diff --git a/src/org/rascalmpl/library/lang/rascal/tests/basic/Strings1.rsc b/src/org/rascalmpl/library/lang/rascal/tests/basic/Strings1.rsc
index c50e0bd14b1..96485906099 100644
--- a/src/org/rascalmpl/library/lang/rascal/tests/basic/Strings1.rsc
+++ b/src/org/rascalmpl/library/lang/rascal/tests/basic/Strings1.rsc
@@ -265,21 +265,21 @@ test bool tstSqueezeCase4() = squeeze("aabbcc", "a-c") == "abc";
 test bool tstSqueezeCase5() = squeeze("aaabc", "a-c") == "abc";
 
 // second squeeze
-test bool tstSqueeze1(str S) = /<c:[a-zA-Z]><c>/ !:= squeeze(S, #[a-zA-Z]);
-test bool tstSqueeze2(str S) = squeeze(S, #[]) == S;
-test bool tstSqueeze3(str S) {
+test bool tstSqueeze1CC(str S) = /<c:[a-zA-Z]><c>/ !:= squeeze(S, #[a-zA-Z]);
+test bool tstSqueeze2CC(str S) = squeeze(S, #[]) == S;
+test bool tstSqueeze3CC(str S) {
   if (/<c:[a-zA-Z]><c>/ := S) {
     return /<c><c>/ := squeeze(S, #[0-9]);
   }
   return true;
 }
 
-test bool tstSqueezeUnicode() = squeeze("Hi 🍝🍝World", #[🍝]) == "Hi 🍝World";
-test bool tstSqueezeCase1() = squeeze("abc", #[a-c]) == "abc";
-test bool tstSqueezeCase2() = squeeze("aabc", #[a-c]) == "abc";
-test bool tstSqueezeCase3() = squeeze("aabcc", #[a-c]) == "abc";
-test bool tstSqueezeCase4() = squeeze("aabbcc", #[a-c]) == "abc";
-test bool tstSqueezeCase5() = squeeze("aaabc", #[a-c]) == "abc";
+test bool tstSqueezeUnicodeCC() = squeeze("Hi 🍝🍝World", #[🍝]) == "Hi 🍝World";
+test bool tstSqueezeCase1CC() = squeeze("abc", #[a-c]) == "abc";
+test bool tstSqueezeCase2CC() = squeeze("aabc", #[a-c]) == "abc";
+test bool tstSqueezeCase3CC() = squeeze("aabcc", #[a-c]) == "abc";
+test bool tstSqueezeCase4CC() = squeeze("aabbcc", #[a-c]) == "abc";
+test bool tstSqueezeCase5CC() = squeeze("aaabc", #[a-c]) == "abc";
 
 test bool tstStartsWith(str S1, str S2) = startsWith(S1+S2, S1);
 
diff --git a/src/org/rascalmpl/values/parsetrees/SymbolFactory.java b/src/org/rascalmpl/values/parsetrees/SymbolFactory.java
index 666064ea692..ee6faf40483 100644
--- a/src/org/rascalmpl/values/parsetrees/SymbolFactory.java
+++ b/src/org/rascalmpl/values/parsetrees/SymbolFactory.java
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ private static IValue char2int(Char character) {
 				return factory.integer(Integer.parseUnsignedInt(s.substring(2), 16));
 			}
 			else {
-				char cha = s.charAt(1);
+				int cha = s.codePointAt(1);
 				switch (cha) {
 				case 't': return factory.integer('\t');
 				case 'n': return factory.integer('\n');
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ private static IValue char2int(Char character) {
 			}
 		}
 		else {
-			char cha = s.charAt(0);
+			int cha = s.codePointAt(0);
 			return factory.integer(cha);
 		}
 	}