diff --git a/hyphae/src/vm.rs b/hyphae/src/vm.rs
index 24d8b05..532e118 100644
--- a/hyphae/src/vm.rs
+++ b/hyphae/src/vm.rs
@@ -406,12 +406,20 @@ impl VM {
                         n.0 > u8::MAX.into() || n.0 < 0.0 {
                             e!("input to NTOBV cannot cleanly convert");
                         }
-                    Datum::ByteVector(n.0.to_bits().to_ne_bytes().to_vec()).into()
+                    Datum::ByteVector(n.0.to_ne_bytes().to_vec()).into()
                 } else {
                     e!("illegal argument to NTOBV instruction");
                 }
             }),
 
+            i::BVTON => access!(&instr.1[0], {
+                if let Datum::ByteVector(sbv) = **access!(&instr.1[0]) {
+                    Datum::Number(Number::Fra(Fraction(f64::from_ne_bytes(sbv) as isize, 1))).into()
+                } else {
+                    e!("illegal argument to BVTON instruction");
+                }
+            }),
+
             i::NTOC => access!(&instr.1[0], {
                 if let Datum::Number(snum) = **access!(&instr.1[0]) {
                     let n = snum.make_inexact();
@@ -1140,6 +1148,10 @@ mod tests {
             Instruction(i::NTOBV, vec![Operand(Address::Expr, 0)]),
             Instruction(i::PUSH,  vec![Operand(Address::Expr, 0)]),
 
+            // convert back to inexact and push to stack
+            Instruction(i::BVTON, vec![Operand(Address::Expr, 0)]),
+            Instruction(i::PUSH,  vec![Operand(Address::Expr, 0)]),
+
             // create a char and push to stack
             Instruction(i::NTOC,  vec![Operand(Address::Expr, 0)]),
             Instruction(i::PUSH,  vec![Operand(Address::Expr, 0)]),
@@ -1158,8 +1170,9 @@ mod tests {
                 (2, Datum::Number(Number::Flt(Float(97.0))).into()),
                 (3, Datum::Number(Number::Fra(Fraction(97, 1))).into()),
                 (4, Datum::String(vec![b'a']).into()),
-                (5, Datum::Number(Number::Fra(Fraction(97, 1))).into()),
-                (6, Datum::Char(b'a').into()),
+                (5, Datum::ByteVector(vec![0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 64, 88, 64]).into()),
+                (6, Datum::Number(Number::Fra(Fraction(97, 1))).into()),
+                (7, Datum::Char(b'a').into()),
             ],
             syms: vec![],
             errr: None,
diff --git a/hyphae/vm.toml b/hyphae/vm.toml
index c33aecf..9b2d5d5 100644
--- a/hyphae/vm.toml
+++ b/hyphae/vm.toml
@@ -655,6 +655,20 @@ float datum casted to ByteVector datum.
 Requires mutable access to input address.
 """
 
+[[instructions]]
+name = "bvton"
+args = ["src"]
+output = ""
+description = """
+The bvton instruction accepts a byte vector input. This operand is overwritten
+by a new number datum that represents the inexact form of the source byte vector.
+
+The normalized fraction or scientific notation data represented in a
+ByteVector datum is casted to an inexact floating point number.
+
+Requires mutable access to input address.
+"""
+
 [[instructions]]
 name = "ntoc"
 args = ["src"]