diff --git a/sc/EmacsDocument.sc b/sc/EmacsDocument.sc
index 6aa20de..e0ca652 100644
--- a/sc/EmacsDocument.sc
+++ b/sc/EmacsDocument.sc
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ EmacsDocument
 	classvar documentMap, <>current;
 	var <>sceld;
 	var title, path;
-	var dataptr;
+	var <dataptr;
 	var <isEdited, <isListener, <envir;
 
 	*initClass {
diff --git a/sc/ScelDocument.sc b/sc/ScelDocument.sc
index 575e9c5..dc16280 100644
--- a/sc/ScelDocument.sc
+++ b/sc/ScelDocument.sc
@@ -295,6 +295,8 @@ ScelDocument : Document{
 		^this.string( rangestart, rangesize );
 	}
 
+	dataptr { ^thisdoc.tryPerform(\dataptr) }
+
 	// not implemented:
 	selectRange { arg start=0, length=0; }
 	background_ {arg color, rangestart= -1, rangesize = 0;