diff --git a/lips/Dumper.lua b/lips/Dumper.lua
index ab86ac8..ecf29b6 100644
--- a/lips/Dumper.lua
+++ b/lips/Dumper.lua
@@ -80,11 +80,17 @@ function Dumper:add_directive(line, name, a, b)
         local b1 = bitrange(a, 8, 15)
         self:add_bytes(line, b1, b0)
     elseif name == 'WORD' then
-        local b0 = bitrange(a, 0, 7)
-        local b1 = bitrange(a, 8, 15)
-        local b2 = bitrange(a, 16, 23)
-        local b3 = bitrange(a, 24, 31)
-        self:add_bytes(line, b3, b2, b1, b0)
+        if type(a) == 'string' then
+            local t = {line=line, kind='label', name=a}
+            insert(self.commands, t)
+            self:advance(4)
+        else
+            local b0 = bitrange(a, 0, 7)
+            local b1 = bitrange(a, 8, 15)
+            local b2 = bitrange(a, 16, 23)
+            local b3 = bitrange(a, 24, 31)
+            self:add_bytes(line, b3, b2, b1, b0)
+        end
     elseif name == 'ORG' then
         t.kind = 'goto'
         t.addr = a
@@ -271,8 +277,16 @@ function Dumper:dump()
             else
                 self.pos = self.pos + t.skip
             end
+        elseif t.kind == 'label' then
+            local val = self:desym{'LABELSYM', t.name}
+            val = (val % 0x80000000) + 0x80000000
+            local b0 = bitrange(val, 0, 7)
+            local b1 = bitrange(val, 8, 15)
+            local b2 = bitrange(val, 16, 23)
+            local b3 = bitrange(val, 24, 31)
+            self:write{b3, b2, b1, b0}
         else
-            error('Internal Error: unknown command', 1)
+            error('Internal Error: unknown command')
         end
     end
 end
diff --git a/lips/Lexer.lua b/lips/Lexer.lua
index 2e5d1af..cddb130 100644
--- a/lips/Lexer.lua
+++ b/lips/Lexer.lua
@@ -221,7 +221,6 @@ function Lexer:lex_block_comment(yield)
 end
 
 function Lexer:lex_string(yield)
-    -- TODO: support escaping
     if self.chr ~= '"' then
         self:error('expected opening double quote')
     end
diff --git a/lips/Parser.lua b/lips/Parser.lua
index 528abc8..2e2bb83 100644
--- a/lips/Parser.lua
+++ b/lips/Parser.lua
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ function Parser:directive()
             end
             self:expect_EOL()
         end
-    elseif name == 'BYTE' or name == 'HALFWORD' or name == 'WORD' then
+    elseif name == 'BYTE' or name == 'HALFWORD' then
         self.dumper:add_directive(line, name, self:number())
         while not self:is_EOL() do
             self:advance()
@@ -93,6 +93,14 @@ function Parser:directive()
             self.dumper:add_directive(line, name, self:number())
         end
         self:expect_EOL()
+    elseif name == 'WORD' then -- allow labels in word directives
+        self.dumper:add_directive(line, name, self:const()[2])
+        while not self:is_EOL() do
+            self:advance()
+            self:optional_comma()
+            self.dumper:add_directive(line, name, self:const()[2])
+        end
+        self:expect_EOL()
     elseif name == 'INC' then
         -- noop, handled by lexer
     elseif name == 'ASCII' or name == 'ASCIIZ' then