diff --git a/compiler/compiler.go b/compiler/compiler.go
index be15f789..d652f540 100644
--- a/compiler/compiler.go
+++ b/compiler/compiler.go
@@ -2258,14 +2258,20 @@ func (b *builder) createConst(prefix string, expr *ssa.Const) llvm.Value {
 		} else if typ.Info()&types.IsString != 0 {
 			str := constant.StringVal(expr.Value)
 			strLen := llvm.ConstInt(b.uintptrType, uint64(len(str)), false)
-			objname := prefix + "$string"
-			global := llvm.AddGlobal(b.mod, llvm.ArrayType(b.ctx.Int8Type(), len(str)), objname)
-			global.SetInitializer(b.ctx.ConstString(str, false))
-			global.SetLinkage(llvm.InternalLinkage)
-			global.SetGlobalConstant(true)
-			global.SetUnnamedAddr(true)
-			zero := llvm.ConstInt(b.ctx.Int32Type(), 0, false)
-			strPtr := b.CreateInBoundsGEP(global, []llvm.Value{zero, zero}, "")
+			var strPtr llvm.Value
+			if str != "" {
+				objname := prefix + "$string"
+				global := llvm.AddGlobal(b.mod, llvm.ArrayType(b.ctx.Int8Type(), len(str)), objname)
+				global.SetInitializer(b.ctx.ConstString(str, false))
+				global.SetLinkage(llvm.InternalLinkage)
+				global.SetGlobalConstant(true)
+				global.SetUnnamedAddr(true)
+				global.SetAlignment(1)
+				zero := llvm.ConstInt(b.ctx.Int32Type(), 0, false)
+				strPtr = b.CreateInBoundsGEP(global, []llvm.Value{zero, zero}, "")
+			} else {
+				strPtr = llvm.ConstNull(b.i8ptrType)
+			}
 			strObj := llvm.ConstNamedStruct(b.getLLVMRuntimeType("_string"), []llvm.Value{strPtr, strLen})
 			return strObj
 		} else if typ.Kind() == types.UnsafePointer {
diff --git a/compiler/symbol.go b/compiler/symbol.go
index 5b44c20f..6455fb8f 100644
--- a/compiler/symbol.go
+++ b/compiler/symbol.go
@@ -355,16 +355,18 @@ func (c *compilerContext) getGlobal(g *ssa.Global) llvm.Value {
 
 		// Set alignment from the //go:align comment.
 		var alignInBits uint32
-		if info.align < 0 || info.align&(info.align-1) != 0 {
+		alignment := c.targetData.ABITypeAlignment(llvmType)
+		if info.align > alignment {
+			alignment = info.align
+		}
+		if alignment <= 0 || alignment&(alignment-1) != 0 {
 			// Check for power-of-two (or 0).
 			// See: https://stackoverflow.com/a/108360
 			c.addError(g.Pos(), "global variable alignment must be a positive power of two")
 		} else {
 			// Set the alignment only when it is a power of two.
-			alignInBits = uint32(info.align) ^ uint32(info.align-1)
-			if info.align > c.targetData.ABITypeAlignment(llvmType) {
-				llvmGlobal.SetAlignment(info.align)
-			}
+			alignInBits = uint32(alignment) ^ uint32(alignment-1)
+			llvmGlobal.SetAlignment(alignment)
 		}
 
 		if c.Debug && !info.extern {
diff --git a/compiler/testdata/string.go b/compiler/testdata/string.go
index 3c574d8f..2c37df45 100644
--- a/compiler/testdata/string.go
+++ b/compiler/testdata/string.go
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 package main
 
+func someString() string {
+	return "foo"
+}
+
+func zeroLengthString() string {
+	return ""
+}
+
 func stringLen(s string) int {
 	return len(s)
 }
diff --git a/compiler/testdata/string.ll b/compiler/testdata/string.ll
index 7344a2e5..1c66e9a6 100644
--- a/compiler/testdata/string.ll
+++ b/compiler/testdata/string.ll
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ source_filename = "string.go"
 target datalayout = "e-m:e-p:32:32-p270:32:32-p271:32:32-p272:64:64-f64:32:64-f80:32-n8:16:32-S128"
 target triple = "i686--linux"
 
+%runtime._string = type { i8*, i32 }
+
+@"main.someString$string" = internal unnamed_addr constant [3 x i8] c"foo", align 1
+
 declare noalias nonnull i8* @runtime.alloc(i32, i8*, i8*)
 
 define hidden void @main.init(i8* %context, i8* %parentHandle) unnamed_addr {
@@ -10,6 +14,16 @@ entry:
   ret void
 }
 
+define hidden %runtime._string @main.someString(i8* %context, i8* %parentHandle) unnamed_addr {
+entry:
+  ret %runtime._string { i8* getelementptr inbounds ([3 x i8], [3 x i8]* @"main.someString$string", i32 0, i32 0), i32 3 }
+}
+
+define hidden %runtime._string @main.zeroLengthString(i8* %context, i8* %parentHandle) unnamed_addr {
+entry:
+  ret %runtime._string zeroinitializer
+}
+
 define hidden i32 @main.stringLen(i8* %s.data, i32 %s.len, i8* %context, i8* %parentHandle) unnamed_addr {
 entry:
   ret i32 %s.len