diff -r 23a804fa1d3e -r 970abfc9f077 src/BytecodeCompiler.cpp
--- a/src/BytecodeCompiler.cpp	Sun Sep 16 23:15:13 2012 -0700
+++ b/src/BytecodeCompiler.cpp	Sun Sep 16 23:33:48 2012 -0700
@@ -206,6 +206,21 @@
            (type->isArray() && type->isFixedLength());
 }
 
+static inline Array *
+StringLiteralToArray(Zone *zone, StringLiteral *node)
+{
+    Local<Type> type(zone, node->type());
+    Local<ArrayMap> map(zone, ArrayMap::Attach(zone, type));
+    if (!map)
+        return NULL;
+
+    return Array::NewString(zone,
+                            map,
+                            node->string()->raw(),
+                            node->string()->length(),
+                            Heap::Tenure_Old);
+}
+
 void
 BytecodeCompiler::visit(Assignment *node)
 {
@@ -271,7 +286,23 @@
     }
 
     if (node->token() == TOK_ASSIGN) {
-        node->expression()->accept(this);
+        // Special case: if the left-hand side is a string literal, we must
+        // spawn a new copy (:TODO: something about const?)
+        if (node->expression()->isStringLiteral() && !left->isFixedLength()) {
+            Local<Array> string(zone_,
+                    StringLiteralToArray(zone_, node->expression()->toStringLiteral()));
+            if (!string)
+                return;
+
+            Local<ArrayMap> arrayMap(zone_, ArrayMap::cast(string->map()));
+            __ note_position(node->expression()->pos());
+            __ int_(string->length());
+            __ newarray(OP_NEWSIZED, arrayMap, Heap::Tenure_Default);
+            __ object(string);
+            __ copyarray();
+        } else {
+            node->expression()->accept(this);
+        }
     } else {
         visitForALU(left, node->expression());
 
@@ -739,21 +770,6 @@
     __ float_((float)node->value());
 }
 
-static inline Array *
-StringLiteralToArray(Zone *zone, StringLiteral *node)
-{
-    Local<Type> type(zone, node->type());
-    Local<ArrayMap> map(zone, ArrayMap::Attach(zone, type));
-    if (!map)
-        return NULL;
-
-    return Array::NewString(zone,
-                            map,
-                            node->string()->raw(),
-                            node->string()->length(),
-                            Heap::Tenure_Old);
-}
-
 void
 BytecodeCompiler::visit(StringLiteral *node)
 {