diff --git a/compiler/rodread.nim b/compiler/rodread.nim
index e997fa3f68..6e5e1fb032 100755
--- a/compiler/rodread.nim
+++ b/compiler/rodread.nim
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ type
   PRodReader* = ref TRodReader
 
 const 
-  FileVersion* = "1018"       # modify this if the rod-format changes!
+  FileVersion* = "1019"       # modify this if the rod-format changes!
 
 var rodCompilerprocs*: TStrTable
 
diff --git a/compiler/rodwrite.nim b/compiler/rodwrite.nim
index ed81708d97..30cbe29426 100755
--- a/compiler/rodwrite.nim
+++ b/compiler/rodwrite.nim
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ proc encodeSym(w: PRodWriter, s: PSym, result: var string) =
     if not astNeeded(s):
       codeAst = s.ast.sons[codePos]
       # ugly hack to not store the AST:
-      s.ast.sons[codePos] = nil
+      s.ast.sons[codePos] = ast.emptyNode
     encodeNode(w, s.info, s.ast, result)
     if codeAst != nil:
       # resore the AST:
diff --git a/examples/hallo.nim b/examples/hallo.nim
index 58b7f62819..c8a4a3a8c1 100755
--- a/examples/hallo.nim
+++ b/examples/hallo.nim
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # Hello world program
 
-echo "Hello world!"
+echo "Hello World!"
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index 2bcab20ab6..ff27644ec5 100755
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ incremental compilation
   - test thread var
   - test method generation
   - test DLL interfacing!
+  - hallo.rod is missing initial statements: feature or bug?
 - fix remaining bugs
 - write documentation
 - make the compiler output a warning if linking fails with --symbolFiles:on