diff --git a/tslang/lib/TypeScript/LowerToLLVM.cpp b/tslang/lib/TypeScript/LowerToLLVM.cpp
index a01c87f55..43f4f4f25 100644
--- a/tslang/lib/TypeScript/LowerToLLVM.cpp
+++ b/tslang/lib/TypeScript/LowerToLLVM.cpp
@@ -4418,13 +4418,31 @@ struct GlobalOpLowering : public TsLlvmPattern<mlir_ts::GlobalOp>
             {
                 createAsGlobalConstructor = true;
             }
+            else if (auto binaryOp = dyn_cast<mlir_ts::ArithmeticBinaryOp>(op);
+                     binaryOp && isa<mlir_ts::StringType>(binaryOp.getResult().getType()))
+            {
+                // `"text" + 4` is a string concatenation, which allocates, even when every operand
+                // is a constant (#469)
+                createAsGlobalConstructor = true;
+            }
             else if (auto castOp = dyn_cast<mlir_ts::CastOp>(op))
             {
                 auto castType = castOp.getRes().getType();
+                auto inType = castOp.getIn().getType();
+                if (auto literalType = dyn_cast<mlir_ts::LiteralType>(inType))
+                {
+                    inType = literalType.getElementType();
+                }
+
                 if (isa<mlir_ts::ArrayType>(castType) || isa<mlir_ts::TupleType>(castType))
                 {
                    createAsGlobalConstructor = true;
                 }
+                else if (isa<mlir_ts::StringType>(castType) && !isa<mlir_ts::StringType>(inType))
+                {
+                    // a number or a boolean made into a string allocates it (#469)
+                    createAsGlobalConstructor = true;
+                }
                 else
                 {
                     // see CreateUnionInstanceOp above: a cast to or from a tagged union lowers to
diff --git a/tslang/test/tester/CMakeLists.txt b/tslang/test/tester/CMakeLists.txt
index 0f53f727a..bf29b37f8 100644
--- a/tslang/test/tester/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tslang/test/tester/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -467,6 +467,7 @@ tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-void COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-in COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00in.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-in-method-names COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00in_method_names.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-class-structural-extends COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00class_structural_extends.ts")
+tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-global-constant-concat COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00global_constant_concat.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-global-object-literal COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00global_object_literal.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-instanceof COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00instanceof.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-compile-00-const-of-let COMMAND test-runner "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00const_of_let.ts")
@@ -955,6 +956,7 @@ tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-void COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-in COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00in.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-in-method-names COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00in_method_names.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-class-structural-extends COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00class_structural_extends.ts")
+tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-global-constant-concat COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00global_constant_concat.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-global-object-literal COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00global_object_literal.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-instanceof COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00instanceof.ts")
 tslang_add_test(NAME test-jit-00-const-of-let COMMAND test-runner -jit "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/tester/tests/00const_of_let.ts")
@@ -1777,6 +1779,7 @@ set(TSLANG_CORPUS
     00infer.ts
     00global_union_from_call.ts
     00instanceof.ts
+    00global_constant_concat.ts
     00const_of_let.ts
     00instanceof_namespace_narrowing.ts
     00instanceof_union.ts
diff --git a/tslang/test/tester/tests/00global_constant_concat.ts b/tslang/test/tester/tests/00global_constant_concat.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b750862a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tslang/test/tester/tests/00global_constant_concat.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// A module-level variable initialised with a string concatenation of constants, read by a function
+// (#469). The initializer looked constant, so it was placed where nothing may run, and the
+// concatenation (and the number's conversion to a string) failed to compile there: "ops with side
+// effects not allowed in global initializers".
+let S = "text" + 4;
+const C = "text" + "four";
+let U: string | null = "nullable" + 5;
+let N = "" + 6.5;
+let P = "plain";
+
+function main() {
+    assert(S == "text4", "a let from a constant concatenation");
+    assert(C == "textfour", "a const from two string constants");
+    assert(U == "nullable5", "a nullable string from a constant concatenation");
+    assert(N == "6.5", "a number converted to a string");
+    assert(P == "plain", "a plain string constant stays as it is");
+
+    S = S + "!";
+    assert(S == "text4!");
+
+    print("done.");
+}