diff --git a/Qrakhen.Qamp.Core/Compilation/ExpressionParser.cs b/Qrakhen.Qamp.Core/Compilation/ExpressionParser.cs
index d466950..c984cb2 100644
--- a/Qrakhen.Qamp.Core/Compilation/ExpressionParser.cs
+++ b/Qrakhen.Qamp.Core/Compilation/ExpressionParser.cs
@@ -210,6 +210,13 @@ public static class ExpressionParser
 
       if (canAssign && digester.Match(TokenType.Assignment, false)) {
          var token = digester.Previous.Type;
+
+         if (token != TokenType.Equal) {
+            // Get the variable's value for the operation
+            digester.Emit(Get);
+            digester.EmitDynamic(variable);
+         }
+
          if (token == TokenType.Increment || token == TokenType.Decrement) {
             // In the case of atomic change, we just forge the value ourselves.
             digester.EmitConstant(new Value(1L));
@@ -218,13 +225,8 @@ public static class ExpressionParser
             digester.ParseExpression();
          }
 
-         // Check whether this is just an assignment.
          if (token != TokenType.Equal)
          {
-            // Get the variable's value for the operation
-            digester.Emit(Get);
-            digester.EmitDynamic(variable);
-
             // Append the operator
             OpCode op = token switch
             {
diff --git a/Qrakhen.Qamp.Core/Execution/Runner.cs b/Qrakhen.Qamp.Core/Execution/Runner.cs
index b96f06c..073a3c1 100644
--- a/Qrakhen.Qamp.Core/Execution/Runner.cs
+++ b/Qrakhen.Qamp.Core/Execution/Runner.cs
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public class Runner : IDisposable
             _logger.Verbose($"OpCode: {opCode}");
 #endif
 
-         IO.Console.Write($"{opCode}: \n - {string.Join("\n - ", Stack.ToArray().Subset(0, Stack.Count))}");
+         //IO.Console.Write($"{opCode}: \n - {string.Join("\n - ", Stack.ToArray().Subset(0, Stack.Count))}");
 
          if (TestFlag(opCode, Op.F_Operation)) {
             Value result = ValueOperation.Resolve(PopOperation(opCode));
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ public class Runner : IDisposable
                   return Error($"tried to set global variable with empty name");
                if (!Globals.Has(name))
                   return Error($"tried to set a value of non-existing global variable");
-               Globals[name] = Pop();
+               Globals[name] = Peek();
 #if LOG
                     _logger.Verbose($"set global {name} = {Globals[name]}");
 #endif
@@ -349,11 +349,16 @@ public class Runner : IDisposable
             }
 
             case Op.Return: {
-               Value result = Pop();
+               Value result = Pop();      
                CloseOuters(call.StackPtr.Branch());
                Calls.Pop();
                if (Calls.Count == 0) {
-                  Pop();
+                  if (Stack.Count > 0) {
+                     // todo: very bad fix for our stack problem
+                     Pop();
+                  } else {
+                     _logger.Warn($"Critical issue at end of execution detected - stack was empty at return.");
+                  }
                   return ExecutionResult.OK;
                }
                Stack.Decimate(call.StackPtr.Cursor);