diff --git a/jumpforth.S b/jumpforth.S
index 3b8b876..4bab12a 100644
--- a/jumpforth.S
+++ b/jumpforth.S
@@ -1366,7 +1366,8 @@ defword INTERPRET
    .int     LIT,LITSTRING,COMMA,HERE,LIT,0,COMMABYTE
    .int     READSTRING,ROT,STOREBYTE,DROP,ALIGN,EXIT
    /*     ELSE */
-0: .int     READSTRING,EXIT
+   litstring "Tried to interpret a string literal\n"
+   .int     TYPE,BAILOUT
    /*   ELSE */
 1: .int   WORD,TWODUP,PARSENUMBER,ZBRANCH,(3f - .)
    .int     NROT,TWODROP