diff --git a/src/common/advice.hpp b/src/common/advice.hpp
index 46014d1fe..a188b6610 100644
--- a/src/common/advice.hpp
+++ b/src/common/advice.hpp
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
 namespace lumiera{
 namespace advice {
   
-  using lib::Symbol;
+  using lib::Literal;
   using util::isSameObject;
   
   
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ namespace advice {
       }
     catch(...)
       {
-        Symbol errID = lumiera_error();
+        Literal errID = lumiera_error();
         releaseBuffer (storage, sizeof(Holder));
         throw lumiera::error::Fatal ("Failure to store advice data", errID);
       }
diff --git a/src/common/advice/advice.cpp b/src/common/advice/advice.cpp
index 178b288cf..23e10bf1a 100644
--- a/src/common/advice/advice.cpp
+++ b/src/common/advice/advice.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/noncopyable.hpp>
 
-using lib::Symbol;
+using lib::Literal;
 using lib::DelStash;
 using util::unConst;
 
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ namespace advice {
             
             catch(...)
               {
-                Symbol errID = lumiera_error();
+                Literal errID = lumiera_error();
                 WARN (library, "Problems on deregistration of advice request: %s", errID.c());
               }
           }
diff --git a/src/lib/format-string.hpp b/src/lib/format-string.hpp
index 327f009a4..a781f9ee3 100644
--- a/src/lib/format-string.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/format-string.hpp
@@ -409,8 +409,13 @@ namespace util {
   
   template<>
   struct _Fmt::Converter<lib::Symbol>
-    : _Fmt::Converter<lib::Literal>
-    { };
+    {
+      static void
+      dump (lib::Symbol const& symbol, Implementation& impl)
+        {
+          format (symbol.c(), impl);
+        }
+    };
   
   /** some custom types explicitly provide a string representation */
   template<typename VAL>
diff --git a/src/lib/lifecycle.cpp b/src/lib/lifecycle.cpp
index 6b0f003c4..e643505e2 100644
--- a/src/lib/lifecycle.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/lifecycle.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ namespace lumiera {
   {
     bool isNew = LifecycleRegistry::instance().enrol (eventLabel,callbackFun);
     
-    if (isNew && !strcmp(ON_BASIC_INIT, eventLabel))
+    if (isNew and eventLabel == ON_BASIC_INIT)
       callbackFun();  // when this code executes,
                      //  then per definition we are already post "basic init"
                     //   (which happens in the AppState ctor); thus fire it immediately
diff --git a/src/lib/symbol.hpp b/src/lib/symbol.hpp
index d844e8f21..66199f805 100644
--- a/src/lib/symbol.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/symbol.hpp
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
 #define LIB_SYMBOL_H
 
 #include "lib/hash-standard.hpp"
-#include "include/logging.h" /////////////TODO only temporarily
 
 #include <string>
 #include <cstring>
@@ -51,9 +50,7 @@
 namespace lib {
   
   /** inline string literal
-   *  @todo improve interaction with Symbol
-   *  @todo make it non-nullable 
-   *  @todo maybe use boost/operators  Ticket #417
+   *  This is a marker type to handle literally given C-Strings.
    */
   class Literal
     {
@@ -126,6 +123,12 @@ namespace lib {
        
        explicit operator bool()  const { return not empty(); }
        bool empty()              const { return *this == BOTTOM; }
+       
+       size_t
+       length()  const
+         {
+           return std::strlen(c());
+         }
     };
   
   
diff --git a/src/proc/control/command-registry.hpp b/src/proc/control/command-registry.hpp
index 8b6827f7c..ffb7f767f 100644
--- a/src/proc/control/command-registry.hpp
+++ b/src/proc/control/command-registry.hpp
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ namespace control {
       findDefinition (Command const& cmdInstance)  const
         {
           Lock sync(this);
-          return getValue_or_default (ridx_, &cmdInstance, 0 );
+          return getValue_or_default (ridx_, &cmdInstance, Symbol::BOTTOM );
         }                                   //used as Key
       
       
diff --git a/tests/core/proc/control/command-use1-test.cpp b/tests/core/proc/control/command-use1-test.cpp
index f288063dd..10bad27fd 100644
--- a/tests/core/proc/control/command-use1-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/core/proc/control/command-use1-test.cpp
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ namespace test    {
           CHECK (c2);
           CHECK (c2.canExec());
           CHECK (!c2.canUndo());
+          CHECK (c2.isAnonymous());
           
           CHECK (c1 == c2);
           CHECK (!isSameObject(c1, c2));
@@ -267,6 +268,8 @@ namespace test    {
           CHECK (c4);
           CHECK (c4.canExec());
           CHECK (c4.canUndo());
+          CHECK (not c4.isAnonymous());
+          CHECK (    c2.isAnonymous());
           CHECK (c4 == c2);
           CHECK (c4 != c1);
           c4();