diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
index 9a73b6fc22..2db29903f5 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
@@ -766,12 +766,15 @@ fn (mut g Gen) stmts_with_tmp_var(stmts []ast.Stmt, tmp_var string) {
 		// use the first stmt to get the scope
 		stmt := stmts[0]
 		// stmt := stmts[stmts.len-1]
-		if stmt !is ast.FnDecl {
+		if stmt !is ast.FnDecl && g.inside_ternary == 0 {
 			// g.writeln('// autofree scope')
 			// g.writeln('// autofree_scope_vars($stmt.position().pos) | ${typeof(stmt)}')
 			// go back 1 position is important so we dont get the
 			// internal scope of for loops and possibly other nodes
-			g.autofree_scope_vars(stmt.position().pos - 1)
+			// g.autofree_scope_vars(stmt.position().pos - 1)
+			stmt_pos := stmt.position()
+			g.writeln('// af scope_vars')
+			g.autofree_scope_vars(stmt_pos.pos - 1, stmt_pos.line_nr)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -2022,7 +2025,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_clone_assignment(val ast.Expr, right_sym table.TypeSymbol, ad
 	return true
 }
 
-fn (mut g Gen) autofree_scope_vars(pos int) {
+fn (mut g Gen) autofree_scope_vars(pos int, line_nr int) {
 	if g.is_builtin_mod {
 		// In `builtin` everything is freed manually.
 		return
@@ -2030,10 +2033,12 @@ fn (mut g Gen) autofree_scope_vars(pos int) {
 	// eprintln('> free_scope_vars($pos)')
 	scope := g.file.scope.innermost(pos)
 	g.writeln('// autofree_scope_vars(pos=$pos scope.pos=$scope.start_pos scope.end_pos=$scope.end_pos)')
-	g.autofree_scope_vars2(scope, scope.end_pos)
+	// g.autofree_scope_vars2(scope, scope.end_pos)
+	g.autofree_scope_vars2(scope, scope.start_pos, scope.end_pos, line_nr)
 }
 
-fn (mut g Gen) autofree_scope_vars2(scope &ast.Scope, end_pos int) {
+// fn (mut g Gen) autofree_scope_vars2(scope &ast.Scope, end_pos int) {
+fn (mut g Gen) autofree_scope_vars2(scope &ast.Scope, start_pos int, end_pos int, line_nr int) {
 	if isnil(scope) {
 		return
 	}
@@ -2046,7 +2051,8 @@ fn (mut g Gen) autofree_scope_vars2(scope &ast.Scope, end_pos int) {
 				// continue
 				// }
 				v := *obj
-				if v.pos.pos > end_pos {
+				// if v.pos.pos > end_pos {
+				if v.pos.pos > end_pos || (v.pos.pos < start_pos && v.pos.line_nr == line_nr) {
 					// Do not free vars that were declared after this scope
 					continue
 				}
@@ -2068,8 +2074,11 @@ fn (mut g Gen) autofree_scope_vars2(scope &ast.Scope, end_pos int) {
 	// return
 	// }
 	// ```
+	// if !isnil(scope.parent) && line_nr > 0 {
 	if !isnil(scope.parent) {
 		// g.autofree_scope_vars2(scope.parent, end_pos)
+		g.writeln('// af parent scope:')
+		// g.autofree_scope_vars2(scope.parent, start_pos, end_pos, line_nr)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -3415,6 +3424,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) if_expr(node ast.IfExpr) {
 		g.writeln('$styp $tmp; /* if prepend */')
 	} else if node.is_expr || g.inside_ternary != 0 {
 		g.inside_ternary++
+		// g.inside_if_expr = true
 		g.write('(')
 		for i, branch in node.branches {
 			if i > 0 {
@@ -3952,7 +3962,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) return_statement(node ast.Return, af bool) {
 		}
 		if free {
 			g.writeln('; // free tmp exprs')
-			g.autofree_scope_vars(node.pos.pos + 1)
+			g.autofree_scope_vars(node.pos.pos + 1, node.pos.line_nr)
 			g.write('return $tmp')
 		}
 	} else {
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/fn.v b/vlib/v/gen/fn.v
index 564ccd8814..7cabd02fd6 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/fn.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/fn.v
@@ -155,7 +155,8 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_fn_decl(it ast.FnDecl, skip bool) {
 	//
 	if g.autofree && !g.pref.experimental {
 		// TODO: remove this, when g.write_autofree_stmts_when_needed works properly
-		g.autofree_scope_vars(it.body_pos.pos)
+		g.writeln('// af scope_vars (fn decl)')
+		g.autofree_scope_vars(it.body_pos.pos, it.body_pos.line_nr)
 	}
 	if it.return_type != table.void_type && it.stmts.len > 0 && it.stmts.last() !is ast.Return {
 		default_expr := g.type_default(it.return_type)