diff --git a/src/cobj.c b/src/cobj.c
index 57881c2..cedb812 100644
--- a/src/cobj.c
+++ b/src/cobj.c
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ void printObject(CObj *o)
     switch (o->type) {
     case COBJ_STRING: {
         CObjString *objStr = (CObjString *)o;
-        printf("%.*s", objStr->length, objStr->str);
+        printf("<string> \"%.*s\"", objStr->length, objStr->str);
         break;
     }
     case COBJ_OBJECT: {
diff --git a/src/cobj.h b/src/cobj.h
index 8cb70e7..6bcbfa4 100644
--- a/src/cobj.h
+++ b/src/cobj.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ struct CObj
 struct CObjString
 {
     CommonHeader;  // "is a" CObj
-    char *str;     // NULL termincated string
+    char *str;     // NULL terminated string
     uint32_t hash; // for hashtable lookup
     int length;
     bool isIString;
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ struct CObjUpval
 #define cosmoV_readClosure(x)   ((CObjClosure *)cosmoV_readRef(x))
 
 #define cosmoO_readCString(x)   ((CObjString *)x)->str
+#define cosmoO_readType(x)      ((CObj *)x)->type
 
 static inline bool isObjType(CValue val, CObjType type)
 {
diff --git a/src/cparse.c b/src/cparse.c
index f731664..dc578c3 100644
--- a/src/cparse.c
+++ b/src/cparse.c
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ typedef struct CCompilerState
 
 typedef struct
 {
+    CState *state;
     CLexState *lex;
     CCompilerState *compiler;
     CObjString *module; // name of the module
-    CState *state;
     CToken current;
     CToken previous; // token right after the current token
     bool hadError;
diff --git a/src/cstate.h b/src/cstate.h
index a52ed32..711d62f 100644
--- a/src/cstate.h
+++ b/src/cstate.h
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@ struct CState
 
     CValue *top;                        // top of the stack
     CObjObject *protoObjects[COBJ_MAX]; // proto object for each COBJ type [NULL = no default proto]
-    CObjString *iStrings[ISTRING_MAX]; // strings used internally by the VM, eg. __init, __index
-    CCallFrame callFrame[FRAME_MAX]; // call frames
-    CValue stack[STACK_MAX];         // stack
+    CObjString *iStrings[ISTRING_MAX];  // strings used internally by the VM, eg. __init, __index
+    CCallFrame callFrame[FRAME_MAX];    // call frames
+    CValue stack[STACK_MAX];            // stack
 };
 
 COSMO_API CState *cosmoV_newState();
diff --git a/src/cvalue.h b/src/cvalue.h
index aa46abf..f08ccd1 100644
--- a/src/cvalue.h
+++ b/src/cvalue.h
@@ -123,7 +123,6 @@ void printValue(CValue val);
 COSMO_API bool cosmoV_equal(CState *state, CValue valA, CValue valB);
 COSMO_API CObjString *cosmoV_toString(CState *state, CValue val);
 COSMO_API cosmo_Number cosmoV_toNumber(CState *state, CValue val);
-COSMO_API const char *
-cosmoV_typeStr(CValue val); // return constant char array for corresponding type
+COSMO_API const char *cosmoV_typeStr(CValue val);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/cvm.c b/src/cvm.c
index accb818..b3735ff 100644
--- a/src/cvm.c
+++ b/src/cvm.c
@@ -229,11 +229,7 @@ static bool callCFunction(CState *state, CosmoCFunction cfunc, int args, int nre
 {
     StkPtr savedBase = cosmoV_getTop(state, args);
 
-    // we don't want a GC event during c api because we don't actually trust the user to know how to
-    // evade the GC
-    cosmoM_freezeGC(state);
     int nres = cfunc(state, args, savedBase + 1);
-    cosmoM_unfreezeGC(state);
 
     // caller function wasn't expecting this many return values, cap it
     if (nres > nresults)