diff --git a/app/src/processing/mode/java/preproc/pde.g b/app/src/processing/mode/java/preproc/pde.g
index 0537f2b85..4355c2b79 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/mode/java/preproc/pde.g
+++ b/app/src/processing/mode/java/preproc/pde.g
@@ -194,13 +194,14 @@ constructorCast!
         // if this is a string literal, make sure the type we're trying to cast
         // to is one of the supported ones
         //
-        { #e.getType() != STRING_LITERAL ||
-            ( #t.getType() == LITERAL_byte ||
+        { (#e == null) ||
+          ( (#e.getType() != STRING_LITERAL) ||
+            ( #t.getType() == LITERAL_boolean ||
               #t.getType() == LITERAL_double ||
               #t.getType() == LITERAL_float ||
               #t.getType() == LITERAL_int ||
               #t.getType() == LITERAL_long ||
-              #t.getType() == LITERAL_short ) }?
+              #t.getType() == LITERAL_short )) }?
         // create the node
         //
         {#constructorCast = #(#[CONSTRUCTOR_CAST,"CONSTRUCTOR_CAST"], t, e);}
diff --git a/app/test/resources/bug1936.expected b/app/test/resources/bug1936.expected
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dd06677b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/test/resources/bug1936.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import processing.core.*; 
+import processing.data.*; 
+import processing.event.*; 
+import processing.opengl.*; 
+
+import java.util.HashMap; 
+import java.util.ArrayList; 
+import java.io.File; 
+import java.io.BufferedReader; 
+import java.io.PrintWriter; 
+import java.io.InputStream; 
+import java.io.OutputStream; 
+import java.io.IOException; 
+
+public class bug1936 extends PApplet {
+    public void setup() {
+char a = PApplet.parseChar(PApplet.parseByte(PApplet.parseInt("15")));
+        noLoop();
+    }
+
+    static public void main(String[] passedArgs) {
+        String[] appletArgs = new String[] { "bug1936" };
+        if (passedArgs != null) {
+          PApplet.main(concat(appletArgs, passedArgs));
+        } else {
+          PApplet.main(appletArgs);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/test/resources/bug1936.pde b/app/test/resources/bug1936.pde
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..95d332a4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/test/resources/bug1936.pde
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+char a = char(byte(int("15")));
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/test/src/test/processing/mode/java/ParserTests.java b/app/test/src/test/processing/mode/java/ParserTests.java
index e364f5340..4f565a7d0 100644
--- a/app/test/src/test/processing/mode/java/ParserTests.java
+++ b/app/test/src/test/processing/mode/java/ParserTests.java
@@ -276,6 +276,11 @@ public class ParserTests {
   public void bug1534() {
     expectGood("bug1534");
   }
+  
+  @Test
+  public void bug1936() {
+    expectGood("bug1936");
+  }
 
   @Test
   public void bug315g() {
diff --git a/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java b/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
index 2c6e4b9d4..e1e06b240 100755
--- a/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
@@ -9635,7 +9635,7 @@ public class PApplet extends Applet
   }
   */
 
-  static final public float[] parseByte(byte what[]) {
+  static final public float[] parseFloat(byte what[]) {
     float floaties[] = new float[what.length];
     for (int i = 0; i < what.length; i++) {
       floaties[i] = what[i];