diff --git a/examples/vanilla_http_server/src/server.c.v b/examples/vanilla_http_server/src/server.c.v
index 69150fe5c6..84a621649a 100644
--- a/examples/vanilla_http_server/src/server.c.v
+++ b/examples/vanilla_http_server/src/server.c.v
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ fn create_server_socket(port int) int {
 	server_fd := C.socket(C.AF_INET, C.SOCK_STREAM, 0)
 	if server_fd < 0 {
 		eprintln(@LOCATION)
-		C.perror('Socket creation failed'.str)
+		C.perror(c'Socket creation failed')
 		return -1
 	}
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ fn create_server_socket(port int) int {
 	opt := 1
 	if C.setsockopt(server_fd, C.SOL_SOCKET, C.SO_REUSEPORT, &opt, sizeof(opt)) < 0 {
 		eprintln(@LOCATION)
-		C.perror('setsockopt SO_REUSEPORT failed'.str)
+		C.perror(c'setsockopt SO_REUSEPORT failed')
 		close_socket(server_fd)
 		return -1
 	}
@@ -136,13 +136,13 @@ fn create_server_socket(port int) int {
 
 	if C.bind(server_fd, voidptr(&server_addr), sizeof(server_addr)) < 0 {
 		eprintln(@LOCATION)
-		C.perror('Bind failed'.str)
+		C.perror(c'Bind failed')
 		close_socket(server_fd)
 		return -1
 	}
 	if C.listen(server_fd, max_connection_size) < 0 {
 		eprintln(@LOCATION)
-		C.perror('Listen failed'.str)
+		C.perror(c'Listen failed')
 		close_socket(server_fd)
 		return -1
 	}
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ fn add_fd_to_epoll(epoll_fd int, fd int, events u32) int {
 	ev.data.fd = fd
 	if C.epoll_ctl(epoll_fd, C.EPOLL_CTL_ADD, fd, &ev) == -1 {
 		eprintln(@LOCATION)
-		C.perror('epoll_ctl'.str)
+		C.perror(c'epoll_ctl')
 		return -1
 	}
 	return 0
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ fn handle_accept_loop(mut server Server) {
 			}
 
 			eprintln(@LOCATION)
-			C.perror('Accept failed'.str)
+			C.perror(c'Accept failed')
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ fn (mut server Server) run() {
 	for i := 0; i < max_thread_pool_size; i++ {
 		server.epoll_fds[i] = C.epoll_create1(0)
 		if server.epoll_fds[i] < 0 {
-			C.perror('epoll_create1 failed'.str)
+			C.perror(c'epoll_create1 failed')
 			close_socket(server.socket_fd)
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/prealloc.c.v b/vlib/builtin/prealloc.c.v
index 1eba81e07c..0ca16edd07 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/prealloc.c.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/prealloc.c.v
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ fn prealloc_vcleanup() {
 			path := $d('memdumpfile', 'memdump.bin')
 			C.fprintf(C.stderr, c'prealloc_vcleanup dumping process memory to path: %s\n',
 				path.str)
-			stream := C.fopen(path.str, 'wb'.str)
+			stream := C.fopen(path.str, c'wb')
 			mut mb := start
 			for {
 				used := u64(mb.current) - u64(mb.start)
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/string_test.v b/vlib/builtin/string_test.v
index 180b08084d..4ca07b8054 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/string_test.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/string_test.v
@@ -1019,7 +1019,7 @@ fn test_bytes_to_string() {
 }
 
 fn test_charptr() {
-	foo := &char('VLANG'.str)
+	foo := &char(c'VLANG')
 	assert typeof(foo).name == '&char'
 	assert unsafe { foo.vstring() } == 'VLANG'
 	assert unsafe { foo.vstring_with_len(3) } == 'VLA'
diff --git a/vlib/log/log.v b/vlib/log/log.v
index 42f43fb0b3..660404b6ec 100644
--- a/vlib/log/log.v
+++ b/vlib/log/log.v
@@ -125,16 +125,16 @@ fn (mut l Log) log_file(s string, level Level) {
 
 	unsafe {
 		l.ofile.write_ptr(timestamp.str, timestamp.len)
-		l.ofile.write_ptr(' '.str, 1)
+		l.ofile.write_ptr(c' ', 1)
 
-		l.ofile.write_ptr('['.str, 1)
+		l.ofile.write_ptr(c'[', 1)
 		l.ofile.write_ptr(e.str, e.len)
-		l.ofile.write_ptr(']'.str, 1)
+		l.ofile.write_ptr(c']', 1)
 
-		l.ofile.write_ptr(' '.str, 1)
+		l.ofile.write_ptr(c' ', 1)
 		l.ofile.write_ptr(s.str, s.len)
 
-		l.ofile.write_ptr('\n'.str, 1)
+		l.ofile.write_ptr(c'\n', 1)
 	}
 	if l.always_flush {
 		l.flush()
diff --git a/vlib/os/bare/bare_example_linux.v b/vlib/os/bare/bare_example_linux.v
index 0aa92ddc62..6e3fd8d9b2 100644
--- a/vlib/os/bare/bare_example_linux.v
+++ b/vlib/os/bare/bare_example_linux.v
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 fn main() {
-	sys_write(1, 'hello\n'.str, 6)
+	sys_write(1, c'hello\n', 6)
 	s := 'test string\n'
 	sys_write(1, s.str, u64(s.len))
 	a := s[0]
diff --git a/vlib/time/parse.c.v b/vlib/time/parse.c.v
index 5dacf5b4ec..3583377041 100644
--- a/vlib/time/parse.c.v
+++ b/vlib/time/parse.c.v
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ pub fn parse_rfc3339(s string) !Time {
 			}
 
 			// Check if it is UTC time
-			if unsafe { vmemcmp(s.str + s.len - 5, '00:00'.str, 5) == 0 } {
+			if unsafe { vmemcmp(s.str + s.len - 5, c'00:00', 5) == 0 } {
 				return new(Time{
 					year:       year
 					month:      month
diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
index c95b49e2e1..943e661be9 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
@@ -996,6 +996,7 @@ pub:
 	is_test       bool // true for _test.v files
 	is_generated  bool // true for `@[generated] module xyz` files; turn off notices
 	is_translated bool // true for `@[translated] module xyz` files; turn off some checks
+	language      Language
 pub mut:
 	idx              int    // index in an external container; can be used to refer to the file in a more efficient way, just by its integer index
 	path             string // absolute path of the source file - '/projects/v/file.v'
diff --git a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
index 789e681870..850af93b78 100644
--- a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
+++ b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 module fmt
 
+import os
 import strings
 import v.ast
 import v.util
@@ -3039,6 +3040,15 @@ pub fn (mut f Fmt) select_expr(node ast.SelectExpr) {
 }
 
 pub fn (mut f Fmt) selector_expr(node ast.SelectorExpr) {
+	// TODO(StunxFS): Even though we ignored the JS backend, the `v/gen/js/tests/js.v`
+	// file was still formatted/transformed, so it is specifically ignored here. Fix this.
+	if f.file.language != .js && node.expr is ast.StringLiteral && node.field_name == 'str'
+		&& !f.pref.backend.is_js()
+		&& !f.file.path.ends_with(os.join_path('v', 'gen', 'js', 'tests', 'js.v')) {
+		f.write('c')
+		f.expr(node.expr)
+		return
+	}
 	f.expr(node.expr)
 	f.write('.')
 	f.write(node.field_name)
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/native/readdll.c.v b/vlib/v/gen/native/readdll.c.v
index 8901dcff59..157514949c 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/native/readdll.c.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/native/readdll.c.v
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) lookup_system_dll(dll string) !SystemDll {
 	$if windows {
 		unsafe {
 			buffer := malloc(1024)
-			len := C.SearchPathA(nil, dll.str, '.dll'.str, 1024, buffer, nil)
+			len := C.SearchPathA(nil, dll.str, c'.dll', 1024, buffer, nil)
 			if len == 0 {
 				err_code := C.GetLastError()
 				err_msg := cstring_to_vstring(C.strerror(err_code))
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
index 3916e8bdc2..53f58c4e6b 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
@@ -342,6 +342,7 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) parse() &ast.File {
 		is_test:          p.inside_test_file
 		is_generated:     p.is_generated
 		is_translated:    p.is_translated
+		language:         p.file_backend_mode
 		nr_lines:         p.scanner.line_nr
 		nr_bytes:         p.scanner.text.len
 		nr_tokens:        p.scanner.all_tokens.len
diff --git a/vlib/vanilla_http_server/http_server/http_server.c.v b/vlib/vanilla_http_server/http_server/http_server.c.v
index c601606cd3..f51a45c6c8 100644
--- a/vlib/vanilla_http_server/http_server/http_server.c.v
+++ b/vlib/vanilla_http_server/http_server/http_server.c.v
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ fn create_server_socket(port int) int {
 	server_fd := C.socket(C.AF_INET, C.SOCK_STREAM, 0)
 	if server_fd < 0 {
 		eprintln(@LOCATION)
-		C.perror('Socket creation failed'.str)
+		C.perror(c'Socket creation failed')
 		exit(1)
 	}
 
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ fn create_server_socket(port int) int {
 	opt := 1
 	if C.setsockopt(server_fd, C.SOL_SOCKET, C.SO_REUSEPORT, &opt, sizeof(opt)) < 0 {
 		eprintln(@LOCATION)
-		C.perror('setsockopt SO_REUSEPORT failed'.str)
+		C.perror(c'setsockopt SO_REUSEPORT failed')
 		close_socket(server_fd)
 		exit(1)
 	}
@@ -105,14 +105,14 @@ fn create_server_socket(port int) int {
 
 	if C.bind(server_fd, &server_addr, sizeof(server_addr)) < 0 {
 		eprintln(@LOCATION)
-		C.perror('Bind failed'.str)
+		C.perror(c'Bind failed')
 		close_socket(server_fd)
 		exit(1)
 	}
 
 	if C.listen(server_fd, max_connection_size) < 0 {
 		eprintln(@LOCATION)
-		C.perror('Listen failed'.str)
+		C.perror(c'Listen failed')
 		close_socket(server_fd)
 		exit(1)
 	}
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ fn create_server_socket(port int) int {
 fn create_epoll_fd() int {
 	epoll_fd := C.epoll_create1(0)
 	if epoll_fd < 0 {
-		C.perror('epoll_create1'.str)
+		C.perror(c'epoll_create1')
 	}
 	return epoll_fd
 }
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ fn add_fd_to_epoll(epoll_fd int, fd int, events u32) int {
 	ev.data.fd = fd
 	if C.epoll_ctl(epoll_fd, C.EPOLL_CTL_ADD, fd, &ev) == -1 {
 		eprintln(@LOCATION)
-		C.perror('epoll_ctl'.str)
+		C.perror(c'epoll_ctl')
 		return -1
 	}
 	return 0
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ fn handle_accept_loop(mut server Server, main_epoll_fd int) {
 			if C.errno == C.EINTR {
 				continue
 			}
-			C.perror('epoll_wait'.str)
+			C.perror(c'epoll_wait')
 			break
 		}
 
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ fn handle_accept_loop(mut server Server, main_epoll_fd int) {
 						break // No more incoming connections; exit loop.
 					}
 					eprintln(@LOCATION)
-					C.perror('Accept failed'.str)
+					C.perror(c'Accept failed')
 					continue
 				}
 				set_blocking(client_conn_fd, false)
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ fn process_events(mut server Server, epoll_fd int) {
 				continue
 			}
 			eprintln(@LOCATION)
-			C.perror('epoll_wait'.str)
+			C.perror(c'epoll_wait')
 			break
 		}
 
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ fn process_events(mut server Server, epoll_fd int) {
 							break // No more data to read
 						}
 						eprintln(@LOCATION)
-						C.perror('recv'.str)
+						C.perror(c'recv')
 						remove_fd_from_epoll(epoll_fd, client_conn_fd)
 						close_socket(client_conn_fd)
 						break
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ fn process_events(mut server Server, epoll_fd int) {
 					C.MSG_NOSIGNAL | C.MSG_ZEROCOPY)
 				if sent < 0 && C.errno != C.EAGAIN && C.errno != C.EWOULDBLOCK {
 					eprintln(@LOCATION)
-					C.perror('send'.str)
+					C.perror(c'send')
 					remove_fd_from_epoll(epoll_fd, client_conn_fd)
 					close_socket(client_conn_fd)
 				}
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ pub fn (mut server Server) run() {
 	for i in 0 .. max_thread_pool_size {
 		server.epoll_fds[i] = create_epoll_fd()
 		if server.epoll_fds[i] < 0 {
-			C.perror('epoll_create1'.str)
+			C.perror(c'epoll_create1')
 			for j in 0 .. i {
 				close_socket(server.epoll_fds[j])
 			}