diff --git a/crates/compiler/parse/src/expr.rs b/crates/compiler/parse/src/expr.rs
index 1f9136c26d..6ab10b4fc9 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/parse/src/expr.rs
+++ b/crates/compiler/parse/src/expr.rs
@@ -2125,6 +2125,7 @@ fn expr_to_pattern_help<'a>(arena: &'a Bump, expr: &Expr<'a>) -> Result<Pattern<
     let mut expr = expr.extract_spaces();
 
     while let Expr::ParensAround(loc_expr) = &expr.item {
+        dbg!(&loc_expr);
         let expr_inner = loc_expr.extract_spaces();
 
         expr.before = merge_spaces(arena, expr.before, expr_inner.before);
@@ -3108,22 +3109,24 @@ fn stmts_to_defs<'a>(
             Stmt::Expr(Expr::Return(return_value, _after_return)) => {
                 if i == stmts.len() - 1 {
                     let region = sp_stmt.item.region;
-                    last_expr = Some(
+                    last_expr = Some(Loc::at(
+                        region,
                         arena
                             .alloc(Expr::Return(return_value, None))
-                            .with_spaces_before(sp_stmt.before, region),
-                    );
+                            .maybe_before(arena, sp_stmt.before),
+                    ));
                 } else {
                     let region = Region::span_across(
                         &sp_stmt.item.region,
                         &stmts[stmts.len() - 1].item.region,
                     );
                     let rest = stmts_to_expr(&stmts[i + 1..], arena)?;
-                    last_expr = Some(
+                    last_expr = Some(Loc::at(
+                        region,
                         arena
                             .alloc(Expr::Return(return_value, Some(arena.alloc(rest))))
-                            .with_spaces_before(sp_stmt.before, region),
-                    );
+                            .maybe_before(arena, sp_stmt.before),
+                    ));
                 }
 
                 // don't re-process the rest of the statements, they got consumed by the early return
diff --git a/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/fail/return_in_pat.expr.result-ast b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/fail/return_in_pat.expr.result-ast
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0ffbe037c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/fail/return_in_pat.expr.result-ast
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Expr(BadOperator("=", @13), @0)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/fail/return_in_pat.expr.roc b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/fail/return_in_pat.expr.roc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..198f351342
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/fail/return_in_pat.expr.roc
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+(
+return e
+t)=t
diff --git a/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_minus_one.expr.result-ast b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_minus_one.expr.result-ast
index f9914b9324..47c7d77aea 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_minus_one.expr.result-ast
+++ b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_minus_one.expr.result-ast
@@ -1,22 +1,19 @@
-@0-10 SpaceBefore(
-    Return(
-        @0-8 UnaryOp(
-            @7-8 Var {
-                module_name: "",
-                ident: "r",
-            },
-            @6-7 Negate,
-        ),
-        Some(
-            @9-10 SpaceBefore(
-                Num(
-                    "1",
-                ),
-                [
-                    Newline,
-                ],
+@0-10 Return(
+    @0-8 UnaryOp(
+        @7-8 Var {
+            module_name: "",
+            ident: "r",
+        },
+        @6-7 Negate,
+    ),
+    Some(
+        @9-10 SpaceBefore(
+            Num(
+                "1",
             ),
+            [
+                Newline,
+            ],
         ),
     ),
-    [],
 )
diff --git a/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_then_nested_parens.expr.result-ast b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_then_nested_parens.expr.result-ast
index 6dac2cfe69..9fa302f53c 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_then_nested_parens.expr.result-ast
+++ b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_then_nested_parens.expr.result-ast
@@ -1,38 +1,35 @@
 @0-17 SpaceAfter(
-    SpaceBefore(
-        Return(
-            @0-8 Var {
-                module_name: "",
-                ident: "n",
-            },
-            Some(
-                @9-17 SpaceBefore(
-                    ParensAround(
-                        SpaceAfter(
-                            ParensAround(
-                                SpaceAfter(
-                                    Num(
-                                        "0",
-                                    ),
-                                    [
-                                        Newline,
-                                    ],
+    Return(
+        @0-8 Var {
+            module_name: "",
+            ident: "n",
+        },
+        Some(
+            @9-17 SpaceBefore(
+                ParensAround(
+                    SpaceAfter(
+                        ParensAround(
+                            SpaceAfter(
+                                Num(
+                                    "0",
                                 ),
+                                [
+                                    Newline,
+                                ],
                             ),
-                            [
-                                LineComment(
-                                    "",
-                                ),
-                            ],
                         ),
+                        [
+                            LineComment(
+                                "",
+                            ),
+                        ],
                     ),
-                    [
-                        Newline,
-                    ],
                 ),
+                [
+                    Newline,
+                ],
             ),
         ),
-        [],
     ),
     [
         Newline,
diff --git a/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_with_after.expr.result-ast b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_with_after.expr.result-ast
index 0dc9bc9d4c..9b1c30ea05 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_with_after.expr.result-ast
+++ b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/snapshots/pass/return_with_after.expr.result-ast
@@ -1,48 +1,45 @@
-@0-13 SpaceBefore(
-    Return(
-        @0-8 Num(
-            "-1",
-        ),
-        Some(
-            @10-13 Defs(
-                Defs {
-                    tags: [
-                        EitherIndex(2147483648),
-                    ],
-                    regions: [
-                        @10-11,
-                    ],
-                    space_before: [
-                        Slice<roc_parse::ast::CommentOrNewline> { start: 0, length: 1 },
-                    ],
-                    space_after: [
-                        Slice<roc_parse::ast::CommentOrNewline> { start: 1, length: 0 },
-                    ],
-                    spaces: [
-                        LineComment(
-                            "",
+@0-13 Return(
+    @0-8 Num(
+        "-1",
+    ),
+    Some(
+        @10-13 Defs(
+            Defs {
+                tags: [
+                    EitherIndex(2147483648),
+                ],
+                regions: [
+                    @10-11,
+                ],
+                space_before: [
+                    Slice<roc_parse::ast::CommentOrNewline> { start: 0, length: 1 },
+                ],
+                space_after: [
+                    Slice<roc_parse::ast::CommentOrNewline> { start: 1, length: 0 },
+                ],
+                spaces: [
+                    LineComment(
+                        "",
+                    ),
+                ],
+                type_defs: [],
+                value_defs: [
+                    Stmt(
+                        @10-11 Tag(
+                            "X",
                         ),
-                    ],
-                    type_defs: [],
-                    value_defs: [
-                        Stmt(
-                            @10-11 Tag(
-                                "X",
-                            ),
-                        ),
-                    ],
+                    ),
+                ],
+            },
+            @12-13 SpaceBefore(
+                Var {
+                    module_name: "",
+                    ident: "s",
                 },
-                @12-13 SpaceBefore(
-                    Var {
-                        module_name: "",
-                        ident: "s",
-                    },
-                    [
-                        Newline,
-                    ],
-                ),
+                [
+                    Newline,
+                ],
             ),
         ),
     ),
-    [],
 )
diff --git a/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/test_snapshots.rs b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/test_snapshots.rs
index 11990c2d48..9c252897ec 100644
--- a/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/test_snapshots.rs
+++ b/crates/compiler/test_syntax/tests/test_snapshots.rs
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ mod test_snapshots {
         fail/record_type_open_indent.expr,
         fail/record_type_tab.expr,
         fail/return_as_single_line_expr.expr,
+        fail/return_in_pat.expr,
         fail/single_no_end.expr,
         fail/tab_crash.header,
         fail/tag_union_end.expr,