diff --git a/examples/array.fk b/examples/array.fk
index 193eae0..e4c65f6 100644
--- a/examples/array.fk
+++ b/examples/array.fk
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
-(assert= 8 ([2 6 2 8 9] 3))
-(assert= 9 ([[3 6] [9 2]] 1 0))
+(assert= 8 (ref [2 6 2 8 9] 3))
+(assert= 9 (ref [[3 6] [9 2]] 1 0))
 
 ($ a ['a' [[2 true] 2.3]])
 
-(assert= 'a' (a 0))
-(assert= 2 (a 1 0 0))
+(assert= 'a' (ref a 0))
+(assert= 2 (ref a 1 0 0))
 
 ($ (second arr)
-   (arr 1))
+   (ref arr 1))
 
 (assert= 6 (second [2 6]))
 
@@ -17,4 +17,4 @@
 (assert= 4 (second (produce)))
 
 ($ arr [2 'bim' produce false])
-(assert= 6 (((arr 2)) 2))
\ No newline at end of file
+(assert= 6 (ref ((ref arr 2)) 2))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libstd/fun.cpp b/libstd/fun.cpp
index 8734cb9..756fe6f 100644
--- a/libstd/fun.cpp
+++ b/libstd/fun.cpp
@@ -195,4 +195,29 @@ namespace fkstd
   {
     NUM_BINOP(!=);
   }
+
+  STDRET array_ref(Loc loc, Module& mod, STDARGS args)
+  {
+    auto ref_val = args[0]->value();
+    size_t ref = std::get<size_t>(ref_val);
+
+    std::shared_ptr<Array> val =
+      std::get<std::shared_ptr<Array>>(mod.vm()->load_global(ref));
+
+    for (size_t i=1; i<args.size() - 1; i++)
+      {
+        int k = std::get<int>(args[i]->value());
+
+        auto ref_val = val->at(k)->value();
+        size_t ref = std::get<size_t>(ref_val);
+
+        auto arr =
+          std::get<std::shared_ptr<Array>>(mod.vm()->load_global(ref));
+
+        val = arr;
+
+      }
+
+    return val->at(std::get<int>(args.back()->value()));
+  }
 }
diff --git a/libstd/fun.hpp b/libstd/fun.hpp
index 9ff3b7d..433f1d1 100644
--- a/libstd/fun.hpp
+++ b/libstd/fun.hpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ namespace fkstd
   STDRET ge(Loc loc, Module& mod, STDARGS args);
   STDRET eq(Loc loc, Module& mod, STDARGS args);
   STDRET ne(Loc loc, Module& mod, STDARGS args);
+
+  STDRET array_ref(Loc loc, Module& mod, STDARGS args);
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/libstd/lib.cpp b/libstd/lib.cpp
index 1a42902..7c91963 100644
--- a/libstd/lib.cpp
+++ b/libstd/lib.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ extern "C" void lib(Module& mod)
   mod.register_function(">=", fkstd::ge);
   mod.register_function("=", fkstd::eq);
   mod.register_function("<>", fkstd::ne);
+  mod.register_function("ref", fkstd::array_ref);
 
   mod.register_macro("!", fkstd::set_addr);
   mod.register_macro("assert-static-fail", fkstd::assert_static_fail);
diff --git a/src/Compiler.cpp b/src/Compiler.cpp
index 9d40a7b..55baf2d 100644
--- a/src/Compiler.cpp
+++ b/src/Compiler.cpp
@@ -218,12 +218,7 @@ namespace fk
                 compile_prog(node->child(i), prog);
               }
 
-            if (node->child(0)->type() == NODE_ARRAY)
-              {
-                prog->add(OP_CALL_REF, node->size() - 1);
-                break;
-              }
-            else if (node->child(0)->type() == NODE_LAMBDA
+            if (node->child(0)->type() == NODE_LAMBDA
                 || node->child(0)->type() == NODE_CALL
                 || node->child(0)->type() == NODE_NS)
               {
@@ -236,10 +231,9 @@ namespace fk
                     entry && entry->is_global() == false)
                   {
                     if (entry->node()
-                        && entry->node()->child(1)->type() != NODE_ARRAY
-                        && entry->node()->type() != NODE_ARRAY)
+                        && entry->node()
+                        && entry->node()->type() == NODE_LAMBDA)
                       {
-                        std::cout << "-> " << entry->node()->string() << std::endl;
                         size_t arity = entry->node()->child(0)->size();
                         if (arity != node->size() - 1)
                           {
@@ -264,6 +258,7 @@ namespace fk
                     break;
                   }
               }
+
             std::cerr << "cannot call node '"
                       << node->string() << "'" << std::endl;
             abort();
diff --git a/src/VM.cpp b/src/VM.cpp
index 3f19fc6..29dc1fe 100644
--- a/src/VM.cpp
+++ b/src/VM.cpp
@@ -310,31 +310,6 @@ namespace fk
               m_pc++;
               break;
             }
-            else if (std::get_if<std::shared_ptr<Array>>(&val))
-              {
-                std::shared_ptr<Array> val =
-                  std::get<std::shared_ptr<Array>>(load_global(ref));
-
-                for (size_t i=0; i<args.size() - 1; i++)
-                  {
-                    int k = std::get<int>(args[i]->value());
-                    auto ref_val = val->at(k)->value();
-
-                    size_t ref = std::get<size_t>(ref_val);
-
-                    auto arr =
-                      std::get<std::shared_ptr<Array>>(load_global(ref));
-
-                    val = arr;
-
-                  }
-
-                push(frame().program->add
-                     (val->at(std::get<int>(args.back()->value()))));
-
-                m_pc++;
-                break;
-              }
 
             auto lambda = std::get<std::shared_ptr<Lambda>>(load_global(ref));
 
diff --git a/src/VM.hpp b/src/VM.hpp
index 640cf03..39f186a 100644
--- a/src/VM.hpp
+++ b/src/VM.hpp
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ namespace fk
   };
   class Module;
 
+  FK_ERROR(execution_error);
+
   class VM
   {
   public: