diff --git a/stdlib/ast_nodes.krak b/stdlib/ast_nodes.krak
index 7db697a..e96fcf9 100644
--- a/stdlib/ast_nodes.krak
+++ b/stdlib/ast_nodes.krak
@@ -688,8 +688,8 @@ obj assignment_statement (Object) {
         return to == other.to && from == other.from
     }
 }
-fun ast_declaration_statement_ptr(ident: *ast_node): *ast_node {
-    var to_ret.construct(ident): declaration_statement
+fun ast_declaration_statement_ptr(ident: *ast_node, expression: *ast_node): *ast_node {
+    var to_ret.construct(ident, expression): declaration_statement
     var ptr = new<ast_node>()
     ptr->copy_construct(&ast_node::declaration_statement(to_ret))
     return ptr
@@ -702,12 +702,15 @@ fun is_declaration_statement(node: *ast_node): bool {
 }
 obj declaration_statement (Object) {
     var identifier: *ast_node
-    fun construct(identifier_in: *ast_node): *declaration_statement  {
+    var expression: *ast_node
+    fun construct(identifier_in: *ast_node, expression_in: *ast_node): *declaration_statement  {
         identifier = identifier_in
+        expression = expression_in
         return this
     }
     fun copy_construct(old: *declaration_statement) {
         identifier = old->identifier
+        expression = old->expression
     }
     fun destruct() {
     }
@@ -716,7 +719,7 @@ obj declaration_statement (Object) {
         copy_construct(&other)
     }
     fun operator==(other: ref declaration_statement): bool {
-        return identifier == other.identifier
+        return identifier == other.identifier && expression == other.expression
     }
 }
 fun ast_if_comp_ptr(): *ast_node {
@@ -884,7 +887,7 @@ fun get_ast_children(node: *ast_node): vector<*ast_node> {
         ast_node::continue_statement(backing) return vector<*ast_node>()
         ast_node::defer_statement(backing) return vector<*ast_node>()
         ast_node::assignment_statement(backing) return vector(backing.to, backing.from)
-        ast_node::declaration_statement(backing) return vector(backing.identifier)
+        ast_node::declaration_statement(backing) return vector(backing.identifier, backing.expression)
         ast_node::if_comp(backing) return vector<*ast_node>(backing.statement)
         ast_node::simple_passthrough(backing) return vector<*ast_node>()
         ast_node::function_call(backing) return vector(backing.func) + backing.parameters
diff --git a/stdlib/ast_transformation.krak b/stdlib/ast_transformation.krak
index ab669b1..f57f28c 100644
--- a/stdlib/ast_transformation.krak
+++ b/stdlib/ast_transformation.krak
@@ -272,8 +272,20 @@ obj ast_transformation (Object) {
     }
     fun transform_declaration_statement(node: *tree<symbol>, scope: *ast_node): *ast_node {
         var name = concat_symbol_tree(get_node("identifier", node))
-        var identifier = ast_identifier_ptr(name, transform_type(get_node("type", node), scope, map<string, *type>()))
-        var declaration = ast_declaration_statement_ptr(identifier)
+        // may have type, or an expression, or both
+        var type_syntax_node = get_node("type", node)
+        var expression_syntax_node = get_node("boolean_expression", node)
+        var ident_type = null<type>()
+        var expression = null<ast_node>()
+        if (type_syntax_node) ident_type = transform_type(type_syntax_node, scope, map<string, *type>())
+        if (expression_syntax_node) {
+            expression = transform(expression_syntax_node, scope)
+            if (!type_syntax_node)
+                ident_type = get_ast_type(expression)
+        }
+        if (!ident_type) error("declaration statement with no type or expression from which to inference type")
+        var identifier = ast_identifier_ptr(name, ident_type)
+        var declaration = ast_declaration_statement_ptr(identifier, expression)
         add_to_scope(name, identifier, scope)
         return declaration
     }
@@ -386,4 +398,10 @@ fun add_to_scope(name: string, to_add: *ast_node, add_to: *ast_node) {
     else
         add_to_map->set(name, vector(to_add))
 }
+fun error(message: *char) error(string(message));
+fun error(message: string) {
+    println("****ERROR****")
+    println(message)
+    while (true){}
+}
 
diff --git a/stdlib/c_generator.krak b/stdlib/c_generator.krak
index df39434..61f9173 100644
--- a/stdlib/c_generator.krak
+++ b/stdlib/c_generator.krak
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ obj c_generator (Object) {
     fun generate_statement(node: *ast_node): string return generate(node->statement.child) + ";\n";
     fun generate_declaration_statement(node: *ast_node): string {
         var identifier = node->declaration_statement.identifier
-        return type_to_c(identifier->identifier.type) + " " + identifier->identifier.name
+        var to_ret = type_to_c(identifier->identifier.type) + " " + identifier->identifier.name
+        if (node->declaration_statement.expression) to_ret += string(" = ") + generate(node->declaration_statement.expression)
+        return to_ret
     }
     fun generate_assignment_statement(node: *ast_node): string {
         return generate(node->assignment_statement.to) + " = " + generate(node->assignment_statement.from)
diff --git a/tests/to_parse.krak b/tests/to_parse.krak
index 70520b2..625de8c 100644
--- a/tests/to_parse.krak
+++ b/tests/to_parse.krak
@@ -15,7 +15,10 @@ fun main(): int {
     var a_declaration:int
     a_declaration = 78
     simple_print(a_declaration)
-    /*var another_declaration = 9*/
+    var another_declaration: int = 8.0
+    simple_print(another_declaration)
+    var yet_another_declaration = "Hello Marcus\n"
+    simple_print(yet_another_declaration)
     simple_print("Hello World!\n")
     simple_print(1337)
     return 0