diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
index 99d8a7680b..1cc5860c19 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
@@ -4829,6 +4829,12 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_optional_error(target_type ast.Type, expr ast.Expr) {
 
 fn (mut g Gen) return_stmt(node ast.Return) {
 	g.write_v_source_line_info(node.pos)
+
+	g.inside_return = true
+	defer {
+		g.inside_return = false
+	}
+
 	if node.exprs.len > 0 {
 		// skip `return $vweb.html()`
 		if node.exprs[0] is ast.ComptimeCall {
@@ -4838,10 +4844,6 @@ fn (mut g Gen) return_stmt(node ast.Return) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	g.inside_return = true
-	defer {
-		g.inside_return = false
-	}
 	// got to do a correct check for multireturn
 	sym := g.table.get_type_symbol(g.fn_decl.return_type)
 	fn_return_is_multi := sym.kind == .multi_return
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/comptime.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/comptime.v
index 9689a8e8d8..8fdfa9337e 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/comptime.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/comptime.v
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ fn (mut g Gen) comptime_call(node ast.ComptimeCall) {
 	}
 	if node.is_vweb {
 		is_html := node.method_name == 'html'
+		mut cur_line := ''
+
+		if !is_html {
+			cur_line = g.go_before_stmt(0)
+		}
+
 		for stmt in node.vweb_tmpl.stmts {
 			if stmt is ast.FnDecl {
 				// insert stmts from vweb_tmpl fn
@@ -49,19 +55,24 @@ fn (mut g Gen) comptime_call(node ast.ComptimeCall) {
 					if is_html {
 						g.inside_vweb_tmpl = true
 					}
-					g.stmts(stmt.stmts)
+					g.stmts(stmt.stmts.filter(it !is ast.Return))
 					g.inside_vweb_tmpl = false
 					break
 				}
 			}
 		}
+
 		if is_html {
 			// return vweb html template
 			g.writeln('vweb__Context_html(&app->Context, _tmpl_res_$g.fn_decl.name); strings__Builder_free(&sb); string_free(&_tmpl_res_$g.fn_decl.name);')
 		} else {
 			// return $tmpl string
 			fn_name := g.fn_decl.name.replace('.', '__')
-			g.writeln('return _tmpl_res_$fn_name;')
+			g.write(cur_line)
+			if g.inside_return {
+				g.write('return ')
+			}
+			g.write('_tmpl_res_$fn_name')
 		}
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v b/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v
index cecaeac3b0..796da60e42 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) compile_template_file(template_file string, fn_name string
 	source.writeln('
 import strings
 // === vweb html template ===
-fn vweb_tmpl_${fn_name}() {
+fn vweb_tmpl_${fn_name}() string {
 mut sb := strings.new_builder($lstartlength)\n
 
 ')
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ mut sb := strings.new_builder($lstartlength)\n
 	}
 	source.writeln(parser.tmpl_str_end)
 	source.writeln('_tmpl_res_$fn_name := sb.str() ')
+	source.writeln('return _tmpl_res_$fn_name')
 	source.writeln('}')
 	source.writeln('// === end of vweb html template ===')
 	result := source.str()
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/tmpl_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/tmpl_test.v
index e8cb5a9ea0..9c6a5e99e1 100644
--- a/vlib/v/tests/tmpl_test.v
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/tmpl_test.v
@@ -10,8 +10,21 @@ fn one() string {
 	return $tmpl('tmpl/base.txt')
 }
 
+fn outside_return() string {
+	name := 'Peter'
+	age := 25
+	numbers := [1, 2, 3]
+	downloads := {
+		'vlang/ui':  '3201'
+		'vlang/vtl': '123'
+	}
+	ignored := true
+	result := $tmpl('tmpl/base.txt')
+	return result
+}
+
 fn test_tmpl() {
-	assert one().trim_space() == "name: Peter
+	expected := "name: Peter
 age: 25
 numbers: [1, 2, 3]
 
@@ -41,6 +54,9 @@ this is not ignored
 
 
 so, it's basically true"
+
+	assert one().trim_space() == expected
+	assert outside_return().trim_space() == expected
 }
 
 fn test_tmpl_in_anon_fn() {