diff --git a/compiler/rodutils.nim b/compiler/rodutils.nim
index 77f7c844f3..03d5c95eb3 100644
--- a/compiler/rodutils.nim
+++ b/compiler/rodutils.nim
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ proc toStrMaxPrecision*(f: BiggestFloat, literalPostfix = ""): string =
   else:
     var buf: array[0..80, char]
     c_sprintf(buf, "%#.16e" & literalPostfix, f)
-    result = $buf
+    result = newString(buf)
 
 proc encodeStr*(s: string, result: var string) =
   for i in countup(0, len(s) - 1):
@@ -133,4 +133,3 @@ iterator decodeStrArray*(s: cstring): string =
   while s[i] != '\0':
     yield decodeStr(s, i)
     if s[i] == ' ': inc i
-
diff --git a/lib/pure/os.nim b/lib/pure/os.nim
index 2195f6327e..5211bc00c8 100644
--- a/lib/pure/os.nim
+++ b/lib/pure/os.nim
@@ -1010,7 +1010,7 @@ iterator walkDir*(dir: string; relative=false): tuple[kind: PathComponent, path:
         while true:
           var x = readdir(d)
           if x == nil: break
-          var y = $x.d_name
+          var y = newString(x.d_name)
           if y != "." and y != "..":
             var s: Stat
             if not relative:
diff --git a/lib/system.nim b/lib/system.nim
index d62c0424eb..3dc892c442 100644
--- a/lib/system.nim
+++ b/lib/system.nim
@@ -1852,7 +1852,7 @@ proc `$` *(x: float): string {.magic: "FloatToStr", noSideEffect.}
 proc `$` *(x: bool): string {.magic: "BoolToStr", noSideEffect.}
   ## The stringify operator for a boolean argument. Returns `x`
   ## converted to the string "false" or "true".
-
+#
 proc `$` *(x: char): string {.magic: "CharToStr", noSideEffect.}
   ## The stringify operator for a character argument. Returns `x`
   ## converted to a string.
@@ -1872,6 +1872,27 @@ proc `$` *[Enum: enum](x: Enum): string {.magic: "EnumToStr", noSideEffect.}
   ## a ``$`` operator for a concrete enumeration is provided, this is
   ## used instead. (In other words: *Overwriting* is possible.)
 
+proc `$`*[T: ref](arg: T): string =
+  ## The stringify operator to handle the nil value of all ref types.
+  ## Then it forwards to stringify operator of the underlying (value) type.
+  if arg.isNil:
+    "nil"
+  else:
+    "ref " & $arg[]
+
+proc `$`*[T: ptr](arg: T): string =
+  ## The stringify operator to handle the nil value of all ptr types.
+  ## Then it forwards to stringify operator of the underlying (value) type.
+  if arg.isNil:
+    "nil"
+  else:
+    "ptr " & $arg[]
+
+proc newString*[N](data: array[N, char]): string =
+  ## Construct a string from an array of characters. The `data` is
+  ## expected to be a null terminated string as it is often used in C.
+  $(cast[cstring](data[0].unsafeAddr))
+
 # undocumented:
 proc getRefcount*[T](x: ref T): int {.importc: "getRefcount", noSideEffect.}
 proc getRefcount*(x: string): int {.importc: "getRefcount", noSideEffect.}
@@ -2410,20 +2431,25 @@ proc `$`*[T: tuple|object](x: T): string =
       result.add("...")
   result.add(")")
 
-proc collectionToString[T: set | seq](x: T, b, e: string): string =
-  when x is seq:
-    if x.isNil: return "nil"
-  result = b
+proc collectionToString[T](x: T, prefix, separator, suffix: string): string =
+  result = prefix
   var firstElement = true
   for value in items(x):
-    if not firstElement: result.add(", ")
+    if firstElement:
+      firstElement = false
+    else:
+      result.add(separator)
+
     when compiles(value.isNil):
-      if value.isNil: result.add "nil"
-      else: result.add($value)
+      # this branch should not be necessary
+      if value.isNil:
+        result.add "nil"
+      else:
+        result.add($value)
     else:
       result.add($value)
-    firstElement = false
-  result.add(e)
+
+  result.add(suffix)
 
 proc `$`*[T](x: set[T]): string =
   ## generic ``$`` operator for sets that is lifted from the components
@@ -2431,7 +2457,7 @@ proc `$`*[T](x: set[T]): string =
   ##
   ## .. code-block:: nim
   ##   ${23, 45} == "{23, 45}"
-  collectionToString(x, "{", "}")
+  collectionToString(x, "{", ", ", "}")
 
 proc `$`*[T](x: seq[T]): string =
   ## generic ``$`` operator for seqs that is lifted from the components
@@ -2439,13 +2465,10 @@ proc `$`*[T](x: seq[T]): string =
   ##
   ## .. code-block:: nim
   ##   $(@[23, 45]) == "@[23, 45]"
-  collectionToString(x, "@[", "]")
-
-when false:
-  # causes bootstrapping to fail as we use array of chars and cstring should
-  # match better ...
-  proc `$`*[T, IDX](x: array[IDX, T]): string =
-    collectionToString(x, "[", "]")
+  if x.isNil:
+    "nil"
+  else:
+    collectionToString(x, "@[", ", ", "]")
 
 # ----------------- GC interface ---------------------------------------------
 
@@ -3301,6 +3324,11 @@ elif defined(JS):
     include "system/sysio"
 
 
+proc `$`*[T, IDX](x: array[IDX, T]): string =
+  ## generic ``$`` operator for arrays that is lifted from the components
+  collectionToString(x, "[", ", ", "]")
+
+
 proc quit*(errormsg: string, errorcode = QuitFailure) {.noReturn.} =
   ## a shorthand for ``echo(errormsg); quit(errorcode)``.
   echo(errormsg)
diff --git a/lib/system/repr.nim b/lib/system/repr.nim
index ab02c58a2a..fcf65dd0e3 100644
--- a/lib/system/repr.nim
+++ b/lib/system/repr.nim
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ proc reprFloat(x: float): string {.compilerproc.} = return $x
 proc reprPointer(x: pointer): string {.compilerproc.} =
   var buf: array[0..59, char]
   discard c_sprintf(buf, "%p", x)
-  return $buf
+  return newString(buf)
 
 proc `$`(x: uint64): string =
   if x == 0:
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ proc `$`(x: uint64): string =
     let half = i div 2
     # Reverse
     for t in 0 .. < half: swap(buf[t], buf[i-t-1])
-    result = $buf
+    result = newString(buf)
 
 proc reprStrAux(result: var string, s: cstring; len: int) =
   if cast[pointer](s) == nil:
diff --git a/tests/system/toString.nim b/tests/system/toString.nim
index a2337f5dd4..f9697ec759 100644
--- a/tests/system/toString.nim
+++ b/tests/system/toString.nim
@@ -12,14 +12,16 @@ inf
 -inf
 nan
 nil
-nil'''
+nil
+(a: 0, b: nil)
+nil
+ptr (a: 0, b: nil)'''
 """
 
 echo($(@[23, 45]))
 echo($(@["", "foo", "bar"]))
 #echo($(["", "foo", "bar"]))
 #echo($([23, 45]))
-
 # bug #2395
 
 let alphaSet: set[char] = {'a'..'c'}
@@ -40,3 +42,30 @@ var x: seq[string]
 var y: string
 echo(x)
 echo(y)
+
+type
+  Foo = object
+    a: int
+    b: string
+
+var foo1: Foo
+var foo2: ref Foo
+var foo3: ptr Foo = foo1.addr
+
+echo foo1
+echo foo2
+echo foo3
+
+const
+  data = @['a','b', '\0', 'c','d']
+  dataStr = $data
+
+# ensure same result when on VM or when at program execution
+doAssert dataStr == $data
+
+import strutils
+# array test
+let arr = ['H','e','l','l','o',' ','W','o','r','l','d','!','\0']
+
+doAssert startsWith($arr, "[H, e, l, l, o,  , W, o, r, l, d, !,")
+doAssert newString(arr) == "Hello World!"