diff --git a/moo/lib/comp.c b/moo/lib/comp.c
index 5e83199..38c5ff1 100644
--- a/moo/lib/comp.c
+++ b/moo/lib/comp.c
@@ -840,7 +840,7 @@ static moo_oop_t string_to_error (moo_t* moo, moo_oocs_t* str, moo_ioloc_t* loc)
 	return MOO_ERROR_TO_OOP(num);
 }
 
-static moo_oop_t string_to_smptr (moo_t* moo, moo_oocs_t* str, moo_ioloc_t* loc)
+static moo_oop_t string_to_ptr (moo_t* moo, moo_oocs_t* str, moo_ioloc_t* loc)
 {
 	moo_oow_t num = 0;
 	const moo_ooch_t* ptr, * end;
@@ -874,22 +874,7 @@ static moo_oop_t string_to_smptr (moo_t* moo, moo_oocs_t* str, moo_ioloc_t* loc)
 		ptr++;
 	}
 
-#if 0
-	if (!MOO_IN_SMPTR_RANGE(num))
-	{
-		moo_setsynerr (moo, MOO_SYNERR_SMPTRLITINVAL, loc, str);
-		return MOO_NULL;
-	}
-
-	return MOO_SMPTR_TO_OOP(num);
-#else
-	/* TODO: change the function name from string_to_smptr() to string_to_ptr() if this part of code is permanently accepted */
-	if (MOO_IN_SMPTR_RANGE(num)) return MOO_SMPTR_TO_OOP(num);
-	ret = moo_instantiate(moo, moo->_large_pointer, MOO_NULL, 0);
-	if (!ret) return MOO_NULL;
-	MOO_OBJ_SET_WORD_VAL(ret, 0, num);
-	return ret;
-#endif
+	return moo_oowtoptr(moo, num);
 }
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -5537,7 +5522,7 @@ static int compile_expression_primary (moo_t* moo, const moo_oocs_t* ident, cons
 			{
 				moo_oop_t tmp;
 
-				tmp = string_to_smptr(moo, TOKEN_NAME(moo), TOKEN_LOC(moo));
+				tmp = string_to_ptr(moo, TOKEN_NAME(moo), TOKEN_LOC(moo));
 				if (!tmp) return -1;
 
 				if (add_literal(moo, tmp, &index) <= -1 ||
@@ -9501,7 +9486,7 @@ static moo_oop_t token_to_literal (moo_t* moo, int rdonly)
 			return string_to_error(moo, TOKEN_NAME(moo), TOKEN_LOC(moo));
 
 		case MOO_IOTOK_SMPTRLIT:
-			return string_to_smptr(moo, TOKEN_NAME(moo), TOKEN_LOC(moo));
+			return string_to_ptr(moo, TOKEN_NAME(moo), TOKEN_LOC(moo));
 
 		case MOO_IOTOK_CHARLIT:
 			MOO_ASSERT (moo, TOKEN_NAME_LEN(moo) == 1);
diff --git a/moo/lib/moo.h b/moo/lib/moo.h
index 33690f1..133c78d 100644
--- a/moo/lib/moo.h
+++ b/moo/lib/moo.h
@@ -2173,6 +2173,7 @@ MOO_EXPORT int moo_initdbgi (
 MOO_EXPORT void moo_finidbgi (
 	moo_t* moo
 );
+
 /* =========================================================================
  * COMMON OBJECT MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS
  * ========================================================================= */
@@ -2254,6 +2255,17 @@ MOO_EXPORT int moo_inttointmax (
 );
 #endif
 
+MOO_EXPORT moo_oop_t moo_oowtoptr (
+	moo_t*    moo,
+	moo_oow_t num
+);
+
+MOO_EXPORT int moo_ptrtooow (
+	moo_t*      moo,
+	moo_oop_t   ptr,
+	moo_oow_t*  num
+);
+
 MOO_EXPORT moo_oop_t moo_findclass (
 	moo_t*            moo,
 	moo_oop_nsdic_t   nsdic,
diff --git a/moo/lib/obj.c b/moo/lib/obj.c
index 9d455c7..4a3a25c 100644
--- a/moo/lib/obj.c
+++ b/moo/lib/obj.c
@@ -387,3 +387,33 @@ moo_oop_t moo_instantiatewithtrailer (moo_t* moo, moo_oop_class_t _class, moo_oo
 	moo_popvolats (moo, tmp_count);
 	return oop;
 }
+
+moo_oop_t moo_oowtoptr (moo_t* moo, moo_oow_t num)
+{
+	moo_oop_t ret;
+
+	if (MOO_IN_SMPTR_RANGE(num)) return MOO_SMPTR_TO_OOP(num);
+	ret = moo_instantiate(moo, moo->_large_pointer, MOO_NULL, 0);
+	if (!ret) return MOO_NULL;
+	MOO_OBJ_SET_WORD_VAL(ret, 0, num);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int moo_ptrtooow (moo_t* moo, moo_oop_t ptr, moo_oow_t* num)
+{
+	if (MOO_OOP_IS_SMPTR(ptr)) 
+	{
+		*num = (moo_oow_t)MOO_OOP_TO_SMPTR(ptr);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (MOO_CLASSOF(moo, ptr) == moo->_large_pointer)
+	{
+		MOO_ASSERT (moo, MOO_OBJ_GET_SIZE(ptr) == 1);
+		*num = MOO_OBJ_GET_WORD_VAL(ptr, 0);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	moo_seterrnum (moo, MOO_EINVAL);
+	return -1;
+}
diff --git a/moo/mod/ffi.c b/moo/mod/ffi.c
index 7b0075b..904001c 100644
--- a/moo/mod/ffi.c
+++ b/moo/mod/ffi.c
@@ -542,8 +542,7 @@ static moo_pfrc_t pf_call (moo_t* moo, moo_mod_t* mod, moo_ooi_t nargs)
 	sig = MOO_STACK_GETARG(moo, nargs, 1);
 	args = MOO_STACK_GETARG(moo, nargs, 2);
 
-	if (MOO_OOP_IS_SMPTR(fun)) f = MOO_OOP_TO_SMPTR(fun);
-	else if (moo_inttooow(moo, fun, (moo_oow_t*)&f) <= -1) goto softfail;
+	if (moo_ptrtooow(moo, fun, (moo_oow_t*)&f) <= -1) goto softfail;
 
 	/* the signature must not be empty. at least the return type must be
 	 * specified */
@@ -851,27 +850,9 @@ static moo_pfrc_t pf_getsym (moo_t* moo, moo_mod_t* mod, moo_ooi_t nargs)
 
 	MOO_DEBUG4 (moo, "<ffi.getsym> %.*js => %p in %p\n", MOO_OBJ_GET_SIZE(name), MOO_OBJ_GET_CHAR_SLOT(name), sym, ffi->handle);
 
-#if 0
 	ret = moo_oowtoptr(moo, (moo_oow_t)sym);
 	if (!ret) goto softfail;
 
-#else
-	if (MOO_IN_SMPTR_RANGE(sym))
-	{
-		ret = MOO_SMPTR_TO_OOP(sym);
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		ret = moo_oowtoint(moo, (moo_oow_t)sym);
-		if (!ret) goto softfail;
-		/*
-		MOO_DEBUG1 (moo, "<ffi.getsym> unaligned symbol address - %p\n", sym);
-		moo_seterrnum (moo, MOO_EINVAL);
-		goto softfail;
-		*/
-	}
-#endif
-
 	MOO_STACK_SETRET (moo, nargs, ret);
 	return MOO_PF_SUCCESS;