diff --git a/compiler/c_generator.mu b/compiler/c_generator.mu
index 10ebd69..a3c5f7f 100644
--- a/compiler/c_generator.mu
+++ b/compiler/c_generator.mu
@@ -1324,6 +1324,14 @@ CGenerator {
 			genLiftingBinaryOperator(c, op, e.lhs, e.rhs, sb, uni)
 		} else if (lhs.ti.flags & TypeFlags.pointer_) != 0 {
 			genBasicBinaryOperator(c, op, e, sb)
+		} else if lhs.ti == c.tags.char_.ti {
+			sb.write("((unsigned char)(")
+			genExpression(c, e.lhs, sb)
+			sb.write(")) ")
+			sb.write(op)
+			sb.write(" ((unsigned char)(")
+			genExpression(c, e.rhs, sb)
+			sb.write("))")
 		} else if lhs.ti == c.tags.string_.ti {
 			sb.write("string__compare__(")
 			genExpression(c, e.lhs, sb)
diff --git a/compiler/c_generator_builtin.mu b/compiler/c_generator_builtin.mu
index b9bc364..6a20e37 100644
--- a/compiler/c_generator_builtin.mu
+++ b/compiler/c_generator_builtin.mu
@@ -388,7 +388,11 @@ CGenerator {
 		if (from.ti.flags & (TypeFlags.anyPointerExceptTaggedPointer | TypeFlags.char_)) != 0 && (to.ti.flags & TypeFlags.intval) != 0 {
 			rb.write("(")
 			writeTag(rb, to)
-			rb.write(")(uintptr_t)(")
+			if (from.ti.flags & (TypeFlags.char_)) != 0 {
+				rb.write(")(unsigned char)(")
+			} else {
+				rb.write(")(uintptr_t)(")
+			}
 			genExpression(c, e.args[0], rb)
 			rb.write(")")
 			return