diff --git a/src/util/trackedString.zig b/src/util/trackedString.zig
index 0c9a364..b015bdf 100644
--- a/src/util/trackedString.zig
+++ b/src/util/trackedString.zig
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ pub const TrackedString = struct {
 
     pub fn initAlloc(value: []const u8, allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !TrackedString {
         return .{
-            .data = try allocator.dupe(value),
+            .data = try allocator.dupe(u8, value),
             .kind = .{ .Allocated = allocator },
         };
     }
@@ -40,4 +40,42 @@ pub const AllocKind = union(enum) {
     Constant: void,
     Allocated: std.mem.Allocator,
     Dead: void,
+
+    fn eql(self: AllocKind, other: AllocKind) bool {
+        return switch (self) {
+            .Constant => switch (other) {
+                .Constant => true,
+                else => false,
+            },
+            .Allocated => |a| switch (other) {
+                .Allocated => |b| std.meta.eql(a, b),
+                else => false,
+            },
+            .Dead => switch (other) {
+                .Dead => true,
+                else => false,
+            },
+        };
+    }
 };
+
+const t = std.testing;
+
+test "the different kinds work" {
+    const a = t.allocator;
+
+    var strOne = try TrackedString.initAlloc("hello, world", a);
+    defer strOne.deinit();
+
+    try t.expectEqualStrings("hello, world", strOne.data);
+    try t.expectEqual(AllocKind{ .Allocated = a }, strOne.kind);
+
+    var strTwo = TrackedString.initConst("hello, world");
+    defer strTwo.deinit();
+
+    try t.expectEqualStrings("hello, world", strTwo.data);
+    try t.expectEqual(AllocKind{ .Constant = {} }, strTwo.kind);
+
+    try t.expectEqualStrings(strOne.data, strTwo.data);
+    try t.expect(!strOne.kind.eql(strTwo.kind));
+}
diff --git a/src/util/utils.zig b/src/util/utils.zig
index 06e1560..4e5a491 100644
--- a/src/util/utils.zig
+++ b/src/util/utils.zig
@@ -1 +1,10 @@
 pub const str = @import("trackedString.zig");
+
+comptime {
+    const std = @import("std");
+    const builtin = @import("builtin");
+
+    if (builtin.is_test) {
+        std.mem.doNotOptimizeAway(str);
+    }
+}