diff --git a/compiler/fn.v b/compiler/fn.v
index 82c2bc045d..8971716acf 100644
--- a/compiler/fn.v
+++ b/compiler/fn.v
@@ -275,18 +275,16 @@ fn (p mut Parser) fn_decl() {
 		typ = p.get_type()
 	}
 	// multiple returns
-	if typ.starts_with('MultiReturn_') {
-		if !p.first_pass() && !p.table.known_type(typ) {
-			p.table.register_type2(Type{
-				cat: TypeCategory.struct_,
-				name: typ,
-				mod: p.mod
-			})
-			for i, t in typ.replace('MultiReturn_', '').replace('_ZptrZ_', '*').split('_Z_') {
-				p.table.add_field(typ, 'var_$i', t, false, '', .public)
-			}
-			p.cgen.typedefs << 'typedef struct $typ $typ;'
+	if typ.starts_with('_V_MulRet_') && p.first_pass() && !p.table.known_type(typ) {
+		p.table.register_type2(Type{
+			cat: TypeCategory.struct_,
+			name: typ,
+			mod: p.mod
+		})
+		for i, t in typ.replace('_V_MulRet_', '').replace('_PTR_', '*').split('_V_') {
+			p.table.add_field(typ, 'var_$i', t, false, '', .public)
 		}
+		p.cgen.typedefs << 'typedef struct $typ $typ;'
 	}
 	// Translated C code can have empty functions (just definitions)
 	is_fn_header := !is_c && !is_sig && (p.pref.translated || p.pref.is_test) &&	p.tok != .lcbr
diff --git a/compiler/parser.v b/compiler/parser.v
index dd57615d40..f2fbceb8d8 100644
--- a/compiler/parser.v
+++ b/compiler/parser.v
@@ -276,6 +276,8 @@ fn (p mut Parser) parse(pass Pass) {
 			p.cgen.consts << g
 		case Token.eof:
 			//p.log('end of parse()')
+			// TODO: check why this was added? everything seems to work
+			// without it, and it's already happening in fn_decl
 			// if p.is_script && !p.pref.is_test {
 			// 	p.set_current_fn( MainFn )
 			// 	p.check_unused_variables()
@@ -863,7 +865,7 @@ fn (p mut Parser) get_type() string {
 		}
 		p.check(.rpar)
 		// p.inside_tuple = false
-		return 'MultiReturn_' + types.join('_Z_').replace('*', '_ZptrZ_')
+		return '_V_MulRet_' + types.join('_V_').replace('*', '_PTR_')
 	}
 	// fn type
 	if p.tok == .func {
@@ -1366,16 +1368,19 @@ fn (p mut Parser) var_decl() {
 	// t := p.bool_expression()
 	p.var_decl_name = mr_var_name
 	t := p.gen_var_decl(mr_var_name, is_static)
-
 	mut types := [t]
 	// multiple returns
 	if names.len > 1 {
 		// should we register __ret var?
-		types = t.replace('MultiReturn_', '').replace('_ZptrZ_', '*').split('_Z_')
+		types = t.replace('_V_MulRet_', '').replace('_PTR_', '*').split('_V_')
 	}
 	for i, name in names {
 		typ := types[i]
 		if names.len > 1 {
+			if names.len != types.len {
+				mr_fn := p.cgen.cur_line.find_between('=', '(').trim_space()
+				p.error('assignment mismatch: ${names.len} variables but `$mr_fn` returns $types.len values.')
+			}
 			p.gen(';\n')
 			p.gen('$typ $name = ${mr_var_name}.var_$i')
 		}
@@ -3563,9 +3568,11 @@ fn (p mut Parser) return_st() {
 				p.check(.comma)
 				types << p.bool_expression()
 			}
+			mut cur_fn_typ_chk := p.cur_fn.typ
 			// multiple returns
 			if types.len > 1 {
-				expr_type = 'MultiReturn_' + types.join('_Z_').replace('*', '_ZptrZ_')
+				expr_type = types.join(',')
+				cur_fn_typ_chk = cur_fn_typ_chk.replace('_V_MulRet_', '').replace('_PTR_', '*').replace('_V_', ',')
 				ret_vals := p.cgen.cur_line.right(ph)
 				mut ret_fields := ''
 				for ret_val_idx, ret_val in ret_vals.split(' ') {
@@ -3574,7 +3581,7 @@ fn (p mut Parser) return_st() {
 					}
 					ret_fields += '.var_$ret_val_idx=$ret_val'
 				}
-				p.cgen.resetln('($expr_type){$ret_fields}')
+				p.cgen.resetln('($p.cur_fn.typ){$ret_fields}')
 			}
 			p.inside_return_expr = false
 			// Automatically wrap an object inside an option if the function
@@ -3618,7 +3625,7 @@ fn (p mut Parser) return_st() {
 					p.genln('return $tmp;')
 				}
 			}
-			p.check_types(expr_type, p.cur_fn.typ)
+			p.check_types(expr_type, cur_fn_typ_chk)
 		}
 	}
 	else {