diff --git a/compiler/noirc_evaluator/src/ssa/ssa_gen/mod.rs b/compiler/noirc_evaluator/src/ssa/ssa_gen/mod.rs
index acf60cd6799..41327c988d2 100644
--- a/compiler/noirc_evaluator/src/ssa/ssa_gen/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/noirc_evaluator/src/ssa/ssa_gen/mod.rs
@@ -224,8 +224,9 @@ impl<'a> FunctionContext<'a> {
     }
 
     fn codegen_string(&mut self, string: &str) -> Values {
-        let elements =
-            vecmap(string.as_bytes(), |byte| self.builder.field_constant(*byte as u128).into());
+        let elements = vecmap(string.as_bytes(), |byte| {
+            self.builder.numeric_constant(*byte as u128, Type::unsigned(8)).into()
+        });
         let typ = Self::convert_non_tuple_type(&ast::Type::String(elements.len() as u64));
         self.codegen_array(elements, typ)
     }
diff --git a/test_programs/execution_success/regression_3635/Nargo.toml b/test_programs/execution_success/regression_3635/Nargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4f34121439e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_programs/execution_success/regression_3635/Nargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+[package]
+name = "regression_3635"
+version = "0.1.0"
+type = "bin"
+authors = [""]
+
+[dependencies]
diff --git a/test_programs/execution_success/regression_3635/Prover.toml b/test_programs/execution_success/regression_3635/Prover.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/test_programs/execution_success/regression_3635/src/main.nr b/test_programs/execution_success/regression_3635/src/main.nr
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..97a04f9d93f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_programs/execution_success/regression_3635/src/main.nr
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+use dep::std;
+
+fn main() {
+    let x: u8 = 0x61;
+    let y: u8 = "a".as_bytes()[0];
+    assert_eq(x, y);
+    assert_eq(x >> 1, y >> 1);
+}