diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f8dff7d..a2bbda7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 nds
 *.txt
 callgrind*
-test.nim
-test
 .vscode
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0f4b641..51bc0b3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,6 +33,6 @@ The 4 steps to a REPL:
 ```
 git clone https://github.com/prod2/nondescript
 cd nondescript
-nim c main
+./build.sh
 ./nds
 ```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..53c4640
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+nim c --gc:arc -d:danger --out:nds main
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config.nim b/config.nim
index fefc760..5cd0f1a 100644
--- a/config.nim
+++ b/config.nim
@@ -6,13 +6,17 @@ type
 # compiler debug options
 const debugScanner* = false
 const debugCompiler* = false
-const debugDumpChunk* = false
+const debugDumpChunk* = defined(debug)
 const assertionsCompiler* = true # sanity checks in the compiler
 # vm debug options (setting any to true will slow runtime down!)
 const debugVM* = false
 const assertionsVM* = false # sanity checks in the VM, such as the stack being empty at the end
 const profileInstructions* = false # if true, the time spent on every opcode is measured
 
+const compileTests* = defined(debug)
+# if true, the nim part of the test suite will be compiled in main
+# it will be possible to start it using ./nds --test
+
 # choose a line editor for the repl
 const lineEditor = leRdstdin
 
diff --git a/debug.sh b/debug.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a3ca3be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debug.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+nim c --gc:arc -d:debug --out:nds main
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.nim b/main.nim
index a082e3d..b698bdd 100644
--- a/main.nim
+++ b/main.nim
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 import vm
 import compiler
-import os
 import config
 
+import os
+import strformat
+
+when compileTests:
+  import tests/hashtable
+
 type Result = enum
   rsOK, rsCompileError, rsRuntimeError
 
@@ -36,6 +41,21 @@ proc runFile(path: string) =
   of rsOK:
     quit 0
 
+proc runTests =
+  when compileTests:
+    testHashtables()
+  else:
+    echo "Nds was compiled without nim tests. Please change the flag and recompile, then tests will be available."
+    quit 1
+
+proc printUsage =
+  echo """Usage:
+- Start a repl: nds
+- Run a file: nds path/to/script.nds
+- Run the nim half of the test suite: nds --test
+- Print this message: nds --help or nds -h
+"""
+
 const hardcodedPath* = ""
 
 if paramCount() == 0:
@@ -44,7 +64,22 @@ if paramCount() == 0:
   else:
     runFile(hardcodedPath)
 elif paramCount() == 1:
-  runFile(paramStr(1))
+  let arg = paramStr(1)
+  if arg[0] != '-':
+    runFile(paramStr(1))
+  else:
+    case arg:
+      of "--test":
+        when defined(danger) or defined(release):
+          echo "WARNING: nds was compiled with -d:danger or -d:release, tests are only supported on -d:debug!"
+        runTests()
+      of "--help":
+        printUsage()
+        quit 0
+      else:
+        echo &"Unsupported flag {arg}."
+        printUsage()
+        quit 1
 else:
   echo "Maximum param count is 1"
   quit 1
diff --git a/nim.cfg b/nim.cfg
deleted file mode 100644
index ff13d7a..0000000
--- a/nim.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-gc:arc
-d:danger
-out:nds
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/hashtable.nim b/tests/hashtable.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..941fee5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hashtable.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import ../types/hashtable
+
+import strformat
+
+proc hash*(str: string): int =
+  var hash = 2166136261'u32
+  for i in countup(0, str.len - 1):
+    hash = hash xor (str[i]).uint32
+    hash *= 16777619
+  return hash.int
+
+proc testHashtables* =
+  var tbl = newTable[string, int]()
+
+  var val: int
+
+  assert tbl.tableSet("hello", 1) == false
+  assert tbl.tableGet("hello", val) == true
+  assert val == 1
+  assert tbl.tableSet("hello", 4) == true
+  assert tbl.tableGet("hello", val) == true
+  assert val == 4
+  assert tbl.tableGet("hellw", val) == false
+  assert val == 4
+  assert tbl.tableDelete("hello") == true
+  val = 0
+  assert tbl.tableGet("hello", val) == false
+  assert val == 0
+
+  for i in countup(0, 10000):
+    assert tbl.tableSet($i, i) == false
+    assert tbl.tableget($i, val) == true
+    assert val == i
+    assert tbl.tableSet($i, i * 2) == true
+    assert tbl.tableget($i, val) == true
+    assert val == i * 2
+    assert tbl.tableSet($i, i * 4) == true
+    assert tbl.tableget($i, val) == true
+    assert val == i * 4
+    if i mod 5 == 0:
+      assert tbl.tableDelete($i) == true
+      assert tbl.tableDelete($i) == false
+
+  for i in countup(0, 10000):
+    if i mod 5 == 0:
+      assert tbl.tableGet($i, val) == false
+    else:
+      assert tbl.tableGet($i, val) == true
+      assert val == i * 4
+
+  tbl.free()
+
+  echo "Hashtable test finished"
diff --git a/types/hashtable.nim b/types/hashtable.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47278bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/types/hashtable.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+# The hash table implementation for string interning
+
+import strformat
+
+const tableMaxLoad = 0.75
+const tableInitSize = 8
+
+type
+  EntryStatus = enum
+    esNil, esAlive, esTombstone
+
+  Entry*[U, V] = object
+    entryStatus: EntryStatus
+    key: U
+    value: V
+
+  Table*[U, V] = object
+    count: int
+    cap: int
+    entries: ptr UncheckedArray[Entry[U, V]]
+
+proc newTable*[U, V]: Table[U, V] =
+  result.cap = 0
+  result.count = 0
+
+proc free*[U, V](tbl: var Table[U, V]) =
+  if tbl.entries != nil:
+    dealloc(tbl.entries)
+
+proc isNil[U, V](entry: ptr Entry[U, V]): bool {.inline.} =
+  entry[].entryStatus == esNil
+
+proc isTombstone[U, V](entry: ptr Entry[U, V]): bool {.inline.} =
+  entry[].entryStatus == esTombstone
+
+proc isAlive[U, V](entry: ptr Entry[U, V]): bool {.inline.} =
+  entry[].entryStatus == esAlive
+
+proc findEntry[U, V](entries: ptr UncheckedArray[Entry[U, V]], cap: int, key: U): ptr Entry[U, V] =
+  var index = key.hash() mod cap # TODO replace mod with sth better
+  var tombstone: ptr Entry[U, V] = nil
+  while true:
+    let entry: ptr Entry[U, V] = entries[index].addr # TODO: check the performance impact of this line
+    if entry.isNil():
+      return if tombstone != nil: tombstone else: entry
+    elif entry.isTombstone(): # TODO: optimalization: case statement
+      if tombstone == nil:
+        tombstone = entry
+    elif entry[].key == key:
+      return entry
+    index = (index + 1) mod cap # TODO replace mod with sth better
+
+proc grow[U, V](tbl: var Table[U, V]): int {.inline.} =
+  ## Calculates the new capacity
+  if tbl.cap > 0:
+    tbl.cap * 2
+  else:
+    tableInitSize
+
+proc adjustCapacity[U, V](tbl: var Table[U, V], newcap: int) =
+  let entries: ptr UncheckedArray[Entry[U, V]] = cast[ptr UncheckedArray[Entry[U, V]]](alloc0(newcap * sizeof(Entry[U, V])))
+  tbl.count = 0
+  
+  for i in countup(0, tbl.cap-1):
+    let entry = tbl.entries[i]
+    if entry.entryStatus == esAlive:
+      var dest = findEntry(entries, newcap, entry.key)
+      dest[].key = entry.key
+      dest[].value = entry.value
+      dest[].entryStatus = esAlive
+      tbl.count.inc
+
+  if tbl.entries != nil:
+    dealloc(tbl.entries)
+
+  tbl.entries = entries
+  tbl.cap = newcap
+
+proc tableSet*[U, V](tbl: var Table[U, V], key: U, val: V): bool =
+  ## Returns false if new value is entered
+  ## True if the value entered already existed and is overwritten
+  if tbl.count + 1 > int(tbl.cap.float * tableMaxLoad):
+    let cap = tbl.grow()
+    tbl.adjustCapacity(cap)
+  let entry: ptr Entry[U, V] = findEntry(tbl.entries, tbl.cap, key)
+  let status = entry[].entryStatus
+  if status == esNil:
+    tbl.count.inc
+  elif status == esAlive:
+    result = true
+  entry[].key = key
+  entry[].value = val
+  entry[].entryStatus = esAlive
+
+proc tableGet*[U, V](tbl: Table[U, V], key: U, val: var V): bool =
+  ## Returns false if not in table
+  ## Returns true if in the table, sets value to val
+  if tbl.count == 0:
+    return false
+
+  let entry = findEntry(tbl.entries, tbl.cap, key)
+  if not entry.isAlive():
+    return false
+
+  val = entry[].value
+  return true
+
+
+
+proc tableDelete*[U, V](tbl: Table[U, V], key: U): bool =
+  if tbl.count == 0:
+    return false
+  
+  let entry = findEntry(tbl.entries, tbl.cap, key)
+  if not entry.isAlive():
+    return false
+
+  entry[].entryStatus = esTombstone
+  return true
+  
diff --git a/types/ndstring.nim b/types/ndstring.nim
index 2642b8c..952d193 100644
--- a/types/ndstring.nim
+++ b/types/ndstring.nim
@@ -16,4 +16,14 @@ proc `$`*(ndStr: NdString): string =
 
 proc `&`*(left, right: NdString): NdString =
   # TODO optimize this later when strings will be benchmarked
-  newString($left & $right)
\ No newline at end of file
+  newString($left & $right)
+
+proc free*(ndStr: var NdString) =
+  dealloc(ndStr)
+
+proc hash*(ndStr: NdString): int =
+  var hash = 2166136261'u32
+  for i in countup(0, ndStr.len.int - 1):
+    hash = hash xor (ndStr.chars[i]).uint32
+    hash *= 16777619
+  return hash.int
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/types/stack.nim b/types/stack.nim
index 13cd51e..45d0287 100644
--- a/types/stack.nim
+++ b/types/stack.nim
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ proc newStack*[T](startingCap: int): Stack[T] =
   result.top = result.start.psub(sizeof(T))
   result.cap = startingCap
 
-proc destroyStack*[T](stack: var Stack[T]) =
+proc free*[T](stack: var Stack[T]) =
   ## dealloc's the stack object
   ## if the stack contains pointers, those should be freed before destroying the stack
   stack.cap = 0
diff --git a/value.nim b/value.nim
index 01f9611..cdf6d8b 100644
--- a/value.nim
+++ b/value.nim
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ proc equal*(val, right: NdValue): bool =
       of ntNil:
         true
       of ntString:
+        # TODO this was meant for nim strings, not ndStrings, FIXME!
         val.stringValue == right.stringValue
       of ntFunct:
         val.entryII == right.entryII
diff --git a/vm.nim b/vm.nim
index 384bf6c..1d5cf80 100644
--- a/vm.nim
+++ b/vm.nim
@@ -241,8 +241,8 @@ proc run*(chunk: Chunk): InterpretResult =
       let times = runcounts[op]
       echo &"OpCode: {op} total duration {dur} ms {times} times"
 
-  stack.destroyStack()
-  frames.destroyStack()
+  stack.free()
+  frames.free()
 
   if hadError:
     irRuntimeError