diff --git a/include/cubescript/cubescript/ident.hh b/include/cubescript/cubescript/ident.hh
index 7a28b8e..370ee93 100644
--- a/include/cubescript/cubescript/ident.hh
+++ b/include/cubescript/cubescript/ident.hh
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ protected:
 struct LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT alias: ident {
     bool is_arg() const;
 
+    any_value get_value(state &cs) const;
+    void set_value(state &cs, any_value v);
+
 protected:
     alias() = default;
 };
diff --git a/include/cubescript/cubescript/state.hh b/include/cubescript/cubescript/state.hh
index d5295c2..3e1edd5 100644
--- a/include/cubescript/cubescript/state.hh
+++ b/include/cubescript/cubescript/state.hh
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <span>
 #include <utility>
-#include <optional>
 #include <string_view>
 
 #include "callable.hh"
@@ -127,8 +126,6 @@ struct LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT state {
 
     void set_alias(std::string_view name, any_value v);
 
-    std::optional<string_ref> get_alias_val(std::string_view name);
-
 private:
     friend struct state_p;
 
diff --git a/src/cs_ident.cc b/src/cs_ident.cc
index bbc0e12..9d90889 100644
--- a/src/cs_ident.cc
+++ b/src/cs_ident.cc
@@ -440,6 +440,19 @@ LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT void string_var::set_raw_value(string_ref val) {
     static_cast<svar_impl *>(this)->p_storage = val;
 }
 
+LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT any_value alias::get_value(state &cs) const {
+    return state_p{cs}.ts().get_astack(this).node->val_s;
+}
+
+LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT void alias::set_value(state &cs, any_value v) {
+    auto &ts = state_p{cs}.ts();
+    if (is_arg()) {
+        ts.get_astack(this).set_arg(this, ts, v);
+    } else {
+        ts.get_astack(this).set_alias(this, ts, v);
+    }
+}
+
 LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT bool alias::is_arg() const {
     return (static_cast<alias_impl const *>(this)->p_flags & IDENT_FLAG_ARG);
 }
diff --git a/src/cs_state.cc b/src/cs_state.cc
index 0b69cb9..c36f3f7 100644
--- a/src/cs_state.cc
+++ b/src/cs_state.cc
@@ -496,13 +496,7 @@ LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT void state::set_alias(
     if (id) {
         switch (id->get_type()) {
             case ident_type::ALIAS: {
-                alias *a = static_cast<alias *>(id);
-                auto &ast = p_tstate->get_astack(a);
-                if (a->is_arg()) {
-                    ast.set_arg(a, *p_tstate, v);
-                } else {
-                    ast.set_alias(a, *p_tstate, v);
-                }
+                static_cast<alias *>(id)->set_value(*this, std::move(v));
                 return;
             }
             case ident_type::IVAR:
@@ -627,18 +621,6 @@ do_add:
     return cmd;
 }
 
-LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT std::optional<string_ref>
-state::get_alias_val(std::string_view name) {
-    alias *a = get_alias(name);
-    if (!a) {
-        return std::nullopt;
-    }
-    if (a->is_arg() && !ident_is_used_arg(a, *p_tstate)) {
-        return std::nullopt;
-    }
-    return p_tstate->get_astack(a).node->val_s.get_str();
-}
-
 LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT void state::init_libs(int libs) {
     if (libs & LIB_MATH) {
         init_lib_math(*this);
diff --git a/src/lib_base.cc b/src/lib_base.cc
index 74a0bd3..7bf2432 100644
--- a/src/lib_base.cc
+++ b/src/lib_base.cc
@@ -325,11 +325,9 @@ end:
     });
 
     gcs.new_command("getalias", "s", [](auto &cs, auto args, auto &res) {
-        auto s0 = cs.get_alias_val(args[0].get_str());
-        if (s0) {
-            res.set_str(*s0);
-        } else {
-            res.set_str("");
+        auto *id = cs.get_alias(args[0].get_str());
+        if (id) {
+           id->get_value(cs).get_val(res);
         }
     });
 }