diff --git a/lib/arm/arm_machine.rb b/lib/arm/arm_machine.rb
index 5e381f5c..55dc5a53 100644
--- a/lib/arm/arm_machine.rb
+++ b/lib/arm/arm_machine.rb
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ module Arm
         options = {} if options == nil
         options.merge defaults
         options[:opcode] = inst
-        first = Register::RegisterReference.new(first) if first.is_a? Symbol
+        first = Register::RegisterReference.convert(first)
         clazz.new(first , options)
       end
     end
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ module Arm
       create_method(inst) do |left ,right , options = nil|
         options = {} if options == nil
         options.merge defaults
-        left = Register::RegisterReference.new(left) if left.is_a? Symbol
-        right = Register::RegisterReference.new(right) if right.is_a? Symbol
+        left = Register::RegisterReference.convert(left)
+        right = Register::RegisterReference.convert(right)
         options[:opcode] = inst
         clazz.new(left , right ,options)
       end
@@ -102,9 +102,9 @@ module Arm
         options = {} if options == nil
         options.merge defaults
         options[:opcode] = inst
-        result = Register::RegisterReference.new(result) if result.is_a? Symbol
-        left = Register::RegisterReference.new(left) if left.is_a? Symbol
-        right = Register::RegisterReference.new(right) if right.is_a? Symbol
+        result = Register::RegisterReference.convert(result)
+        left = Register::RegisterReference.convert(left)
+        right = Register::RegisterReference.convert(right)
         clazz.new(result, left , right ,options)
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/arm/instructions/memory_instruction.rb b/lib/arm/instructions/memory_instruction.rb
index 11507c95..d54cdd52 100644
--- a/lib/arm/instructions/memory_instruction.rb
+++ b/lib/arm/instructions/memory_instruction.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ module Arm
       arg = @left
       arg = arg.symbol if( arg.is_a? ::Register::RegisterReference )
       #str / ldr are _serious instructions. With BIG possibilities not half are implemented
-      if (arg.is_a?(Symbol) or arg.is_a?(::Register::RegisterReference)) #symbol is register
+      is_reg = arg.is_a?(::Register::RegisterReference)
+      if( arg.is_a?(Symbol) and not is_reg)
+        is_reg = (arg.to_s[0] == "r")
+      end
+      if (is_reg ) #symbol is register
         rn = arg
         if @right
           operand = @right
@@ -46,7 +50,7 @@ module Arm
             end
           end
         end
-      elsif (arg.is_a?(Parfait::Object) ) #use pc relative
+      elsif (arg.is_a?(Parfait::Object) or arg.is_a? Symbol ) #use pc relative
         rn = :pc
         operand = arg.position - self.position  - 8 #stringtable is after code
         add_offset = 1
diff --git a/lib/register/register_reference.rb b/lib/register/register_reference.rb
index 5e73c7df..977557b0 100644
--- a/lib/register/register_reference.rb
+++ b/lib/register/register_reference.rb
@@ -12,10 +12,27 @@ module Register
 
     def initialize r
       raise "wrong type for register init #{r}" unless r.is_a? Symbol
-      raise "double r #{r}" if r == :rr1
+      raise "double r #{r}" if r.to_s[0,1] == "rr"
+      raise "not reg #{r}" unless self.class.look_like_reg r
       @symbol = r
     end
 
+    def self.convert something
+      return something unless something.is_a? Symbol
+      return something unless look_like_reg(something)
+      return new(something)
+    end
+
+    def self.look_like_reg is_it
+      if( [:lr , :pc].include? is_it )
+        return true
+      end
+      if( (is_it.to_s.length < 3) and (is_it.to_s[0] == "r"))
+        return true
+      end
+      return false
+    end
+
     def == other
       return false if other.nil?
       return false if other.class != RegisterReference