diff --git a/datastock/_class0.py b/datastock/_class0.py
index 0c54855..64868be 100644
--- a/datastock/_class0.py
+++ b/datastock/_class0.py
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def save(
         verb=True,
     ):
 
-        lsep = [';', '&', '?', '#', ',', '~', '.', '-', '_']
+        lsep = ['::', ';;', '&&', '??', '##', ',,', '~~', '..', '__']
         if sep is None:
             for ss in lsep:
                 c0 = (
@@ -214,4 +214,4 @@ def save(
 
 __all__ = [
     sorted([k0 for k0 in locals() if k0.startswith('DataStock')])[-1]
-]
\ No newline at end of file
+]
diff --git a/datastock/_saveload.py b/datastock/_saveload.py
index 62053d8..2d9dec3 100644
--- a/datastock/_saveload.py
+++ b/datastock/_saveload.py
@@ -290,6 +290,8 @@ def load(
             dout[k0] = list(dflat[k0])
         elif typ == 'str':
             dout[k0] = str(dflat[k0])
+        elif isinstance(dflat[k0], str) and 'str' in typ:
+            dout[k0] = dflat[k0]
         elif typ == 'chararray':
             dout[k0] = dflat[k0]
         elif typ in ['int']:
@@ -579,4 +581,4 @@ def _get_files_from_path(
             else:
                 warnings.warn(msg)
 
-    return out
\ No newline at end of file
+    return out