diff --git a/cpp/src/build.cpp b/cpp/src/build.cpp
index 3a715d4..df0ee77 100644
--- a/cpp/src/build.cpp
+++ b/cpp/src/build.cpp
@@ -236,9 +236,12 @@ namespace build
 		// because its become a function that returns an integer, we *must* sneak in a return statement:
 		meta_region.children.front().children.push_back(ast::node
 		{
-			.payload = ast::return_statement
+			.payload = ast::expression
 			{
-				.expr = ast::expression{.expr = ast::integer_literal{.val = 0}}
+				.expr = ast::return_statement
+				{
+					.expr = ast::expression{.expr = ast::integer_literal{.val = 0}}
+				}
 			}
 		});
 		ret.root.children.push_back(meta_region);
diff --git a/cpp/src/codegen.cpp b/cpp/src/codegen.cpp
index 9a58dcd..b03c0ec 100644
--- a/cpp/src/codegen.cpp
+++ b/cpp/src/codegen.cpp
@@ -1229,7 +1229,7 @@ namespace code
 				const ast::node& child = node.children[i];
 				ast::path_t child_path = blk_path;
 				child_path.push_back(i);
-				if(std::holds_alternative<ast::return_statement>(child.payload))
+				if(std::holds_alternative<ast::expression>(child.payload) && std::holds_alternative<ast::return_statement>(std::get<ast::expression>(child.payload).expr))
 				{
 					has_return = true;
 				}
@@ -1237,10 +1237,17 @@ namespace code
 				codegen_thing({.ctx = new_ctx, .state = d.state}, new_ctx.node().payload);
 			}
 
+			if(!has_return)
+			{
+				if(funcdata.return_ty.is_void())
+				{
+					// automatically add a return :) you're welcome
+					builder->CreateRetVoid();
+				}
+				d.ctx.error(error_code::codegen, "missing return value for function \"{}\"", payload.func_name);
+			}
 			if(!has_return && funcdata.return_ty.is_void())
 			{
-				// automatically add a return :) you're welcome
-				builder->CreateRetVoid();
 			}
 		}
 		llvm::verifyFunction(*llvm_fn);
diff --git a/samples/scratchpad.psy b/samples/scratchpad.psy
index 02d849d..ef8158f 100644
--- a/samples/scratchpad.psy
+++ b/samples/scratchpad.psy
@@ -52,11 +52,13 @@ dub :: (val : i64) -> i64
 	{
 		putchar(myint@i8);
 	}
+	return (val * 2);
 }
 
 complicated :: (par1 : i64, par : i64, par3 : i64) -> i64
 {
 	putchar(-par@i8);	
+	return 0;
 }
 
 poggers : i64 := 5;
@@ -104,7 +106,6 @@ morb :: (par0 : i64) -> f64
 	return retval;
 	//return morb(5 * complicated(dub(5)));
 }
-morb(65);
 
 == default : build ==
 {