diff --git a/shell/evaluate.mu b/shell/evaluate.mu
index 0a9aa5d5..fae2519c 100644
--- a/shell/evaluate.mu
+++ b/shell/evaluate.mu
@@ -85,6 +85,15 @@ fn evaluate _in: (addr handle cell), out: (addr handle cell), env-h: (handle cel
     trace-higher trace
     return
   }
+  compare *in-type, 3/stream
+  {
+    break-if-!=
+    # numbers are literals
+    trace-text trace, "eval", "stream"
+    copy-object _in, out
+    trace-higher trace
+    return
+  }
   compare *in-type, 2/symbol
   {
     break-if-!=
diff --git a/shell/parse.mu b/shell/parse.mu
index 1fc74214..03e0488e 100644
--- a/shell/parse.mu
+++ b/shell/parse.mu
@@ -175,9 +175,20 @@ fn parse-atom _curr-token: (addr cell), _out: (addr handle cell), trace: (addr t
     }
     return
   }
-  # default: symbol
-  # just copy token data
-  allocate-symbol _out
+  # default: copy either to a symbol or a stream
+  # stream token -> literal
+  var stream-token?/eax: boolean <- stream-token? curr-token
+  compare stream-token?, 0/false
+  {
+    break-if-=
+    allocate-stream _out
+  }
+  compare stream-token?, 0/false
+  {
+    break-if-!=
+    allocate-symbol _out
+  }
+  # copy token data
   var out/eax: (addr handle cell) <- copy _out
   var out-addr/eax: (addr cell) <- lookup *out
   var curr-token-data-ah/ecx: (addr handle stream byte) <- get curr-token, text-data
diff --git a/shell/sandbox.mu b/shell/sandbox.mu
index ad5c0a15..68ea1060 100644
--- a/shell/sandbox.mu
+++ b/shell/sandbox.mu
@@ -885,6 +885,23 @@ fn test-run-multiple-expressions-after-dot {
   # further errors may occur
 }
 
+fn test-run-stream {
+  var sandbox-storage: sandbox
+  var sandbox/esi: (addr sandbox) <- address sandbox-storage
+  initialize-sandbox-with sandbox, "[a b]"
+  # eval
+  edit-sandbox sandbox, 0x13/ctrl-s, 0/no-globals, 0/no-disk, 0/no-screen, 0/no-tweak-screen
+  # setup: screen
+  var screen-on-stack: screen
+  var screen/edi: (addr screen) <- address screen-on-stack
+  initialize-screen screen, 0x80/width, 0x10/height, 0/no-pixel-graphics
+  #
+  render-sandbox screen, sandbox, 0/x, 0/y, 0x80/width, 0x10/height
+  check-screen-row screen, 0/y, "[a b]    ", "F - test-run-stream/0"
+  check-screen-row screen, 1/y, "...      ", "F - test-run-stream/1"
+  check-screen-row screen, 2/y, "=> [a b] ", "F - test-run-stream/2"
+}
+
 fn test-run-move-cursor-into-trace {
   var sandbox-storage: sandbox
   var sandbox/esi: (addr sandbox) <- address sandbox-storage
diff --git a/shell/tokenize.mu b/shell/tokenize.mu
index 1293e91f..46ca0a6b 100644
--- a/shell/tokenize.mu
+++ b/shell/tokenize.mu
@@ -624,6 +624,13 @@ fn number-token? _in: (addr cell) -> _/eax: boolean {
 
 fn bracket-token? _in: (addr cell) -> _/eax: boolean {
   var in/eax: (addr cell) <- copy _in
+  {
+    var in-type/eax: (addr int) <- get in, type
+    compare *in-type, 3/stream
+    break-if-!=
+    # streams are never paren tokens
+    return 0/false
+  }
   var in-data-ah/eax: (addr handle stream byte) <- get in, text-data
   var in-data/eax: (addr stream byte) <- lookup *in-data-ah
   rewind-stream in-data