The problem is, that with optimizations turned on (using ghc V6.2.1) the label number is calulated only once, so each call to makeBlockName yields the same value. I tried a) adding a dummy parameter to makeBlockName and b) specifying an INLINE pragma to both getAndUpdateVar and makeBlockName, but that doesn't help. What can I do to prevent optimization to optimize that calculation away?

This is why it is called *unsafe* - code that contains unsafePerformIO is usually wrong, and the proof obligations on the programmer when using it are complex and ill-defined. There is a noinline pragma you can use, but I'm not at all sure it will save you in this specific situation. Consider: makeBlockName has type String; it's just a constant. How is the compiler going to give it a different value each time? What does "each time" mean, anyway? It's possible that by putting a noinline pragma on getAndUpdateVar you might arrange that each call to that gives a fresh label number; but you'll have to call it directly from your main function, rather than from within a constant as you have here. (note also that just adding an unused argument to makeBlockName probably won't help; GHC is cleverer than that). Why not just thread (newLabelNr :: Int) through your code to the places that need it? If you do this with other things too, then put them in a record. This is a kind of "poor-man's" state monad. --KW 8-) -- Keith Wansbrough <kw217@cl.cam.ac.uk> http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/kw217/ University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory.