diff --git a/cmd/tools/vwatch.v b/cmd/tools/vwatch.v
index 5f273279d8..6c212f24f1 100644
--- a/cmd/tools/vwatch.v
+++ b/cmd/tools/vwatch.v
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ fn (mut context Context) kill_pgroup() {
 }
 
 fn (mut context Context) compilation_runner_loop() {
-	cmd := '"$context.vexe" ${context.opts.join(' ')}'
+	cmd := '"${context.vexe}" ${context.opts.join(' ')}'
 	_ := <-context.rerun_channel
 	for {
 		context.elog('>> loop: v_cycles: $context.v_cycles')
diff --git a/vlib/benchmark/benchmark.v b/vlib/benchmark/benchmark.v
index ce8df9bd8b..e7cef781c9 100644
--- a/vlib/benchmark/benchmark.v
+++ b/vlib/benchmark/benchmark.v
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ pub fn (b &Benchmark) total_message(msg string) string {
 	if b.nskip > 0 {
 		tmsg += term.colorize(term.bold, term.colorize(term.yellow, '$b.nskip skipped')) + ', '
 	}
-	tmsg += '$b.ntotal total. ${term.colorize(term.bold, 'Runtime:')} ${b.bench_timer.elapsed().microseconds() / 1000} ms.\n'
+	tmsg += '${b.ntotal} total. ${term.colorize(term.bold, 'Runtime:')} ${b.bench_timer.elapsed().microseconds() / 1000} ms.\n'
 	return tmsg
 }
 
diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/str.v b/vlib/v/ast/str.v
index 966ae568c8..9b2357efe8 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/str.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/str.v
@@ -140,6 +140,13 @@ pub fn (lit &StringInterLiteral) get_fspec_braces(i int) (string, bool) {
 		|| (lit.fills[i] && lit.fwidths[i] >= 0) || lit.fwidths[i] != 0
 		|| lit.precisions[i] != 987698
 	mut needs_braces := needs_fspec
+	for x in lit.exprs {
+		sx := x.str()
+		if sx.contains(r'"') || sx.contains(r"'") {
+			needs_braces = true
+			break
+		}
+	}
 	if !needs_braces {
 		if i + 1 < lit.vals.len && lit.vals[i + 1].len > 0 {
 			next_char := lit.vals[i + 1][0]
@@ -477,7 +484,7 @@ pub fn (node Stmt) str() string {
 }
 
 fn field_to_string(f ConstField) string {
-	return '${f.name.trim_prefix(f.mod + '.')} = $f.expr'
+	return '${f.name.trim_prefix(f.mod + '.')} = ${f.expr}'
 }
 
 pub fn (e CompForKind) str() string {
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/sql.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/sql.v
index 641d15f84c..5f5366da71 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/sql.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/sql.v
@@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) table_gen(node ast.SqlStmt, typ SqlType) string {
 			for f in v {
 				tmp << '`$f`'
 			}
-			fields << '/* $k */UNIQUE(${tmp.join(', ')})'
+			fields << '/* ${k} */UNIQUE(${tmp.join(', ')})'
 		}
 	}
 	if typ == .mysql {