diff --git a/ase/awk/awk.h b/ase/awk/awk.h
index 9d22c0f8..13bfb038 100644
--- a/ase/awk/awk.h
+++ b/ase/awk/awk.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* 
- * $Id: awk.h,v 1.51 2006-04-17 16:12:02 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: awk.h,v 1.52 2006-04-18 10:28:03 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef _XP_AWK_AWK_H_
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ enum
 	XP_AWK_ENOSUCHFUNC,    /* no such function */
 	XP_AWK_ENOTASSIGNABLE, /* not indexable value */
 	XP_AWK_ENOTINDEXABLE,  /* not indexable value */
-	XP_AWK_EINDEX,         /* wrong index */
+	XP_AWK_EWRONGINDEX,    /* wrong index */
 	XP_AWK_EINTERNAL       /* internal error */
 };
 
diff --git a/ase/awk/run.c b/ase/awk/run.c
index d9a725e4..36f50d10 100644
--- a/ase/awk/run.c
+++ b/ase/awk/run.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: run.c,v 1.54 2006-04-17 16:12:02 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: run.c,v 1.55 2006-04-18 10:28:03 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -884,14 +884,16 @@ static xp_awk_val_t* __do_assignment_globalidx (
 			/* TODO: how to tell memory from conversion error? */
 			xp_awk_refdownval (awk, tmp);
 			/*PANIC (awk, XP_AWK_ENOMEM);*/
-			PANIC (awk, XP_AWK_EINDEX);
+			PANIC (awk, XP_AWK_EWRONGINDEX);
 		}
 
 		xp_awk_refdownval (awk, tmp);
 		/* TODO: nde = nde->next; */
 	}
 
+/*
 xp_printf (XP_TEXT("**** index str=>%s, map->ref=%d, map->type=%d\n"), str, map->ref, map->type);
+*/
 	pair = xp_awk_map_get (map->map, str);
 	if (xp_awk_map_put(map->map, str, val) == XP_NULL)
 	{
@@ -899,9 +901,12 @@ xp_printf (XP_TEXT("**** index str=>%s, map->ref=%d, map->type=%d\n"), str, map-
 		PANIC (awk, XP_AWK_ENOMEM);
 	}
 
-	xp_free (str);
 	if (pair != XP_NULL) 
 	{
+		/* str is freed only if the key is in the map. 
+		 * otherwise, it will be taken by the map */
+		xp_free (str);
+
 		/* decrease the reference count for the old value
 		 * only when the assignment is successful */
 		xp_awk_refdownval (awk, pair->val);
@@ -2182,7 +2187,7 @@ static xp_awk_val_t* __eval_globalidx (xp_awk_t* awk, xp_awk_nde_t* nde)
 		/* TODO: how to tell memory error from conversion error? */
 		xp_awk_refdownval (awk, idx);
 		/*PANIC (awk, XP_AWK_ENOMEM);*/
-		PANIC (awk, XP_AWK_EINDEX);
+		PANIC (awk, XP_AWK_EWRONGINDEX);
 	}
 
 /* TODO: check this out........ */
diff --git a/ase/awk/val.c b/ase/awk/val.c
index 101fa8e8..0e800dce 100644
--- a/ase/awk/val.c
+++ b/ase/awk/val.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: val.c,v 1.20 2006-04-17 16:12:02 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: val.c,v 1.21 2006-04-18 10:28:03 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 #include <xp/awk/awk_i.h>
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@ xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_makestrval2 (
 
 static void __free_map_val (xp_awk_t* awk, void* v)
 {
+/*
+xp_printf (XP_TEXT("refdown in map free..."));
+xp_awk_printval (v);
+xp_printf (XP_TEXT("\n"));
+*/
 	xp_awk_refdownval (awk, v);
 }
 
@@ -129,7 +134,7 @@ xp_awk_val_t* xp_awk_makemapval (xp_awk_t* awk)
 {
 	xp_awk_val_map_t* val;
 
-	val = (xp_awk_val_map_t*)xp_malloc(xp_sizeof(xp_awk_val_map_t));
+	val = (xp_awk_val_map_t*) xp_malloc (xp_sizeof(xp_awk_val_map_t));
 	if (val == XP_NULL) return XP_NULL;
 
 	val->type = XP_AWK_VAL_MAP;
@@ -155,6 +160,9 @@ void xp_awk_freeval (xp_awk_t* awk, xp_awk_val_t* val)
 {
 	if (xp_awk_isbuiltinval(val)) return;
 
+xp_printf (XP_TEXT("freeing ... "));
+xp_awk_printval (val);
+xp_printf (XP_TEXT("\n"));
 	switch (val->type)
 	{
 	case XP_AWK_VAL_NIL: