diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fc9fb90..b33041b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 * Added elaboration for accesses to fields of struct constants, which can
   substantially improve performance on some designs
+* Added constant folding for comparisons involving string literals
 
 ## v0.0.10
 
diff --git a/src/Convert/Cast.hs b/src/Convert/Cast.hs
index da1c23e..9c4c46d 100644
--- a/src/Convert/Cast.hs
+++ b/src/Convert/Cast.hs
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ traverseStmtM stmt = do
 
 traverseExprM :: Expr -> SC Expr
 traverseExprM (Cast (Left (IntegerVector kw sg rs)) value) | kw /= TBit = do
-    value' <- traverseExprM value
+    value' <- fmap simplify $ traverseExprM value
     size' <- traverseExprM size
     convertCastM size' value' signed
     where
@@ -121,8 +121,9 @@ convertCastM (Number size) (Number value) signed =
     return $ Number $
         numberCast signed (fromIntegral size') value
     where Just size' = numberToInteger size
+convertCastM size@Number{} (String str) signed =
+    convertCastM size (stringToNumber str) signed
 convertCastM size value signed = do
-    value' <- traverseExprM value
     sizeUsesLocalVars <- embedScopes usesLocalVars size
     inProcedure <- withinProcedureM
     if not sizeUsesLocalVars || not inProcedure then do
@@ -135,12 +136,12 @@ convertCastM size value signed = do
             else do
                 details <- lookupElemM name
                 when (details == Nothing) (injectTopItem item)
-        return $ Call (Ident name) (Args [value'] [])
+        return $ Call (Ident name) (Args [value] [])
     else do
         name <- castDeclName 0
         insertElem name ()
         useVar <- withinStmt
-        injectDecl $ castDecl useVar name value' size signed
+        injectDecl $ castDecl useVar name value size signed
         return $ Ident name
 
 -- checks if a cast size references any vars not defined at the top level scope
diff --git a/src/Convert/ExprUtils.hs b/src/Convert/ExprUtils.hs
index c4df4bc..a5ccf2b 100644
--- a/src/Convert/ExprUtils.hs
+++ b/src/Convert/ExprUtils.hs
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ module Convert.ExprUtils
     , endianCondExpr
     , endianCondRange
     , dimensionsSize
+    , stringToNumber
     ) where
 
-import Data.Bits (shiftL, shiftR)
+import Data.Bits ((.&.), (.|.), shiftL, shiftR)
+import Data.Char (ord)
 
 import Convert.Traverse
 import Language.SystemVerilog.AST
@@ -36,18 +38,13 @@ simplifyStep (UniOp LogNot (BinOp Ne a b)) = BinOp Eq a b
 simplifyStep (UniOp UniSub (UniOp UniSub e)) = e
 simplifyStep (UniOp UniSub (BinOp Sub e1 e2)) = BinOp Sub e2 e1
 
-simplifyStep (Concat (Number n1 : Number n2 : rest)) =
-    simplifyStep $ Concat $ Number n : rest
-    where n = n1 <> n2
-
 simplifyStep (Concat [Number (Decimal size _ value)]) =
     Number $ Decimal size False value
 simplifyStep (Concat [Number (Based size _ base value kinds)]) =
     Number $ Based size False base value kinds
 simplifyStep (Concat [e@Stream{}]) = e
-simplifyStep (Concat [e@Concat{}]) = e
 simplifyStep (Concat [e@Repeat{}]) = e
-simplifyStep (Concat es) = Concat $ filter (/= Concat []) es
+simplifyStep (Concat es) = Concat $ flattenConcat es
 simplifyStep (Repeat (Dec 0) _) = Concat []
 simplifyStep (Repeat (Dec 1) es) = Concat es
 simplifyStep (Mux (Number n) e1 e2) =
@@ -73,6 +70,16 @@ simplifyStep e@(BinOp _ (BinOp _ Number{} Number{}) Number{}) = e
 simplifyStep (BinOp op e1 e2) = simplifyBinOp op e1 e2
 simplifyStep other = other
 
+-- flatten and coalesce concatenations
+flattenConcat :: [Expr] -> [Expr]
+flattenConcat (Number n1 : Number n2 : es) =
+    flattenConcat $ Number (n1 <> n2) : es
+flattenConcat (Concat es1 : es2) =
+    flattenConcat $ es1 ++ es2
+flattenConcat (e : es) =
+    e : flattenConcat es
+flattenConcat [] = []
+
 
 simplifyBinOp :: BinOp -> Expr -> Expr -> Expr
 
@@ -107,10 +114,50 @@ simplifyBinOp Add (BinOp Sub n1@Number{} e) n2@Number{} =
     BinOp Sub (BinOp Add n1 n2) e
 simplifyBinOp Ge (BinOp Sub e (Dec 1)) (Dec 0) = BinOp Ge e (toDec 1)
 
-simplifyBinOp ShiftAL (Dec x) (Dec y) = toDec $ shiftL x (fromIntegral y)
-simplifyBinOp ShiftAR (Dec x) (Dec y) = toDec $ shiftR x (fromIntegral y)
-simplifyBinOp ShiftL  (Dec x) (Dec y) = toDec $ shiftL x (fromIntegral y)
-simplifyBinOp ShiftR  (Dec x) (Dec y) = toDec $ shiftR x (fromIntegral y)
+-- simplify bit shifts of decimal literals
+simplifyBinOp op (Dec x) (Number yRaw)
+    | ShiftAL <- op = decShift shiftL
+    | ShiftAR <- op = decShift shiftR
+    | ShiftL  <- op = decShift shiftL
+    | ShiftR  <- op = decShift shiftR
+    where
+        decShift shifter =
+            case numberToInteger yRaw of
+                Just y -> toDec $ shifter x (fromIntegral y)
+                Nothing -> constantFold undefined Div undefined 0
+
+-- simply comparisons with string literals
+simplifyBinOp op (Number n) (String s) | isCmpOp op =
+    simplifyBinOp op (Number n) (sizeStringAs s n)
+simplifyBinOp op (String s) (Number n) | isCmpOp op =
+    simplifyBinOp op (sizeStringAs s n) (Number n)
+simplifyBinOp op (String s1) (String s2) | isCmpOp op =
+    simplifyBinOp op (stringToNumber s1) (stringToNumber s2)
+
+-- simply basic arithmetic comparisons
+simplifyBinOp op (Number n1) (Number n2)
+    | Eq <- op = cmp (==)
+    | Ne <- op = cmp (/=)
+    | Lt <- op = cmp (<)
+    | Le <- op = cmp (<=)
+    | Gt <- op = cmp (>)
+    | Ge <- op = cmp (>=)
+    where
+        cmp :: (Integer -> Integer -> Bool) -> Expr
+        cmp folder =
+            case (numberToInteger n1', numberToInteger n2') of
+                (Just i1, Just i2) -> bool $ folder i1 i2
+                _ -> BinOp op (Number n1') (Number n2')
+        sg = numberIsSigned n1 && numberIsSigned n2
+        sz = fromIntegral $ max (numberBitLength n1) (numberBitLength n2)
+        n1' = numberCast sg sz n1
+        n2' = numberCast sg sz n2
+
+-- simply comparisons with unbased unsized literals
+simplifyBinOp op (Number n) (ConvertedUU sz v k) | isCmpOp op =
+    simplifyBinOp op (Number n) (uuExtend sz v k)
+simplifyBinOp op (ConvertedUU sz v k) (Number n) | isCmpOp op =
+    simplifyBinOp op (uuExtend sz v k) (Number n)
 
 simplifyBinOp op e1 e2 =
     case (e1, e2) of
@@ -142,6 +189,8 @@ constantFold _ Gt  x y = bool $ x >  y
 constantFold _ Ge  x y = bool $ x >= y
 constantFold _ Lt  x y = bool $ x <  y
 constantFold _ Le  x y = bool $ x <= y
+constantFold _ BitAnd x y = toDec $ x .&. y
+constantFold _ BitOr  x y = toDec $ x .|. y
 constantFold fallback _ _ _ = fallback
 
 
@@ -224,3 +273,49 @@ pattern SizedRange expr = (BinOp Sub expr (RawNum 1), RawNum 0)
 -- similar to the above pattern, we assume E >= 1 for any range like [0:E-1]
 pattern RevSzRange :: Expr -> Range
 pattern RevSzRange expr = (RawNum 0, BinOp Sub expr (RawNum 1))
+
+-- convert a string to decimal number
+stringToNumber :: String -> Expr
+stringToNumber str =
+    Number $ Decimal size False value
+    where
+        size = 8 * length str
+        value = stringToInteger str
+
+-- convert a string to big integer
+stringToInteger :: String -> Integer
+stringToInteger [] = 0
+stringToInteger (x : xs) =
+    fromIntegral (ord x) + (256 :: Integer) * stringToInteger xs
+
+-- cast string to number at least as big as the width of the given number
+sizeStringAs :: String -> Number -> Expr
+sizeStringAs str num =
+    Cast (Left typ) (stringToNumber str)
+    where
+        typ = IntegerVector TReg Unspecified [(RawNum size, RawNum 1)]
+        size = max strSize numSize
+        strSize = fromIntegral $ 8 * length str
+        numSize = numberBitLength num
+
+-- excludes wildcard and strict comparison operators
+isCmpOp :: BinOp -> Bool
+isCmpOp Eq = True
+isCmpOp Ne = True
+isCmpOp Lt = True
+isCmpOp Le = True
+isCmpOp Gt = True
+isCmpOp Ge = True
+isCmpOp _ = False
+
+-- sign extend a converted unbased unsized literal into a based number
+uuExtend :: Integer -> Integer -> Integer -> Expr
+uuExtend sz v k =
+    Number $
+    numberCast False (fromIntegral sz) $
+    Based 1 True Hex v k
+
+pattern ConvertedUU :: Integer -> Integer -> Integer -> Expr
+pattern ConvertedUU sz v k <- Repeat
+    (RawNum sz)
+    [Number (Based 1 True Binary v k)]
diff --git a/test/core/constexpr.sv b/test/core/constexpr.sv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94d4d65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/core/constexpr.sv
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+// This verifies that sv2v can evaluate certain constant expressions by
+// producing iverilog-incompatible code if the expression cannot be simplified
+// or is evaluated incorrectly.
+`define ASSERT_TRUE(expr) if (expr) begin end else begin shortreal x; end
+`define ASSERT_FALSE(expr) if (expr) begin shortreal x; end
+
+module top;
+    `ASSERT_TRUE(1)
+    `ASSERT_FALSE(0)
+
+    `ASSERT_TRUE("inv" == "inv")
+    `ASSERT_TRUE(32'("inv") == "inv")
+    `ASSERT_TRUE("inv" == 32'("inv"))
+    `ASSERT_TRUE(24'("inv") == "inv")
+    `ASSERT_TRUE("inv" == 24'("inv"))
+
+    `ASSERT_FALSE("invv" == "inv")
+    `ASSERT_FALSE("0inv" == "inv")
+    `ASSERT_TRUE("invv" != "inv")
+    `ASSERT_TRUE("0inv" != "inv")
+
+    `ASSERT_TRUE(24'("inv0") == "inv")
+    `ASSERT_TRUE(24'("0inv") != "inv")
+    `ASSERT_FALSE("inv" == 0)
+    `ASSERT_FALSE("inv" == '0)
+    `ASSERT_FALSE('0 == "inv")
+    `ASSERT_FALSE("inv" == 1'b0)
+    `ASSERT_FALSE("inv" == 2'd0)
+    `ASSERT_FALSE("inv" == 1'sb0)
+
+    `ASSERT_TRUE(1'sb0 < 1'd1)
+    `ASSERT_TRUE(1'sb0 <= 1'd0)
+    `ASSERT_FALSE(1'sb0 > 1'd1)
+    `ASSERT_TRUE(1'sb0 >= 1'd0)
+
+    `ASSERT_TRUE((1 | 2) == 3)
+    `ASSERT_TRUE((13 & 7) == 5)
+
+    `ASSERT_TRUE((1 << 1) == 2)
+    `ASSERT_TRUE((3 >> 1) == 1)
+    `ASSERT_TRUE((1 <<< 1) == 2)
+    `ASSERT_TRUE((3 >>> 1) == 1)
+
+    `ASSERT_TRUE(5'{4'hF, 3'{1'b1, 1'b1}} == 27)
+    `ASSERT_TRUE(5'{{{1'b1, 1'b1}, {1'b1, 1'b1}}} == 15)
+endmodule
diff --git a/test/core/constexpr.v b/test/core/constexpr.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dabb9b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/core/constexpr.v
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+module top; endmodule
diff --git a/test/error/size_cast_xpr_lit.sv b/test/error/size_cast_xpr_lit.sv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3897eda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/error/size_cast_xpr_lit.sv
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// pattern: size cast width 'shxxxxxxxx is not an integer
+// location: size_cast_xpr_lit.sv:4:13
+module top;
+    initial $display((1 << 'x)'(2));
+endmodule
diff --git a/test/error/size_cast_xpr_var.sv b/test/error/size_cast_xpr_var.sv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..80d753d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/error/size_cast_xpr_var.sv
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+// pattern: size cast width 'shxxxxxxxx is not an integer
+// location: size_cast_xpr_var.sv:5:13
+module top;
+    wire x = 0;
+    initial $display((1 << 'x)'(x));
+endmodule