diff --git a/vlib/builtin/builtin.v b/vlib/builtin/builtin.v
index 2559002380..d43196e8f7 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/builtin.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/builtin.v
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 module builtin
 
 __global (
-	g_m2_buf &byte 
-	g_m2_ptr &byte 
+	g_m2_buf &byte
+	g_m2_ptr &byte
 )
 
 // isnil returns true if an object is nil (only for C objects).
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ __global (
 	total_m              = i64(0)
 	nr_mallocs           = int(0)
 	// will be filled in cgen
-	as_cast_type_indexes   []VCastTypeIndexName 
+	as_cast_type_indexes []VCastTypeIndexName
 )
 
 fn __as_cast(obj voidptr, obj_type int, expected_type int) voidptr {
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/builtin_windows.c.v b/vlib/builtin/builtin_windows.c.v
index be7bfb8e12..3cd3d6350d 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/builtin_windows.c.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/builtin_windows.c.v
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@ const (
 )
 
 // g_original_codepage - used to restore the original windows console code page when exiting
-__global ( g_original_codepage = u32(0))
+__global (
+	g_original_codepage = u32(0)
+)
 
 // utf8 to stdout needs C.SetConsoleOutputCP(C.CP_UTF8)
 fn C.GetConsoleOutputCP() u32
diff --git a/vlib/builtin/string.v b/vlib/builtin/string.v
index 7e3969cb32..412f27dc41 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/string.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/string.v
@@ -1285,7 +1285,9 @@ pub fn (s string) ustring() ustring {
 // A hack that allows to create ustring without allocations.
 // It's called from functions like draw_text() where we know that the string is going to be freed
 // right away. Uses global buffer for storing runes []int array.
-__global ( g_ustring_runes []int )
+__global (
+	g_ustring_runes []int
+)
 
 pub fn (s string) ustring_tmp() ustring {
 	if g_ustring_runes.len == 0 {
diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
index 20d3ea4a7e..5ee9fb5a63 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
@@ -526,7 +526,8 @@ pub mut:
 
 pub struct GlobalDecl {
 pub:
-	pos token.Position
+	pos      token.Position
+	is_block bool // __global() block
 pub mut:
 	fields       []GlobalField
 	end_comments []Comment
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_type.out b/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_type.out
index abc2238987..5782878412 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_type.out
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_type.out
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_type.vv:1:21: error: global assign must have a type and value, use `__global ( name = type(value) )` or `__global ( name type )`
+vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_type.vv:1:21: error: global assign must have a type and value, use `name = type(value)` or `name type`
     1 | __global ( test = 0 )
       |                     ^
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_value.out b/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_value.out
index 7270daa7fe..00b93ef683 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_value.out
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_value.out
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_value.vv:1:23: error: global assign must have a type and value, use `__global ( name = type(value) )` or `__global ( name type )`
+vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/assign_no_value.vv:1:23: error: global assign must have a type and value, use `name = type(value)` or `name type`
     1 | __global ( test = int )
       |                       ^
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/unexpected_eof.out b/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/unexpected_eof.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f0a6cbcb23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/unexpected_eof.out
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/unexpected_eof.vv:3:1: error: unexpected eof, expecting ´)´
+    1 | __global (
+    2 |     x string
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/unexpected_eof.vv b/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/unexpected_eof.vv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ab9c9c684c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/globals/unexpected_eof.vv
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+__global (
+	x string
diff --git a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
index 12f94cd582..5458d1deb3 100644
--- a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
+++ b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
@@ -1083,21 +1083,23 @@ pub fn (mut f Fmt) for_stmt(node ast.ForStmt) {
 }
 
 pub fn (mut f Fmt) global_decl(node ast.GlobalDecl) {
-	single := node.fields.len == 1
-	if single {
-		f.write('__global ( ')
-	} else {
-		f.writeln('__global (')
-		f.indent++
+	if node.fields.len == 0 && node.pos.line_nr == node.pos.last_line {
+		f.writeln('__global ()')
+		return
 	}
+	f.write('__global ')
 	mut max := 0
 	mut has_assign := false
-	for field in node.fields {
-		if field.name.len > max {
-			max = field.name.len
-		}
-		if field.has_expr {
-			has_assign = true
+	if node.is_block {
+		f.writeln('(')
+		f.indent++
+		for field in node.fields {
+			if field.name.len > max {
+				max = field.name.len
+			}
+			if field.has_expr {
+				has_assign = true
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	for field in node.fields {
@@ -1111,20 +1113,19 @@ pub fn (mut f Fmt) global_decl(node ast.GlobalDecl) {
 			f.expr(field.expr)
 			f.write(')')
 		} else {
-			if !single && has_assign {
-				f.write('  ')
-			}
-			f.write('${f.table.type_to_str_using_aliases(field.typ, f.mod2alias)} ')
+			f.write('${f.table.type_to_str_using_aliases(field.typ, f.mod2alias)}')
 		}
-		if !single {
+		if node.is_block {
 			f.writeln('')
 		}
 	}
-	if !single {
-		f.indent--
-	}
 	f.comments_after_last_field(node.end_comments)
-	f.writeln(')\n')
+	if node.is_block {
+		f.indent--
+		f.writeln(')')
+	} else {
+		f.writeln('')
+	}
 }
 
 pub fn (mut f Fmt) go_expr(node ast.GoExpr) {
diff --git a/vlib/v/fmt/tests/global_keep.vv b/vlib/v/fmt/tests/global_keep.vv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e809f3d2fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/fmt/tests/global_keep.vv
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+__global x = bool(true)
+__global y f32
+__global ()
+__global (
+	spam string
+	foo  = int(5)
+)
+__global (
+	a int
+)
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
index dace207f2d..469266c6d4 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
@@ -2818,17 +2818,19 @@ fn (mut p Parser) global_decl() ast.GlobalDecl {
 		return ast.GlobalDecl{}
 	}
 	start_pos := p.tok.position()
-	end_pos := p.tok.position()
 	p.check(.key_global)
-	if p.tok.kind != .lpar {
-		p.error('globals must be grouped, e.g. `__global ( a = int(1) )`')
-		return ast.GlobalDecl{}
+	is_block := p.tok.kind == .lpar
+	if is_block {
+		p.next() // (
 	}
-	p.next() // (
 	mut fields := []ast.GlobalField{}
 	mut comments := []ast.Comment{}
 	for {
 		comments = p.eat_comments({})
+		if is_block && p.tok.kind == .eof {
+			p.error('unexpected eof, expecting ´)´')
+			return ast.GlobalDecl{}
+		}
 		if p.tok.kind == .rpar {
 			break
 		}
@@ -2840,13 +2842,13 @@ fn (mut p Parser) global_decl() ast.GlobalDecl {
 		}
 		typ := p.parse_type()
 		if p.tok.kind == .assign {
-			p.error('global assign must have the type around the value, use `__global ( name = type(value) )`')
+			p.error('global assign must have the type around the value, use `name = type(value)`')
 			return ast.GlobalDecl{}
 		}
 		mut expr := ast.empty_expr()
 		if has_expr {
 			if p.tok.kind != .lpar {
-				p.error('global assign must have a type and value, use `__global ( name = type(value) )` or `__global ( name type )`')
+				p.error('global assign must have a type and value, use `name = type(value)` or `name type`')
 				return ast.GlobalDecl{}
 			}
 			p.next() // (
@@ -2864,12 +2866,18 @@ fn (mut p Parser) global_decl() ast.GlobalDecl {
 		fields << field
 		p.global_scope.register(field)
 		comments = []
+		if !is_block {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if is_block {
+		p.check(.rpar)
 	}
-	p.check(.rpar)
 	return ast.GlobalDecl{
-		pos: start_pos.extend(end_pos)
+		pos: start_pos.extend(p.prev_tok.position())
 		fields: fields
 		end_comments: comments
+		is_block: is_block
 	}
 }