diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
index 19464afc..b564f4e4 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6c/main.combined.ww
@@ -6542,6 +6542,14 @@ fn cgstmt(c: *cgen, n: *node) void = {
 
 	if (k == N_YIELD) { cgyield(c, n); return; };
 
+	if (k == N_DEFER) {
+		if (c.defertop < DEFER_MAX) {
+			c.deferbuf[c.defertop] = n.lhs;
+			c.defertop += 1;
+		};
+		return;
+	};
+
 	c.lastwasreturn = 0;
 };
 
@@ -6569,7 +6577,19 @@ fn cgblock(c: *cgen, n: *node) void = {
 	return;
 };
 
+// rundefers — emit cgexpr for every queued defer in LIFO order.
+// Called from cgreturn and the cgfn implicit-return path.
+fn rundefers(c: *cgen) void = {
+	let i: i32 = c.defertop - 1;
+	for (i >= 0) {
+		cgexpr(c, c.deferbuf[i]);
+		i -= 1;
+	};
+	return;
+};
+
 fn cgreturn(c: *cgen, n: *node) void = {
+	rundefers(c);
 	let rhs: *node = n.lhs;
 	if (rhs != nil) {
 		// Tuple return `return a, b;`:
@@ -7463,6 +7483,9 @@ fn cgfn(c: *cgen, fn_: *node) void = {
 	if (fn_.body != nil) { cgstmt(c, fn_.body); };
 
 	if (c.lastwasreturn == 0) {
+		// Run any registered defers in LIFO order before the
+		// implicit return.
+		rundefers(c);
 		// Zero AX before the fall-through return — matches C cgen,
 		// which always emits this so void-returning fns don't leak
 		// a stale callee value to their caller.
@@ -7646,6 +7669,7 @@ type ffi = struct {
 };
 
 def LOOP_MAX: i32 = 16;
+def DEFER_MAX: i32 = 16;
 
 type cgen = struct {
 	a:        *arena,
@@ -7668,6 +7692,8 @@ type cgen = struct {
 	loopcontbuf: *str,	// stack of cont labels for continue
 	yieldtop: i32,
 	yieldbuf:    *str,	// stack of match end labels for yield
+	defertop:    i32,
+	deferbuf:    **node,	// stack of deferred exprs (LIFO at return)
 };
 
 fn cgeninit(c: *cgen, a: *arena) void = {
@@ -7684,6 +7710,8 @@ fn cgeninit(c: *cgen, a: *arena) void = {
 	c.loopcontbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 16u64): *str;
 	c.yieldtop = 0;
 	c.yieldbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 16u64): *str;
+	c.defertop = 0;
+	c.deferbuf = amalloc(a, (DEFER_MAX: u64) * 8u64): **node;
 };
 
 // localalloc — append a slot for `name` without dedup. Used for
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww
index 82fe3393..fe2387c6 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgen.ww
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ type ffi = struct {
 };
 
 def LOOP_MAX: i32 = 16;
+def DEFER_MAX: i32 = 16;
 
 type cgen = struct {
 	a:        *arena,
@@ -167,6 +168,8 @@ type cgen = struct {
 	loopcontbuf: *str,	// stack of cont labels for continue
 	yieldtop: i32,
 	yieldbuf:    *str,	// stack of match end labels for yield
+	defertop:    i32,
+	deferbuf:    **node,	// stack of deferred exprs (LIFO at return)
 };
 
 fn cgeninit(c: *cgen, a: *arena) void = {
@@ -183,6 +186,8 @@ fn cgeninit(c: *cgen, a: *arena) void = {
 	c.loopcontbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 16u64): *str;
 	c.yieldtop = 0;
 	c.yieldbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 16u64): *str;
+	c.defertop = 0;
+	c.deferbuf = amalloc(a, (DEFER_MAX: u64) * 8u64): **node;
 };
 
 // localalloc — append a slot for `name` without dedup. Used for
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgendecl.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgendecl.ww
index 5631125e..5a4b3f13 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgendecl.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgendecl.ww
@@ -258,6 +258,9 @@ fn cgfn(c: *cgen, fn_: *node) void = {
 	if (fn_.body != nil) { cgstmt(c, fn_.body); };
 
 	if (c.lastwasreturn == 0) {
+		// Run any registered defers in LIFO order before the
+		// implicit return.
+		rundefers(c);
 		// Zero AX before the fall-through return — matches C cgen,
 		// which always emits this so void-returning fns don't leak
 		// a stale callee value to their caller.
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenstmt.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenstmt.ww
index 6a0db10e..a1ede22b 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenstmt.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wcc/cgenstmt.ww
@@ -43,6 +43,14 @@ fn cgstmt(c: *cgen, n: *node) void = {
 
 	if (k == N_YIELD) { cgyield(c, n); return; };
 
+	if (k == N_DEFER) {
+		if (c.defertop < DEFER_MAX) {
+			c.deferbuf[c.defertop] = n.lhs;
+			c.defertop += 1;
+		};
+		return;
+	};
+
 	c.lastwasreturn = 0;
 };
 
@@ -70,7 +78,19 @@ fn cgblock(c: *cgen, n: *node) void = {
 	return;
 };
 
+// rundefers — emit cgexpr for every queued defer in LIFO order.
+// Called from cgreturn and the cgfn implicit-return path.
+fn rundefers(c: *cgen) void = {
+	let i: i32 = c.defertop - 1;
+	for (i >= 0) {
+		cgexpr(c, c.deferbuf[i]);
+		i -= 1;
+	};
+	return;
+};
+
 fn cgreturn(c: *cgen, n: *node) void = {
+	rundefers(c);
 	let rhs: *node = n.lhs;
 	if (rhs != nil) {
 		// Tuple return `return a, b;`:
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
index d3280381..a051cd69 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/wwdump/main.combined.ww
@@ -6542,6 +6542,14 @@ fn cgstmt(c: *cgen, n: *node) void = {
 
 	if (k == N_YIELD) { cgyield(c, n); return; };
 
+	if (k == N_DEFER) {
+		if (c.defertop < DEFER_MAX) {
+			c.deferbuf[c.defertop] = n.lhs;
+			c.defertop += 1;
+		};
+		return;
+	};
+
 	c.lastwasreturn = 0;
 };
 
@@ -6569,7 +6577,19 @@ fn cgblock(c: *cgen, n: *node) void = {
 	return;
 };
 
+// rundefers — emit cgexpr for every queued defer in LIFO order.
+// Called from cgreturn and the cgfn implicit-return path.
+fn rundefers(c: *cgen) void = {
+	let i: i32 = c.defertop - 1;
+	for (i >= 0) {
+		cgexpr(c, c.deferbuf[i]);
+		i -= 1;
+	};
+	return;
+};
+
 fn cgreturn(c: *cgen, n: *node) void = {
+	rundefers(c);
 	let rhs: *node = n.lhs;
 	if (rhs != nil) {
 		// Tuple return `return a, b;`:
@@ -7463,6 +7483,9 @@ fn cgfn(c: *cgen, fn_: *node) void = {
 	if (fn_.body != nil) { cgstmt(c, fn_.body); };
 
 	if (c.lastwasreturn == 0) {
+		// Run any registered defers in LIFO order before the
+		// implicit return.
+		rundefers(c);
 		// Zero AX before the fall-through return — matches C cgen,
 		// which always emits this so void-returning fns don't leak
 		// a stale callee value to their caller.
@@ -7646,6 +7669,7 @@ type ffi = struct {
 };
 
 def LOOP_MAX: i32 = 16;
+def DEFER_MAX: i32 = 16;
 
 type cgen = struct {
 	a:        *arena,
@@ -7668,6 +7692,8 @@ type cgen = struct {
 	loopcontbuf: *str,	// stack of cont labels for continue
 	yieldtop: i32,
 	yieldbuf:    *str,	// stack of match end labels for yield
+	defertop:    i32,
+	deferbuf:    **node,	// stack of deferred exprs (LIFO at return)
 };
 
 fn cgeninit(c: *cgen, a: *arena) void = {
@@ -7684,6 +7710,8 @@ fn cgeninit(c: *cgen, a: *arena) void = {
 	c.loopcontbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 16u64): *str;
 	c.yieldtop = 0;
 	c.yieldbuf = amalloc(a, (LOOP_MAX: u64) * 16u64): *str;
+	c.defertop = 0;
+	c.deferbuf = amalloc(a, (DEFER_MAX: u64) * 8u64): **node;
 };
 
 // localalloc — append a slot for `name` without dedup. Used for
diff --git a/test/wcc/700_e2e.c b/test/wcc/700_e2e.c
index 318963d0..22e50c5f 100644
--- a/test/wcc/700_e2e.c
+++ b/test/wcc/700_e2e.c
@@ -538,6 +538,35 @@ static const struct row rows[] = {
 	  "  };\n"
 	  "  return 0;\n"
 	  "};", 3 },
+	/* defer runs queued exprs in LIFO order, before the return
+	 * expression is evaluated. Each call appends a decimal digit
+	 * to acc via *&acc — return reads the post-defer state. */
+	{ "fn rec(p: *i32, c: i32) i32 = {\n"
+	  "  *p = *p * 10 + c;\n"
+	  "  return 0;\n"
+	  "};\n"
+	  "fn main() i32 = {\n"
+	  "  let acc: i32 = 0;\n"
+	  "  defer rec(&acc, 1);\n"
+	  "  defer rec(&acc, 2);\n"
+	  "  defer rec(&acc, 3);\n"
+	  "  return acc;\n"
+	  "};", 65 },	/* 321 mod 256 */
+	/* defer also fires on an implicit fall-through return (void fn). */
+	{ "fn rec(p: *i32, c: i32) i32 = {\n"
+	  "  *p = *p * 10 + c;\n"
+	  "  return 0;\n"
+	  "};\n"
+	  "fn run(p: *i32) void = {\n"
+	  "  defer rec(p, 7);\n"
+	  "  defer rec(p, 8);\n"
+	  "  // no explicit return — implicit fall-through path\n"
+	  "};\n"
+	  "fn main() i32 = {\n"
+	  "  let acc: i32 = 0;\n"
+	  "  run(&acc);\n"
+	  "  return acc;\n"
+	  "};", 87 },	/* defers fire 8, 7 → 8 then 87 */
 	/* yield from match-as-expression: each arm yields a value;
 	 * the match itself is bound to a let. */
 	{ "fn pick(b: bool) (i32 | str) = {\n"