diff --git a/source/compiler/sc.h b/source/compiler/sc.h
index a5378fa..89e08ed 100644
--- a/source/compiler/sc.h
+++ b/source/compiler/sc.h
@@ -870,17 +870,16 @@ SC_VDECL FILE *outf;          /* file written to */
 
 SC_VDECL jmp_buf errbuf;      /* target of longjmp() on a fatal error */
 
-/*  Possible entries for "emit_parsing_mode"
- *  Bits: 0     (epmACTIVE) 'emit'/'__emit' parsing is active
- *        1     (epmBLOCK) multiline ('{}' block) syntax
- *        2     (epmEXPR) used within an expression
- *        3     (epmGLOBAL) used outside of function
+/*  Possible entries for "emit_flags"
+ *  Bits: 0     (epmBLOCK) multiline ('{}' block) syntax
+ *        1     (epmEXPR) used within an expression
+ *        2     (epmGLOBAL) used outside of a function
  */
-#define epmACTIVE   1
-#define epmBLOCK    2
-#define epmEXPR     4
-#define epmGLOBAL   8
-SC_VDECL int emit_parsing_mode;
+#define efBLOCK         1
+#define efEXPR          2
+#define efGLOBAL        4
+SC_VDECL int emit_flags;
+SC_VDECL int emit_stgbuf_idx;
 
 #if !defined SC_LIGHT
   SC_VDECL int sc_makereport; /* generate a cross-reference report */
diff --git a/source/compiler/sc1.c b/source/compiler/sc1.c
index 2bd62f4..545725b 100644
--- a/source/compiler/sc1.c
+++ b/source/compiler/sc1.c
@@ -895,7 +895,8 @@ static void resetglobals(void)
   sc_curstates=0;
   pc_memflags=0;
   pc_naked=FALSE;
-  emit_parsing_mode=0;
+  emit_flags=0;
+  emit_stgbuf_idx=-1;
 }
 
 static void initglobals(void)
@@ -1652,10 +1653,11 @@ static void parse(void)
       break;
     case tEMIT:
     case t__EMIT:
-      emit_parsing_mode |= epmGLOBAL;
+      emit_flags |= efGLOBAL;
       lex(&val,&str);
       emit_parse_line();
-      emit_parsing_mode &= ~epmGLOBAL;
+      needtoken(';');
+      emit_flags &= ~efGLOBAL;
       break;
     case tNEW:
       if (getclassspec(tok,&fpublic,&fstatic,&fstock,&fconst))
@@ -5100,11 +5102,10 @@ static void statement(int *lastindent,int allow_decl)
   errorset(sRESET,0);
 
   tok=lex(&val,&st);
-  if (tok==tEMIT || tok==t__EMIT) {
-    doemit();
-    return;
-  } else if ((emit_parsing_mode & epmBLOCK)!=0) {
+  if ((emit_flags & efBLOCK)!=0) {
     emit_parse_line();
+    if (matchtoken('}'))
+      emit_flags &= ~efBLOCK;
     return;
   } /* if */
   if (tok!='{') {
@@ -5213,6 +5214,21 @@ static void statement(int *lastindent,int allow_decl)
     matchtoken(tSTATIC);
     decl_enum(sLOCAL,FALSE);
     break;
+  case tEMIT:
+  case t__EMIT: {
+    extern char *sc_tokens[];
+    const char *bck_lptr=lptr-strlen(sc_tokens[tok-tFIRST]);
+    if (matchtoken('{')) {
+      lexpush();
+      emit_flags |= efBLOCK;
+      lastst=tEMIT;
+      break;
+    } /* if */
+    lptr=bck_lptr;
+    lexclr(FALSE);
+    tok=lex(&val,&st);
+  } /* case */
+  /* drop through */
   default:          /* non-empty expression */
     sc_allowproccall=optproccall;
     lexpush();      /* analyze token later */
@@ -5908,7 +5924,7 @@ fetchtok:
     *p=(neg!=FALSE) ? -sym->addr : sym->addr;
     break;
   case '(':
-    if ((emit_parsing_mode & epmEXPR)==0)
+    if ((emit_flags & efEXPR)==0)
       stgset(TRUE);
     stgget(&index,&cidx);
     errorset(sEXPRMARK,0);
@@ -5917,7 +5933,7 @@ fetchtok:
       error(8);         /* must be constant expression */
     errorset(sEXPRRELEASE,0);
     stgdel(index,cidx);
-    if ((emit_parsing_mode & epmEXPR)==0)
+    if ((emit_flags & efEXPR)==0)
       stgset(FALSE);
     needtoken(')');
     *p=(neg!=FALSE) ? -val : val;
@@ -6641,13 +6657,6 @@ SC_FUNC void emit_parse_line(void)
   symbol *sym;
   char name[MAX_INSTR_LEN];
   extern char *sc_tokens[];
-  
-  /* write the staging buffer to the output file so instructions
-   * generated by the `emit`/`__emit` operator could be written
-   * separately without getting altered by the optimizer
-   */
-  stgout(0);
-  emit_parsing_mode |= epmACTIVE;
 
   tok=tokeninfo(&val,&st);
   if (tok==tSYMBOL || (tok>tMIDDLE && tok<=tLAST)) {
@@ -6670,21 +6679,9 @@ SC_FUNC void emit_parse_line(void)
     if (emit_opcodelist[i].name==NULL && *name!='\0')
       error(104,name); /* invalid assembler instruction */
     emit_opcodelist[i].func(name);
-
-    if ((emit_parsing_mode & epmEXPR)==0) {
-      /* make sure the string only contains whitespaces
-       * and/or an optional trailing '}' or ';'
-       */
-      while (*lptr<=' ' && *lptr!='\0')
-        lptr++;
-      if (*lptr!='\0' && *lptr!='}' && (*lptr!=';' || (emit_parsing_mode & epmBLOCK)!=0))
-        error(38);  /* extra characters on line */
-    } /* if */
   } else if (tok==tLABEL) {
-    if ((emit_parsing_mode & epmEXPR)!=0) {
+    if ((emit_flags & (efEXPR | efGLOBAL))!=0) {
       error(29);        /* invalid expression, assumed zero */
-    } else if ((emit_parsing_mode & epmGLOBAL)!=0) {
-      error(11);        /* invalid outside functions */
     } else if (find_constval(&tagname_tab,st,0)!=NULL) {
       error(221,st);    /* label name shadows tagname */
     } else {
@@ -6695,29 +6692,16 @@ SC_FUNC void emit_parse_line(void)
       sym->usage|=uDEFINE;
     } /* if */
   } /* if */
-  if ((emit_parsing_mode & epmBLOCK)!=0) {
-    if (matchtoken('}'))
-      emit_parsing_mode &= ~epmBLOCK;
-  } else if ((emit_parsing_mode & epmEXPR)==0) {
-    matchtoken(';');
-  } /* if */
 
-  /* write the staging buffer again */
-  stgout(0);
-  emit_parsing_mode &= ~epmACTIVE;
-}
-
-static void doemit(void)
-{
-  cell val;
-  char *st;
-
-  if (matchtoken('{')) {
-    lexpush();
-    emit_parsing_mode |= epmBLOCK;
-  } else {
-    lex(&val,&st);
-    emit_parse_line();
+  if ((emit_flags & (efEXPR | efGLOBAL))==0) {
+    assert((emit_flags & efBLOCK)!=0);
+    /* make sure the string only contains whitespaces
+     * and an optional trailing '}'
+     */
+    while (*lptr<=' ' && *lptr!='\0')
+      lptr++;
+    if (*lptr!='\0' && *lptr!='}')
+      error(38);  /* extra characters on line */
   } /* if */
 }
 
diff --git a/source/compiler/sc3.c b/source/compiler/sc3.c
index 9aff411..2216597 100644
--- a/source/compiler/sc3.c
+++ b/source/compiler/sc3.c
@@ -1452,11 +1452,19 @@ static int hier2(value *lval)
   case t__EMIT: {
     cell val;
     char* st;
-    emit_parsing_mode |= epmEXPR;
-    lex(&val,&st);
-    emit_parse_line();
-    emit_parsing_mode &= ~epmEXPR;
+    int block_syntax=matchtoken('(');
+    emit_flags |= efEXPR;
+    if (emit_stgbuf_idx==-1)
+      emit_stgbuf_idx=stgidx;
+    do {
+      lex(&val,&st);
+      emit_parse_line();
+    } while ((block_syntax!=0) && matchtoken(','));
+    if (block_syntax!=0)
+      needtoken(')');
+    emit_flags &= ~efEXPR;
     lval->ident=iEXPRESSION;
+    pc_sideeffect=TRUE;
     return FALSE;
   } /* case */
   default:
diff --git a/source/compiler/sc7.c b/source/compiler/sc7.c
index 0c1613e..07a25b5 100644
--- a/source/compiler/sc7.c
+++ b/source/compiler/sc7.c
@@ -1437,6 +1437,8 @@ SC_FUNC void stgout(int index)
         filewrite(stgpipe+idx);
     } /* if */
   } /* if */
+  if (stgidx<=emit_stgbuf_idx)
+    emit_stgbuf_idx=-1;
   pipeidx=0;  /* reset second pipe */
 }
 
@@ -1770,7 +1772,7 @@ static void stgopt(char *start,char *end,int (*outputfunc)(char *str))
 
   assert(sequences!=NULL);
   /* do not match anything if debug-level is maximum */
-  if (pc_optimize>sOPTIMIZE_NONE && (emit_parsing_mode & epmACTIVE)==0 && sc_status==statWRITE) {
+  if (pc_optimize>sOPTIMIZE_NONE && sc_status==statWRITE && emit_stgbuf_idx==-1) {
     do {
       matches=0;
       start=debut;
diff --git a/source/compiler/scvars.c b/source/compiler/scvars.c
index 2038ad8..5055a15 100644
--- a/source/compiler/scvars.c
+++ b/source/compiler/scvars.c
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ SC_VDEFINE FILE *outf    = NULL;   /* (intermediate) text file written to */
 
 SC_VDEFINE jmp_buf errbuf;
 
-SC_VDEFINE int emit_parsing_mode=0;
+SC_VDEFINE int emit_flags;
+SC_VDEFINE int emit_stgbuf_idx;
 
 #if !defined SC_LIGHT
   SC_VDEFINE int sc_makereport=FALSE; /* generate a cross-reference report */