diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index ee27aaa..19addca 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ install: all
 		  fi; \
 		done
 
-bas.pot: [a-b]*.[ch] [e-s]*.[ch] v*.[ch]
-		xgettext --add-comments --keyword=_ [a-b]*.[ch] [e-s]*.[ch] v*.[ch] && test -f messages.po && mv messages.po $@
+bas.pot: src
+		xgettext --add-comments --keyword=_ src/[a-b]*.[ch] src/[e-s]*.[ch] src/v*.[ch] && test -f messages.po && mv messages.po $@
 
 bas.pdf: bas.1
 		groff -Tps -t -man bas.1 | ps2pdf - $@
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e8e3bae..689a390 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,14 +1,3 @@
-Changes compared to version 2.4
+Changes compared to version 2.5
 
-o  truncate bug fixed
-o  Multi line if with hanging comment works now
-o  Add files command
-o  Fixed bug in expression parser
-o  OPTION BASE bug fixed
-o  Matrix inversion test improved
-o  WIDTH 0 bug fixed
-o  Missing error check on multi assignments added
-o  Wrong FOR loop management fixed
-o  Replaced wrong int assignment with long assignment for integers
-o  unnum bugs fixed
-o  HP-UX build works again
+o  STEP expression only evaluated once
diff --git a/bas.1.in b/bas.1.in
index 0bbbf33..c0f1ca6 100644
--- a/bas.1.in
+++ b/bas.1.in
@@ -220,20 +220,20 @@ Only the meta characters \fB*?[]\fP are passed through.
 .\"}}}
 .IP "\fBfor\fP \fIlvalue\fP \fB=\fP \fIexpression\fP \fBto\fP \fIexpression\fP [\fBstep\fP \fIexpression\fP]" \"{{{
 .IP "\fBnext\fP \fIlvalue\fP{\fB,\fP\fIlvalue\fP}"
-The \fBfor\fP loop performs the initial variable assignment and then
-executes the statements inside the loop, if the variable is lower or equal
-than the limit (or greater than for negative steps).  The \fBnext\fP
-statement verifies if the variable already reached the value of the
-\fBto\fP \fIexpression\fP.  If not, it increments if by the value of
-the \fBstep\fP \fIexpression\fP and causes a new repetition.  A missing
-\fBstep\fP \fIexpression\fP is treated as \fBstep 1\fP.  The \fBnext\fP
-statement may be followed by a list of lvalues.  Due to the dynamic variable
-geometry, the lvalues themselves
-are only checked for belonging to the same variable as those in \fBfor\fP.
-If no lvalues are given, the
-innermost loop is terminated.  For loops can be left by \fBexit for\fP.
-Note: That statement is not offered by all BASIC dialects and most restrict
-loop variables to scalar variables.
+The \fBfor\fP loop performs the initial variable assignment and evaluates
+the \fBstep\fP \fIexpression\fP, storing the value.  Then it executes the
+statements inside the loop, if the variable is lower or equal than the
+limit (or greater than for negative steps).  The \fBnext\fP statement
+verifies if the variable already reached the value of the \fBto\fP
+\fIexpression\fP.  If not, it increments if by the evaluated \fBstep\fP
+value and causes a new repetition.  A missing \fBstep\fP \fIexpression\fP
+is treated as \fBstep 1\fP.  The \fBnext\fP statement may be followed
+by a list of lvalues.  Due to the dynamic variable geometry, the lvalues
+themselves are only checked for belonging to the same variable as those
+in \fBfor\fP.  If no lvalues are given, the innermost loop is terminated.
+For loops can be left by \fBexit for\fP.  Note: That statement is not
+offered by all BASIC dialects and most restrict loop variables to scalar
+variables.
 .\"}}}
 .IP "\fBget\fP [\fB#\fP]\fIchannel%\fP [\fB,\fP\fIrecord\fP]" \"{{{
 Read the record buffer of \fIchannel%\fP from the file it is connected to,
diff --git a/bas.pdf b/bas.pdf
index ee13545..9190e6a 100644
Binary files a/bas.pdf and b/bas.pdf differ
diff --git a/bas.pot b/bas.pot
index 9ae8f57..7bd06e2 100644
--- a/bas.pot
+++ b/bas.pot
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ msgid ""
 msgstr ""
 "Project-Id-Version: PACKAGE VERSION\n"
 "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: \n"
-"POT-Creation-Date: 2019-04-23 20:56+0200\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2019-07-02 20:25+0200\n"
 "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"
 "Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n"
 "Language-Team: LANGUAGE <LL@li.org>\n"
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "length"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: bas.c:801 bas.c:848 statement.c:1720
+#: bas.c:801 bas.c:848 statement.c:1723
 msgid "rhs"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -807,11 +807,11 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "time"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: global.c:763 global.c:780 statement.c:179 statement.c:1037 statement.c:1257
-#: statement.c:1436 statement.c:1639 statement.c:1844 statement.c:2193
-#: statement.c:2313 statement.c:2528 statement.c:2859 statement.c:2866
-#: statement.c:2938 statement.c:3086 statement.c:3876 statement.c:3998
-#: statement.c:4032 statement.c:4091
+#: global.c:763 global.c:780 statement.c:179 statement.c:1037 statement.c:1260
+#: statement.c:1439 statement.c:1642 statement.c:1847 statement.c:2196
+#: statement.c:2316 statement.c:2531 statement.c:2856 statement.c:2863
+#: statement.c:2935 statement.c:3083 statement.c:3873 statement.c:3995
+#: statement.c:4029 statement.c:4088
 msgid "channel"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Logarithm of negative value"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: global.c:1208 statement.c:2659
+#: global.c:1208 statement.c:2662
 msgid "limit"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -952,8 +952,8 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "string"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:570 statement.c:1404 statement.c:1532 statement.c:2598
-#: statement.c:2606 statement.c:2869 statement.c:3478
+#: statement.c:570 statement.c:1407 statement.c:1535 statement.c:2601
+#: statement.c:2609 statement.c:2866 statement.c:3475
 msgid "file name"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -977,117 +977,113 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "file specification"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:1236
+#: statement.c:1239
 msgid "implicit STEP 1:"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:1276
+#: statement.c:1279
 msgid "record number"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:1294
+#: statement.c:1297
 msgid "`put'/`get' data"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:1469 statement.c:1879 statement.c:2249
+#: statement.c:1472 statement.c:1882 statement.c:2252
 msgid "end of file"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:1605 statement.c:1611
+#: statement.c:1608 statement.c:1614
 msgid "row"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:1616 statement.c:1622
+#: statement.c:1619 statement.c:1625
 msgid "column"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:1677 statement.c:1777 statement.c:3906 statement.c:3966
+#: statement.c:1680 statement.c:1780 statement.c:3903 statement.c:3963
 msgid "condition"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:1952
+#: statement.c:1955
 msgid "Too much input data\n"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:2041
+#: statement.c:2044
 msgid "factor"
 msgstr ""
 
 #. }}}
-#: statement.c:2181
+#: statement.c:2184
 msgid "matrix"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:2335 statement.c:3108
+#: statement.c:2338 statement.c:3105
 msgid "format string"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:2665
-msgid "step"
-msgstr ""
-
-#: statement.c:2746 statement.c:3515
+#: statement.c:2743 statement.c:3512
 msgid "selector"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:2836
+#: statement.c:2833
 msgid "mode or file"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:2879 statement.c:2891 statement.c:2964 statement.c:2976
+#: statement.c:2876 statement.c:2888 statement.c:2961 statement.c:2973
 msgid "record length"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3018
+#: statement.c:3015
 msgid "array subscript base"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3054 statement.c:3927
+#: statement.c:3051 statement.c:3924
 msgid "address"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3059
+#: statement.c:3056
 msgid "output value"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3176
+#: statement.c:3173
 msgid "count"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3247
+#: statement.c:3244
 msgid "random number generator seed"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3290
+#: statement.c:3287
 msgid "source file"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3303
+#: statement.c:3300
 msgid "destination file"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3742 statement.c:3749
+#: statement.c:3739 statement.c:3746
 msgid "pause"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3829
+#: statement.c:3826
 msgid "Quit without saving? (y/n) "
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3836
+#: statement.c:3833
 msgid "yes"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3932
+#: statement.c:3929
 msgid "mask"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:3938
+#: statement.c:3935
 msgid "select"
 msgstr ""
 
 #. }}}
-#: statement.c:4014 statement.c:4097
+#: statement.c:4011 statement.c:4094
 msgid "zone width"
 msgstr ""
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index fe1999a..a6eca8f 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2229,8 +2229,8 @@ IFS=$ac_save_IFS
 case $host_os in *\ *) host_os=`echo "$host_os" | sed 's/ /-/g'`;; esac
 
 
-VERSION=2.5
-UPDATED='April 23, 2019'
+VERSION=2.6
+UPDATED='July 2, 2019'
 
 ALL_LINGUAS="de"
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index b0bf1c8..e1d04d2 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 AC_INIT(src/bas.c)
 AC_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
-VERSION=2.5
-UPDATED='April 23, 2019'
+VERSION=2.6
+UPDATED='July 2, 2019'
 
 ALL_LINGUAS="de"
 
diff --git a/de.po b/de.po
index f66f077..ecebbe5 100644
--- a/de.po
+++ b/de.po
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ msgid ""
 msgstr ""
 "Project-Id-Version: bas 1.2\n"
 "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: \n"
-"POT-Creation-Date: 2019-04-23 20:56+0200\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2019-07-02 20:25+0200\n"
 "PO-Revision-Date: 2002-11-09 18:26+0100\n"
 "Last-Translator: Michael Haardt <michael@moria.de>\n"
 "Language-Team: Deutsch <michael@moria.de>\n"
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ msgstr "Position"
 msgid "length"
 msgstr "Länge"
 
-#: bas.c:801 bas.c:848 statement.c:1720
+#: bas.c:801 bas.c:848 statement.c:1723
 msgid "rhs"
 msgstr "rechte Seite"
 
@@ -807,11 +807,11 @@ msgstr "Argumentnummer"
 msgid "time"
 msgstr "Zeit"
 
-#: global.c:763 global.c:780 statement.c:179 statement.c:1037 statement.c:1257
-#: statement.c:1436 statement.c:1639 statement.c:1844 statement.c:2193
-#: statement.c:2313 statement.c:2528 statement.c:2859 statement.c:2866
-#: statement.c:2938 statement.c:3086 statement.c:3876 statement.c:3998
-#: statement.c:4032 statement.c:4091
+#: global.c:763 global.c:780 statement.c:179 statement.c:1037 statement.c:1260
+#: statement.c:1439 statement.c:1642 statement.c:1847 statement.c:2196
+#: statement.c:2316 statement.c:2531 statement.c:2856 statement.c:2863
+#: statement.c:2935 statement.c:3083 statement.c:3873 statement.c:3995
+#: statement.c:4029 statement.c:4088
 msgid "channel"
 msgstr "Kanal"
 
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ msgstr "Start"
 msgid "Logarithm of negative value"
 msgstr "Logarithmus von negativem Wert"
 
-#: global.c:1208 statement.c:2659
+#: global.c:1208 statement.c:2662
 msgid "limit"
 msgstr "Grenze"
 
@@ -959,8 +959,8 @@ msgstr "Rahmenfarbe"
 msgid "string"
 msgstr "Zeichenkette"
 
-#: statement.c:570 statement.c:1404 statement.c:1532 statement.c:2598
-#: statement.c:2606 statement.c:2869 statement.c:3478
+#: statement.c:570 statement.c:1407 statement.c:1535 statement.c:2601
+#: statement.c:2609 statement.c:2866 statement.c:3475
 msgid "file name"
 msgstr "Dateiname"
 
@@ -984,117 +984,113 @@ msgstr "Feldbreite"
 msgid "file specification"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: statement.c:1236
+#: statement.c:1239
 msgid "implicit STEP 1:"
 msgstr "Impliziter Schritt 1:"
 
-#: statement.c:1276
+#: statement.c:1279
 msgid "record number"
 msgstr "Datensatznummer"
 
-#: statement.c:1294
+#: statement.c:1297
 msgid "`put'/`get' data"
 msgstr "`put'/`get' Daten"
 
-#: statement.c:1469 statement.c:1879 statement.c:2249
+#: statement.c:1472 statement.c:1882 statement.c:2252
 msgid "end of file"
 msgstr "Dateiende"
 
-#: statement.c:1605 statement.c:1611
+#: statement.c:1608 statement.c:1614
 msgid "row"
 msgstr "Zeile"
 
-#: statement.c:1616 statement.c:1622
+#: statement.c:1619 statement.c:1625
 msgid "column"
 msgstr "Spalte"
 
-#: statement.c:1677 statement.c:1777 statement.c:3906 statement.c:3966
+#: statement.c:1680 statement.c:1780 statement.c:3903 statement.c:3963
 msgid "condition"
 msgstr "Bedingung"
 
-#: statement.c:1952
+#: statement.c:1955
 msgid "Too much input data\n"
 msgstr "Zu viele Eingabedaten\n"
 
-#: statement.c:2041
+#: statement.c:2044
 msgid "factor"
 msgstr "Faktor"
 
 #. }}}
-#: statement.c:2181
+#: statement.c:2184
 msgid "matrix"
 msgstr "Matrix"
 
-#: statement.c:2335 statement.c:3108
+#: statement.c:2338 statement.c:3105
 msgid "format string"
 msgstr "Formatzeichenkette"
 
-#: statement.c:2665
-msgid "step"
-msgstr "Schrittweite"
-
-#: statement.c:2746 statement.c:3515
+#: statement.c:2743 statement.c:3512
 msgid "selector"
 msgstr "Auswahl"
 
-#: statement.c:2836
+#: statement.c:2833
 msgid "mode or file"
 msgstr "Modus oder Datei"
 
-#: statement.c:2879 statement.c:2891 statement.c:2964 statement.c:2976
+#: statement.c:2876 statement.c:2888 statement.c:2961 statement.c:2973
 msgid "record length"
 msgstr "Satzlänge"
 
-#: statement.c:3018
+#: statement.c:3015
 msgid "array subscript base"
 msgstr "Feldindexbasis"
 
-#: statement.c:3054 statement.c:3927
+#: statement.c:3051 statement.c:3924
 msgid "address"
 msgstr "Adresse"
 
-#: statement.c:3059
+#: statement.c:3056
 msgid "output value"
 msgstr "Ausgabewert"
 
-#: statement.c:3176
+#: statement.c:3173
 msgid "count"
 msgstr "Anzahl"
 
-#: statement.c:3247
+#: statement.c:3244
 msgid "random number generator seed"
 msgstr "Zufallszahlengenerator Start"
 
-#: statement.c:3290
+#: statement.c:3287
 msgid "source file"
 msgstr "Quelldatei"
 
-#: statement.c:3303
+#: statement.c:3300
 msgid "destination file"
 msgstr "Zieldatei"
 
-#: statement.c:3742 statement.c:3749
+#: statement.c:3739 statement.c:3746
 msgid "pause"
 msgstr "Pause"
 
-#: statement.c:3829
+#: statement.c:3826
 msgid "Quit without saving? (y/n) "
 msgstr "Beenden ohne zu speichern? (j/n) "
 
-#: statement.c:3836
+#: statement.c:3833
 msgid "yes"
 msgstr "ja"
 
-#: statement.c:3932
+#: statement.c:3929
 msgid "mask"
 msgstr "Maske"
 
-#: statement.c:3938
+#: statement.c:3935
 msgid "select"
 msgstr "Auswahl"
 
 #. }}}
-#: statement.c:4014 statement.c:4097
+#: statement.c:4011 statement.c:4094
 msgid "zone width"
 msgstr "Zonenbreite"
 
@@ -1110,6 +1106,9 @@ msgstr "Unpaariges \\ im Format"
 msgid "array index"
 msgstr "Feldindex"
 
+#~ msgid "step"
+#~ msgstr "Schrittweite"
+
 #~ msgid "operand"
 #~ msgstr "Operand"
 
diff --git a/src/statement.c b/src/statement.c
index 2486c31..e5fb1ba 100644
--- a/src/statement.c
+++ b/src/statement.c
@@ -1174,19 +1174,22 @@ struct Value *stmt_FOR(struct Value *value) /*{{{*/
         assert(limit.type!=V_ERROR);
         if (pc.token->type==T_STEP) /* STEP x */ /*{{{*/
         {
-            struct Pc stepPc;
+            struct Pc stepPc,stepValuePc;
 
-            ++pc.token;
             stepPc=pc;
+            ++pc.token;
+            stepValuePc=pc;
             if (eval(&stepValue,"`step'")->type==V_ERROR)
             {
                 Value_destroy(value);
                 *value=stepValue;
-                pc=stepPc;
+                pc=stepValuePc;
                 return value;
             }
             Value_retype(&stepValue,value->type);
             assert(stepValue.type!=V_ERROR);
+            Value_destroy(&stepPc.token->u.step);
+            Value_clone(&stepPc.token->u.step,&stepValue);
         }
         /*}}}*/
         else /* implicit numeric STEP */ /*{{{*/
@@ -2723,13 +2726,7 @@ struct Value *stmt_NEXT(struct Value *value) /*{{{*/
             assert(value->type!=V_ERROR);
             if (pc.token->type==T_STEP)
             {
-                ++pc.token;
-                if (eval(&inc,_("step"))->type==V_ERROR)
-                {
-                    Value_destroy(value);
-                    *value=inc;
-                    return value;
-                }
+                Value_clone(&inc,&pc.token->u.step);
             }
             else VALUE_NEW_INTEGER(&inc,1);
             VALUE_RETYPE(&inc,l->type);
diff --git a/src/token.h b/src/token.h
index 2d5f04b..ac0539e 100644
--- a/src/token.h
+++ b/src/token.h
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ struct Token
         /* T_SHELL              */
         /* T_SLEEP              */
         /* T_SPC                */
-        /* T_STEP               */
+        /* T_STEP               */ struct Value step;
         /* T_STOP               */
         /* T_STRING             */ struct String *string;
         /* T_SUB                */ /* struct Symbol *localSyms; */
diff --git a/src/token.l b/src/token.l
index ca5511a..743fa83 100644
--- a/src/token.l
+++ b/src/token.l
@@ -1002,7 +1002,13 @@ end[ \t]+function	{
                           return T_SLEEP;
                         }
 "spc"			return T_SPC;
-"step"          	return T_STEP;
+"step"			{
+                          if (cur)
+                          {
+                            Value_new_NIL(&cur->u.step);
+                          }
+                          return T_STEP;
+                        }
 "stop"          	{
                           if (cur)
                           {
@@ -1479,7 +1485,7 @@ void Token_destroy(struct Token *token) /*{{{*/
       case T_SHELL:             break;
       case T_SLEEP:             break;
       case T_SPC:               break;
-      case T_STEP:              break;
+      case T_STEP:              Value_destroy(&r->u.step); break;
       case T_STOP:              break;
       case T_STRING:            String_destroy(r->u.string); free(r->u.string); break;
       case T_SUB:               break;
diff --git a/test/test56 b/test/test56
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..27622d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test56
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+echo -n $0: 'FOR STEP evaluation... '
+
+cat >test.bas <<'eof'
+10 let I1=-3
+20 let K=1
+30 for I1=I1 to -20 step I1
+40   print K,I1
+50   let K=K+1
+60 next I1
+70 print "AFTER: ",I1
+80 end
+eof
+
+cat >test.ref <<'eof'
+ 1            -3 
+ 2            -6 
+ 3            -9 
+ 4            -12 
+ 5            -15 
+ 6            -18 
+AFTER:        -21 
+eof
+
+sh ./test/runbas test.bas >test.data
+
+if cmp test.ref test.data
+then
+  rm -f test.*
+  echo passed
+else
+  echo failed
+  exit 1
+fi
+