diff --git a/lib/asm/arm/arm_assembler.rb b/lib/asm/arm/arm_assembler.rb
index 0194d1a6..de71b1a9 100644
--- a/lib/asm/arm/arm_assembler.rb
+++ b/lib/asm/arm/arm_assembler.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ require 'asm/arm/generator_label'
 require 'asm/nodes'
 require 'stream_reader'
 require 'stringio'
-require "asm/data_object"
+require "asm/string_node"
 
 module Asm
   module Arm
diff --git a/lib/asm/arm/normal_builder.rb b/lib/asm/arm/normal_builder.rb
index b75b0c49..dfe4d52b 100644
--- a/lib/asm/arm/normal_builder.rb
+++ b/lib/asm/arm/normal_builder.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ module Asm
       def build_operand(arg , position = 0) 
         #position only needed for calculating relative addresses to data objects
         #there is a design stink here which makes my head ache. But shanti shanti
-        if arg.is_a?(Asm::DataObject)
+        if arg.is_a?(Asm::StringNode)
           # do pc relative addressing with the difference to the instuction
           # 8 is for the funny pipeline adjustment (ie oc pointing to fetch and not execute)
           arg = Asm::NumLiteralNode.new( arg.position - position - 8 )
diff --git a/lib/asm/assembler.rb b/lib/asm/assembler.rb
index 4ee49c23..6712aa5b 100644
--- a/lib/asm/assembler.rb
+++ b/lib/asm/assembler.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module Asm
     def add_string str
       value = @string_table[str]
       return value if value
-      data = Asm::DataObject.new(str)
+      data = Asm::StringNode.new(str)
       @string_table[str] = data
     end
     
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ module Asm
     def add_value(val)
       val.at(@position)
       length = val.length
-      #rounding up to the next 4
-      length = (((length - 1 ) / 4 ) + 1 ) * 4 
       @position += length
       @values << val
     end
diff --git a/lib/asm/data_object.rb b/lib/asm/data_object.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index e9ff555c..00000000
--- a/lib/asm/data_object.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-module Asm
-  class DataObject
-    def initialize(data)
-      @data = data
-    end
-    
-    def position
-      throw "Not set" unless @address
-      @address 
-    end
-    def at address
-      @address = address
-    end
-    def length
-      @data.length
-    end
-    def assemble(io, as)
-      io << @data
-    end
-  end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/asm/string_node.rb b/lib/asm/string_node.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5ca7be49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/asm/string_node.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+module Asm
+  class StringNode
+    def initialize(str)
+      #align
+      length = str.length 
+      # rounding up to the next 4 (always adding one for zero pad)
+      pad =  ((length / 4 ) + 1 ) * 4 - length
+      raise "#{pad} #{self}" unless pad >= 1
+      @string = str + "\x00" * pad 
+    end
+    
+    def position
+      throw "Not set" unless @address
+      @address 
+    end
+    def at address
+      @address = address
+    end
+    def length
+      @string.length
+    end
+    def assemble(io, as)
+      io << @string
+    end
+  end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/small_program_test.rb b/test/small_program_test.rb
index 9ffcc79c..ff07ae3c 100644
--- a/test/small_program_test.rb
+++ b/test/small_program_test.rb
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class TestSmallProg < MiniTest::Test
   end
 
   def test_hello
-    hello = "Hello Raisa"+ "\n\x00"
+    hello = "Hello Raisa\n"
     @generator.instance_eval {
       mov r7, 4     # 4 == write
       mov r0 , 1    # stdout
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class TestSmallProg < MiniTest::Test
       mov r7, 1     # 1 == exit
     	swi 0
     }
-    write(7 , 'label') 
+    write(7 + hello.length/4 + 1 , 'hello') 
   end
 
   #test dropped along with functionality, didn't work and not needed (yet?) TODO
diff --git a/unused/ast_assembler.rb b/unused/ast_assembler.rb
index 545e1c1e..a30e7b16 100644
--- a/unused/ast_assembler.rb
+++ b/unused/ast_assembler.rb
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ module Asm
             bytes = cmd.value.strip.split(/\s+/).map do |hex|
               hex.to_i(16)
             end.pack('C*')
-            @asm.add_value Asm::DataObject.new(bytes)
+            @asm.add_value Asm::StringNode.new(bytes)
           elsif (cmd.name == "asciz")
             str = eval(cmd.value) + "\x00"
-            @asm.add_value Asm::DataObject.new(str)
+            @asm.add_value Asm::StringNode.new(str)
           elsif (defined?(Asm::Arm) and cmd.name == 'addrtable')
             @asm.add_value Asm::Arm::AddrTableObject.new
           else