn_name, s string) {
-	println('================ V panic ================')
-	print('   module: ')
-	println('mod')
-	print(' function: ')
-	print(fn_name)
-	println('()')
-	println('     file: ')
-	println(file)
+	eprintln('================ V panic ================')
+	eprint('   module: ')
+	eprintln('mod')
+	eprint(' function: ')
+	eprint(fn_name)
+	eprintln('()')
+	eprintln('     file: ')
+	eprintln(file)
 	//println('     line: ${line_no}')
-	print('  message: ')
-	println(s)
-	println('=========================================')
+	eprint('  message: ')
+	eprintln(s)
+	eprintln('=========================================')
 	sys_exit(1)
 }
 pub fn eprint(s string) {
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/bare/linuxsys_bare.v b/vlib/builtin/bare/linuxsys_bare.v
index 29670e38dc..e3511d1883 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/bare/linuxsys_bare.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/bare/linuxsys_bare.v
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ pub enum sig_index {
 	si_pid = 0x04
 	si_uid = 0x05
 	si_status = 0x06
+	si_size = 0x80
 }
 
 pub enum signo {
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/bare/mm_bare.v b/vlib/builtin/bare/mm_bare.v
index a97607916d..8248231a49 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/bare/mm_bare.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/bare/mm_bare.v
@@ -39,3 +39,20 @@ pub fn mem_copy(dest0 voidptr, src0 voidptr, n int) voidptr {
 	}
 	return dest0
 }
+
+[unsafe_fn]
+pub fn malloc(n int) byteptr {
+	if n < 0 {
+		panic('malloc(<0)')
+	}
+
+	ptr, e := mm_alloc(u64(n))
+	assert e == .enoerror
+	assert !isnil(ptr)
+	return ptr
+}
+
+[unsafe_fn]
+pub fn free(ptr voidptr) {
+	assert mm_free(ptr) == .enoerror
+}
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/bare/string_bare.v b/vlib/builtin/bare/string_bare.v
index f15247990c..1dbd286b0d 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/bare/string_bare.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/bare/string_bare.v
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ pub:
 
 pub fn strlen(s byteptr) int {
 	mut i := 0
-	for ; s[i] != 0; i++ {}	
+	for ; s[i] != 0; i++ {}
 	return i
-}	
+}
 
 pub fn tos(s byteptr, len int) string {
 	if s == 0 {
@@ -95,18 +95,17 @@ pub fn i64_tos(buf byteptr, len int, n0 i64, base int) string {
 	return b
 }
 
+pub fn i64_str(n0 i64, base int) string {
+	buf := malloc(80)
+	return i64_tos(buf, 79, n0, base)
+}
 
-
-/*
 pub fn (a string) clone() string {
 	mut b := string {
 		len: a.len
 		str: malloc(a.len + 1)
 	}
-	for i := 0; i < a.len; i++ {
-		b[i] = a[i]
-	}
+	mem_copy(b.str, a.str, a.len)
 	b[a.len] = `\0`
 	return b
 }
-*/
diff --git a/vlib/compiler/cheaders.v b/vlib/compiler/cheaders.v
index 0146781cc5..aeac952f6b 100644
--- a/vlib/compiler/cheaders.v
+++ b/vlib/compiler/cheaders.v
@@ -219,6 +219,10 @@ bare_c_headers = '
 #define TCCSKIP(x)
 #endif
 
+#ifndef EMPTY_STRUCT_INITIALIZATION
+#define EMPTY_STRUCT_INITIALIZATION 0
+#endif
+
 #ifndef exit
 #define exit(rc) sys_exit(rc)
 void sys_exit (int);