diff --git a/src/V3Cast.cpp b/src/V3Cast.cpp
index 7a482ec26..6f23fe88e 100644
--- a/src/V3Cast.cpp
+++ b/src/V3Cast.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ class CastVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
     }
     void ensureCast(AstNodeExpr* nodep) {
         if (castSize(nodep->backp()) != castSize(nodep) || !nodep->user1()) {
-            if (!nodep->isNull()) insertCast(nodep, castSize(nodep->backp()));
+            if (!nodep->isNull() && !nodep->isString() && !nodep->isDouble())
+                insertCast(nodep, castSize(nodep->backp()));
         }
     }
     // cppcheck-suppress constParameterPointer // lhsp might be changed
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_cast_string.py b/test_regress/t/t_cast_string.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..8a938befd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_cast_string.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# DESCRIPTION: Verilator: Verilog Test driver/expect definition
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+# under the terms of either the GNU Lesser General Public License Version 3
+# or the Perl Artistic License Version 2.0.
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Wilson Snyder
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-only OR Artistic-2.0
+
+import vltest_bootstrap
+
+test.scenarios('simulator')
+
+test.compile()
+
+test.execute()
+
+test.passes()
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_cast_string.v b/test_regress/t/t_cast_string.v
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..882b54d77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_cast_string.v
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+// DESCRIPTION: Verilator: Verilog Test module
+//
+// This file ONLY is placed under the Creative Commons Public Domain.
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Wilson Snyder
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
+
+module t;
+
+  typedef struct {
+    string path;
+    int offset;
+    int size;
+  } uvm_hdl_path_slice;
+
+  class ral_reg;
+    function void add_hdl_path(uvm_hdl_path_slice slices[], string kind = "RTL");
+      foreach (slices[i]) begin
+        $display("Add %s", slices[i].path);
+      end
+    endfunction
+  endclass
+
+  class Cls;
+
+    rand ral_reg m_counters[4];
+
+    function new();
+      foreach (this.m_counters[i]) begin
+        this.m_counters[i] = new;
+      end
+    endfunction
+
+    function void build();
+      foreach (this.m_counters[i]) begin
+        int J = i;
+        // this.m_counters[J] = ral_reg_slave_B1_COUNTERS::type_id::create(
+        //     $sformatf("COUNTERS[%0d]", J),, get_full_name());
+        this.m_counters[J].add_hdl_path('{'{$sformatf("COUNTERS[%0d]", J), -1, -1}});
+      end
+    endfunction
+  endclass
+
+  initial begin
+    Cls c;
+    c = new;
+    c.build;
+    $finish;
+  end
+
+endmodule
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_constraint_array_index_unsup.out b/test_regress/t/t_constraint_array_index_unsup.out
index 1d9c596e4..85ff611a6 100644
--- a/test_regress/t/t_constraint_array_index_unsup.out
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_constraint_array_index_unsup.out
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-%Warning-CONSTRAINTIGN: t/t_constraint_array_index_unsup.v:13:11: Unsupported: item.index in array reduction constraint 'with' clause; treating as state
-   13 |      data.sum() with (item.index) <= 10;
-      |           ^~~
+%Warning-CONSTRAINTIGN: t/t_constraint_array_index_unsup.v:13:10: Unsupported: item.index in array reduction constraint 'with' clause; treating as state
+   13 |     data.sum() with (item.index) <= 10;
+      |          ^~~
                         ... For warning description see https://verilator.org/warn/CONSTRAINTIGN?v=latest
                         ... Use "/* verilator lint_off CONSTRAINTIGN */" and lint_on around source to disable this message.
 %Error: Exiting due to
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_constraint_array_limit.out b/test_regress/t/t_constraint_array_limit.out
index 2394ae08a..af6772013 100644
--- a/test_regress/t/t_constraint_array_limit.out
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_constraint_array_limit.out
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-%Warning-CONSTRAINTIGN: t/t_constraint_array_limit.v:15:10: Constraint array reduction ignored (array size 32 exceeds --constraint-array-limit of 16), treating as state
-   15 |     data.sum() with (item) < 1000;
-      |          ^~~
+%Warning-CONSTRAINTIGN: t/t_constraint_array_limit.v:16:22: Constraint array reduction ignored (array size 32 exceeds --constraint-array-limit of 16), treating as state
+   16 |   constraint c {data.sum() with (item) < 1000;}
+      |                      ^~~
                         ... For warning description see https://verilator.org/warn/CONSTRAINTIGN?v=latest
                         ... Use "/* verilator lint_off CONSTRAINTIGN */" and lint_on around source to disable this message.
 %Error: Exiting due to