diff --git a/py/showbc.c b/py/showbc.c
index ba7c309b31..9a7ff9e3be 100644
--- a/py/showbc.c
+++ b/py/showbc.c
@@ -206,25 +206,15 @@ void mp_show_byte_code(const byte *ip, int len) {
                 printf("POP_JUMP_IF_FALSE " UINT_FMT, ip + unum - ip_start);
                 break;
 
-                /*
             case MP_BC_JUMP_IF_TRUE_OR_POP:
                 DECODE_SLABEL;
-                if (rt_is_true(*sp)) {
-                    ip += unum;
-                } else {
-                    sp++;
-                }
+                printf("JUMP_IF_TRUE_OR_POP " UINT_FMT, ip + unum - ip_start);
                 break;
 
             case MP_BC_JUMP_IF_FALSE_OR_POP:
                 DECODE_SLABEL;
-                if (rt_is_true(*sp)) {
-                    sp++;
-                } else {
-                    ip += unum;
-                }
+                printf("JUMP_IF_FALSE_OR_POP " UINT_FMT, ip + unum - ip_start);
                 break;
-                */
 
             case MP_BC_SETUP_EXCEPT:
                 DECODE_ULABEL; // except labels are always forward
diff --git a/py/vm.c b/py/vm.c
index db219e4870..750c7431b7 100644
--- a/py/vm.c
+++ b/py/vm.c
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #define SET_TOP(val) *sp = (val)
 
 mp_obj_t mp_execute_byte_code(const byte *code, const mp_obj_t *args, uint n_args, uint n_state) {
+    n_state += 1; // XXX there is a bug somewhere which doesn't count enough state... (conwaylife and mandel have the bug)
+
     // allocate state for locals and stack
     mp_obj_t temp_state[10];
     mp_obj_t *state = &temp_state[0];
@@ -86,6 +88,8 @@ bool mp_execute_byte_code_2(const byte *code_info, const byte **ip_in_out, mp_ob
     machine_uint_t *volatile exc_sp = &exc_stack[0] - 1; // stack grows up, exc_sp points to top of stack
     const byte *volatile save_ip = ip; // this is so we can access ip in the exception handler without making ip volatile (which means the compiler can't keep it in a register in the main loop)
 
+    // TODO if an exception occurs, do fast[0,1,2] become invalid??
+
     // outer exception handling loop
     for (;;) {
         if (nlr_push(&nlr) == 0) {