@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ typedef struct {

 } Program;

 Program p;

+static int litlast = 0;

 /* clang-format off */

@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ writebyte(Uint8 b, int lit)

 	if(lit) writebyte(findopcode("LIT"), 0);

 	p.data[p.ptr++] = b;

 	p.length = p.ptr;

+	litlast = 0;

 }

 static void

@@ -194,6 +196,22 @@ writeshort(Uint16 s, int lit)

 	writebyte(s & 0xff, 0);

 }

+static void

+writelitbyte(Uint8 b)

+{

+	if(litlast) { /* combine literals */

+		Uint8 hb = p.data[p.ptr - 1];

+		p.ptr -= 2;

+		writeshort((hb << 8) + b, 1);

+		litlast = 0;

+		return;

+	}

+	p.data[p.ptr++] = findopcode("LIT");

+	p.data[p.ptr++] = b;

+	p.length = p.ptr;

+	litlast = 1;

+}

+

 static char *

 sublabel(char *src, char *scope, char *name)

 {

@@ -216,11 +234,9 @@ prefill(char *scope, char *label, Uint16 addr)

 static int

 tokenize(char *w, FILE *f)

 {

-	char word[64];

-	char subw[64];

-	char c;

-	Macro *m;

 	int i = 0;

+	char word[64], subw[64], c;

+	Macro *m;

 	if(slen(w) >= 63)

 		return error("Invalid token", w);

 	switch(w[0]) {

@@ -259,14 +275,17 @@ tokenize(char *w, FILE *f)

 		if(!sihx(w + 1) || (slen(w) != 3 && slen(w) != 5))

 			return error("Invalid hex literal", w);

 		if(slen(w) == 3)

-			writebyte(shex(w + 1), 1);

+			writelitbyte(shex(w + 1));

 		else if(slen(w) == 5)

 			writeshort(shex(w + 1), 1);

 		break;

 	case '.': /* literal byte zero-page */

+		prefill(p.scope, w, p.ptr - litlast);

+		writelitbyte(0xff);

+		break;

 	case ',': /* literal byte relative */

-		prefill(p.scope, w, p.ptr);

-		writebyte(0xff, 1);

+		prefill(p.scope, w, p.ptr - litlast);

+		writelitbyte(0xff);

 		break;

 	case ';': /* literal short absolute */

 		prefill(p.scope, w, p.ptr);