diff --git a/harbour/include/hbexprb.c b/harbour/include/hbexprb.c
index 4ed04e99fa..420676a8aa 100644
--- a/harbour/include/hbexprb.c
+++ b/harbour/include/hbexprb.c
@@ -1021,14 +1021,29 @@ static HB_EXPR_FUNC( hb_compExprUseArrayAt )
 
       case HB_EA_POP_PCODE:
          {
+         #ifndef HB_C52_STRICT
+            BOOL bRemoveRef = FALSE;
+
             /* to manage strings as bytes arrays, they must be pushed by reference */
             /* arrays also are passed by reference */
             if( pSelf->value.asList.pExprList->ExprType == HB_ET_VARIABLE )
+            {
                pSelf->value.asList.pExprList->ExprType = HB_ET_VARREF;
+               bRemoveRef = TRUE;
+            }
+         #endif
 
             HB_EXPR_USE( pSelf->value.asList.pExprList, HB_EA_PUSH_PCODE );
             HB_EXPR_USE( pSelf->value.asList.pIndex, HB_EA_PUSH_PCODE );
             HB_EXPR_GENPCODE1( hb_compGenPCode1, HB_P_ARRAYPOP );
+
+         #ifndef HB_C52_STRICT
+            if( bRemoveRef )
+            {
+               pSelf->value.asList.pExprList->ExprType = HB_ET_VARIABLE;
+            }
+         #endif
+
          }
          break;
 
@@ -3470,4 +3485,4 @@ static HB_EXPR_FUNC( hb_compExprUsePreDec )
          break;
    }
    return pSelf;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}