diff --git a/ase/awk/Awk.cpp b/ase/awk/Awk.cpp
index 89122d8e..c1a73c0d 100644
--- a/ase/awk/Awk.cpp
+++ b/ase/awk/Awk.cpp
@@ -1166,7 +1166,7 @@ int Awk::open ()
 	}
 
 	functionMap = ase_awk_map_open (
-		this, 512, 70, freeFunctionMapValue, awk);
+		this, 512, 70, freeFunctionMapValue, ASE_NULL, awk);
 	if (functionMap == ASE_NULL)
 	{
 		ase_awk_close (awk);
diff --git a/ase/awk/awk.c b/ase/awk/awk.c
index ec1e5924..61005019 100644
--- a/ase/awk/awk.c
+++ b/ase/awk/awk.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ ase_awk_t* ase_awk_open (const ase_awk_prmfns_t* prmfns, void* custom_data)
 		return ASE_NULL;	
 	}
 
-	awk->wtab = ase_awk_map_open (awk, 512, 70, free_word, awk);
+	awk->wtab = ase_awk_map_open (awk, 512, 70, free_word, ASE_NULL, awk);
 	if (awk->wtab == ASE_NULL)
 	{
 		ase_str_close (&awk->token.name);
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ ase_awk_t* ase_awk_open (const ase_awk_prmfns_t* prmfns, void* custom_data)
 		return ASE_NULL;	
 	}
 
-	awk->rwtab = ase_awk_map_open (awk, 512, 70, free_word, awk);
+	awk->rwtab = ase_awk_map_open (awk, 512, 70, free_word, ASE_NULL, awk);
 	if (awk->rwtab == ASE_NULL)
 	{
 		ase_awk_map_close (awk->wtab);
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ ase_awk_t* ase_awk_open (const ase_awk_prmfns_t* prmfns, void* custom_data)
 	}
 
 	/* TODO: initial map size?? */
-	awk->tree.afns = ase_awk_map_open (awk, 512, 70, free_afn, awk);
+	awk->tree.afns = ase_awk_map_open (awk, 512, 70, free_afn, ASE_NULL, awk);
 	if (awk->tree.afns == ASE_NULL) 
 	{
 		ase_awk_map_close (awk->rwtab);
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ ase_awk_t* ase_awk_open (const ase_awk_prmfns_t* prmfns, void* custom_data)
 
 	awk->bfn.sys = ASE_NULL;
 	/*awk->bfn.user = ASE_NULL;*/
-	awk->bfn.user = ase_awk_map_open (awk, 512, 70, free_bfn, awk);
+	awk->bfn.user = ase_awk_map_open (awk, 512, 70, free_bfn, ASE_NULL, awk);
 	if (awk->bfn.user == ASE_NULL)
 	{
 		ase_awk_tab_close (&awk->parse.params);
diff --git a/ase/awk/map.c b/ase/awk/map.c
index 94e13ce9..40805c68 100644
--- a/ase/awk/map.c
+++ b/ase/awk/map.c
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ static int rehash (ase_awk_map_t* map);
 
 ase_awk_map_t* ase_awk_map_open (
 	void* owner, ase_size_t capa, unsigned int factor,
-	void(*freeval)(void*,void*), ase_awk_t* awk)
+	void(*freeval)(void*,void*), void(*sameval)(void*,void*), 
+	ase_awk_t* awk)
 {
 	ase_awk_map_t* map;
 
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ ase_awk_map_t* ase_awk_map_open (
 	map->capa = capa;
 	map->size = 0;
 	map->freeval = freeval;
+	map->sameval = sameval;
 	while (capa > 0) map->buck[--capa] = ASE_NULL;
 
 	map->factor = factor;
@@ -214,15 +216,29 @@ ase_awk_pair_t* ase_awk_map_setpair (
 	ase_awk_map_t* map, ase_awk_pair_t* pair, void* val)
 {
 	/* use this function with care */
-	if (ASE_AWK_PAIR_VAL(pair) != val) 
+	if (ASE_AWK_PAIR_VAL(pair) == val) 
 	{
+		/* if the old value and the new value are the same,
+		 * it just calls the handler for this condition. 
+		 * No value replacement occurs. */
+		if (map->sameval != ASE_NULL)
+		{
+			map->sameval (map->owner, val);
+		}
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		/* frees the old value */
 		if (map->freeval != ASE_NULL) 
 		{
 			map->freeval (map->owner, ASE_AWK_PAIR_VAL(pair));
 		}
+
+		/* the new value takes the place */
 		ASE_AWK_PAIR_VAL(pair) = val;
 	}
 
+
 	return pair;
 }
 
diff --git a/ase/awk/map.h b/ase/awk/map.h
index ad2a8624..23c5c8e1 100644
--- a/ase/awk/map.h
+++ b/ase/awk/map.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ struct ase_awk_map_t
 	ase_size_t threshold;
 	ase_awk_pair_t** buck;
 	void (*freeval) (void*,void*);
+	void (*sameval) (void*,void*);
 	ase_awk_t* awk;
 };
 
@@ -51,7 +52,8 @@ extern "C" {
 
 ase_awk_map_t* ase_awk_map_open (
 	void* owner, ase_size_t capa, unsigned int factor,
-	void(*freeval)(void*,void*), ase_awk_t* awk);
+	void(*freeval)(void*,void*), void(*sameval)(void*,void*),
+	ase_awk_t* awk);
 
 void ase_awk_map_close (ase_awk_map_t* map);
 
diff --git a/ase/awk/run.c b/ase/awk/run.c
index dedd2dd4..f159adf6 100644
--- a/ase/awk/run.c
+++ b/ase/awk/run.c
@@ -718,6 +718,11 @@ static void free_namedval (void* run, void* val)
 	ase_awk_refdownval ((ase_awk_run_t*)run, val);
 }
 
+static void same_namedval (void* run, void* val)
+{
+	ase_awk_refdownval_nofree ((ase_awk_run_t*)run, val);
+}
+
 static int init_run (
 	ase_awk_run_t* run, ase_awk_t* awk,
 	ase_awk_runios_t* runios, void* custom_data)
@@ -772,7 +777,7 @@ static int init_run (
 	}
 
 	run->named = ase_awk_map_open (
-		run, 1024, 70, free_namedval, run->awk);
+		run, 1024, 70, free_namedval, same_namedval, run->awk);
 	if (run->named == ASE_NULL)
 	{
 		ase_str_close (&run->format.fmt);
@@ -2368,8 +2373,9 @@ static int run_delete (ase_awk_run_t* run, ase_awk_nde_delete_t* nde)
 				return -1;
 			}
 
-			if (ase_awk_map_put (run->named, 
-				var->id.name, var->id.name_len, tmp) == ASE_NULL)
+			pair = ase_awk_map_put (run->named, 
+				var->id.name, var->id.name_len, tmp);
+			if (pair == ASE_NULL)
 			{
 				ase_awk_refupval (run, tmp);
 				ase_awk_refdownval (run, tmp);
@@ -2381,7 +2387,7 @@ static int run_delete (ase_awk_run_t* run, ase_awk_nde_delete_t* nde)
 			}
 
 			/* as this is the assignment, it needs to update
-			 * the reference count of the target value */
+			 * the reference count of the target value. */
 			ase_awk_refupval (run, tmp);
 		}
 		else
@@ -4491,11 +4497,10 @@ static ase_awk_val_t* eval_binop_ma (
 
 	ase_awk_refupval (run, rv);
 
-	res = eval_binop_match0 (
-		run, lv, rv, left->line, right->line, 1);
+	res = eval_binop_match0 (run, lv, rv, left->line, right->line, 1);
 
-	ase_awk_refdownval (run, lv);
 	ase_awk_refdownval (run, rv);
+	ase_awk_refdownval (run, lv);
 
 	return res;
 }
@@ -4525,8 +4530,8 @@ static ase_awk_val_t* eval_binop_nm (
 	res = eval_binop_match0 (
 		run, lv, rv, left->line, right->line, 0);
 
-	ase_awk_refdownval (run, lv);
 	ase_awk_refdownval (run, rv);
+	ase_awk_refdownval (run, lv);
 
 	return res;
 }
diff --git a/ase/awk/val.c b/ase/awk/val.c
index 676eccd8..d410b2b9 100644
--- a/ase/awk/val.c
+++ b/ase/awk/val.c
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ ase_awk_val_t* ase_awk_makerexval (
 	return (ase_awk_val_t*)val;
 }
 
-static void free_map_val (void* run, void* v)
+static void free_mapval (void* run, void* v)
 {
 #ifdef DEBUG_VAL
 	ase_dprintf (ASE_T("refdown in map free..."));
@@ -253,6 +253,16 @@ static void free_map_val (void* run, void* v)
 	ase_awk_refdownval (run, v);
 }
 
+static void same_mapval (void* run, void* v)
+{
+#ifdef DEBUG_VAL
+	ase_dprintf (ASE_T("refdown nofree in map free..."));
+	ase_awk_dprintval (run, v);
+	ase_dprintf (ASE_T("\n"));
+#endif
+	ase_awk_refdownval_nofree (run, v);
+}
+
 ase_awk_val_t* ase_awk_makemapval (ase_awk_run_t* run)
 {
 	ase_awk_val_map_t* val;
@@ -267,7 +277,8 @@ ase_awk_val_t* ase_awk_makemapval (ase_awk_run_t* run)
 
 	val->type = ASE_AWK_VAL_MAP;
 	val->ref = 0;
-	val->map = ase_awk_map_open (run, 256, 70, free_map_val, run->awk);
+	val->map = ase_awk_map_open (
+		run, 256, 70, free_mapval, same_mapval, run->awk);
 	if (val->map == ASE_NULL)
 	{
 		ASE_AWK_FREE (run->awk, val);