diff --git a/elab_expr.cc b/elab_expr.cc
index 847061fbb..a17a6bd2b 100644
--- a/elab_expr.cc
+++ b/elab_expr.cc
@@ -2445,7 +2445,7 @@ unsigned PECastType::test_width(Design*des, NetScope*scope, width_mode_t&wid)
 
       else if(const netstring_t*use_string = dynamic_cast<const netstring_t*> (t)) {
 	    expr_type_  = use_string->base_type();
-	    expr_width_ = 1;
+	    expr_width_ = 8;
 	    signed_flag_= false;
       }
 
@@ -2487,6 +2487,20 @@ NetExpr* PECastType::elaborate_expr(Design*des, NetScope*scope,
           return cast_to_int2(expr, expr_width_);
       }
 
+      if(const vector_type_t*vec = dynamic_cast<const vector_type_t*>(target_))
+      {
+          switch(vec->base_type) {
+              case IVL_VT_BOOL:
+                  return cast_to_int2(expr, expr_width_);
+
+              case IVL_VT_LOGIC:
+                  return cast_to_int4(expr, expr_width_);
+
+              default:
+                  break;  /* Suppress warnings */
+          }
+      }
+
       cerr << get_fileline() << "sorry: I don't know how to cast expression." << endl;
       ivl_assert(*this, false);
 
diff --git a/tgt-vvp/stmt_assign.c b/tgt-vvp/stmt_assign.c
index 761d967a1..c7607920a 100644
--- a/tgt-vvp/stmt_assign.c
+++ b/tgt-vvp/stmt_assign.c
@@ -593,6 +593,14 @@ static int show_stmt_assign_vector(ivl_statement_t net)
 
 	    fprintf(vvp_out, "    %%cvt/vr %u, %u;\n", res.base, res.wid);
 
+      } else if (ivl_expr_value(rval) == IVL_VT_STRING) {
+	    /* Special case: vector to string casting */
+	    ivl_lval_t lval = ivl_stmt_lval(net, 0);
+	    fprintf(vvp_out, "    %%vpi_call %u %u \"$ivl_string_method$to_vec\", v%p_0, v%p_0 {0 0};\n",
+		ivl_file_table_index(ivl_stmt_file(net)), ivl_stmt_lineno(net),
+		ivl_expr_signal(rval), ivl_lval_sig(lval));
+            return 0;
+
       } else {
 	    res = draw_eval_expr(rval, 0);
       }