diff --git a/evildoer/io.c b/evildoer/io.c
index 7ef8228..b7d9a39 100644
--- a/evildoer/io.c
+++ b/evildoer/io.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 val_t read_byte(void)
 {
   char c = getc(in);
-  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_int(c);  
+  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_byte(c);
 }
 
 val_t peek_byte(void)
diff --git a/evildoer/values.c b/evildoer/values.c
index 9bd2a70..bfdcf63 100644
--- a/evildoer/values.c
+++ b/evildoer/values.c
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i)
 {
   return (i << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
 }
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b)
+{
+  return (b << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
+}
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x)
 {
diff --git a/evildoer/values.h b/evildoer/values.h
index 39cc43d..44f1c53 100644
--- a/evildoer/values.h
+++ b/evildoer/values.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ type_t val_typeof(val_t x);
  */
 int64_t val_unwrap_int(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i);
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b);
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_bool(int b);
diff --git a/extort/io.c b/extort/io.c
index 7ef8228..b7d9a39 100644
--- a/extort/io.c
+++ b/extort/io.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 val_t read_byte(void)
 {
   char c = getc(in);
-  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_int(c);  
+  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_byte(c);
 }
 
 val_t peek_byte(void)
diff --git a/extort/values.c b/extort/values.c
index 9bd2a70..bfdcf63 100644
--- a/extort/values.c
+++ b/extort/values.c
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i)
 {
   return (i << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
 }
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b)
+{
+  return (b << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
+}
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x)
 {
diff --git a/extort/values.h b/extort/values.h
index 39cc43d..44f1c53 100644
--- a/extort/values.h
+++ b/extort/values.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ type_t val_typeof(val_t x);
  */
 int64_t val_unwrap_int(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i);
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b);
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_bool(int b);
diff --git a/fraud/io.c b/fraud/io.c
index 7ef8228..b7d9a39 100644
--- a/fraud/io.c
+++ b/fraud/io.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 val_t read_byte(void)
 {
   char c = getc(in);
-  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_int(c);  
+  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_byte(c);
 }
 
 val_t peek_byte(void)
diff --git a/fraud/values.c b/fraud/values.c
index 9bd2a70..bfdcf63 100644
--- a/fraud/values.c
+++ b/fraud/values.c
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i)
 {
   return (i << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
 }
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b)
+{
+  return (b << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
+}
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x)
 {
diff --git a/fraud/values.h b/fraud/values.h
index 39cc43d..44f1c53 100644
--- a/fraud/values.h
+++ b/fraud/values.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ type_t val_typeof(val_t x);
  */
 int64_t val_unwrap_int(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i);
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b);
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_bool(int b);
diff --git a/hoax/io.c b/hoax/io.c
index 7ef8228..b7d9a39 100644
--- a/hoax/io.c
+++ b/hoax/io.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 val_t read_byte(void)
 {
   char c = getc(in);
-  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_int(c);  
+  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_byte(c);
 }
 
 val_t peek_byte(void)
diff --git a/hoax/values.c b/hoax/values.c
index a61d65e..b7e95f4 100644
--- a/hoax/values.c
+++ b/hoax/values.c
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i)
 {
   return (i << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
 }
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b)
+{
+  return (b << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
+}
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x)
 {
diff --git a/hoax/values.h b/hoax/values.h
index 4cc48bb..b6ac44f 100644
--- a/hoax/values.h
+++ b/hoax/values.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ type_t val_typeof(val_t x);
  */
 int64_t val_unwrap_int(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i);
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b);
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_bool(int b);
diff --git a/hustle/io.c b/hustle/io.c
index 7ef8228..b7d9a39 100644
--- a/hustle/io.c
+++ b/hustle/io.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 val_t read_byte(void)
 {
   char c = getc(in);
-  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_int(c);  
+  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_byte(c);
 }
 
 val_t peek_byte(void)
diff --git a/hustle/values.c b/hustle/values.c
index 3330f8d..b96fffb 100644
--- a/hustle/values.c
+++ b/hustle/values.c
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i)
 {
   return (i << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
 }
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b)
+{
+  return (b << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
+}
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x)
 {
diff --git a/hustle/values.h b/hustle/values.h
index 92e67e5..ceab2e0 100644
--- a/hustle/values.h
+++ b/hustle/values.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ type_t val_typeof(val_t x);
  */
 int64_t val_unwrap_int(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i);
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b);
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_bool(int b);
diff --git a/iniquity/io.c b/iniquity/io.c
index 7ef8228..b7d9a39 100644
--- a/iniquity/io.c
+++ b/iniquity/io.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 val_t read_byte(void)
 {
   char c = getc(in);
-  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_int(c);  
+  return (c == EOF) ? val_wrap_eof() : val_wrap_byte(c);
 }
 
 val_t peek_byte(void)
diff --git a/iniquity/values.c b/iniquity/values.c
index a61d65e..62bca18 100644
--- a/iniquity/values.c
+++ b/iniquity/values.c
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ int64_t val_unwrap_int(val_t x)
 {
   return x >> int_shift;
 }
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b)
+{
+  return (b << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
+}
 val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i)
 {
   return (i << int_shift) | int_type_tag;
diff --git a/iniquity/values.h b/iniquity/values.h
index 4cc48bb..b6ac44f 100644
--- a/iniquity/values.h
+++ b/iniquity/values.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ type_t val_typeof(val_t x);
  */
 int64_t val_unwrap_int(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_int(int64_t i);
+val_t val_wrap_byte(unsigned char b);
 
 int val_unwrap_bool(val_t x);
 val_t val_wrap_bool(int b);