diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index e14db27..f5b9443 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ core lang
 - symbols should have two distinct parts: ns, name
 - multi-form defn: (defn x ([a] ...) ([a b] ...))
 - seqs
-  - atoms, refs, agents
+- atoms (actually multithreaded), refs, agents
 - freeze vectors, lists where approriate
 - (. x y)
 - destructuring (in FN, LET, everywhere else)
diff --git a/lib/boot.rg b/lib/boot.rg
index 954c28c..6af206a 100644
--- a/lib/boot.rg
+++ b/lib/boot.rg
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@
 
 (defmacro testing [what & tests]
   `(do
-     (when (= 0 *test-level*)
+     (when (= [] *test-level*)
        (puts))
      (puts (* " " (count *test-level*) 2) "testing: " ~what)
      (binding [*test-level* (conj *test-level* ~what)]
diff --git a/spec/reader_spec.rb b/spec/reader_spec.rb
index 4bf5ca8..1a72f5e 100644
--- a/spec/reader_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/reader_spec.rb
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@
       Rouge.read("\"\\a\\b\\e\\f\\n\\r\"").should eq "\a\b\e\f\n\r"
       Rouge.read("\"\\s\\t\\v\"").should eq "\s\t\v"
     end
+
+    it "should read strings as frozen" do
+      Rouge.read("\"bah\"").frozen?.should be_true
+    end
   end
 
   describe "lists" do