diff --git a/lib/comp.c b/lib/comp.c
index 037363d..f4c4a03 100644
--- a/lib/comp.c
+++ b/lib/comp.c
@@ -1885,6 +1885,7 @@ static HCL_INLINE int compile_catch (hcl_t* hcl)
 	patch_nearest_post_try (hcl);
 
 /* TODO: HCL_TRAIT_INTERACTIVE??? */
+/* TODO: nargs -> 1 ntmprs  -> 1 */
 	if (emit_double_param_instruction(hcl, HCL_CODE_MAKE_BLOCK, 0, 0, HCL_CNODE_GET_LOC(cmd)) <= -1) return -1;
 
 	jump_inst_pos = hcl->code.bc.len;
@@ -1941,12 +1942,7 @@ static HCL_INLINE int post_catch (hcl_t* hcl)
 	}
 	patch_long_jump (hcl, jip, block_code_size);
 
-#if 0
-/* beginning of the elif/else block code */
-	/* to drop the result of the conditional when the conditional is false */
-	if (emit_byte_instruction (hcl, HCL_CODE_POP_STACKTOP, HCL_CNODE_GET_LOC(cf->operand)) <= -1) return -1; 
-#endif
-/* TODO: activate two blocks with special frame arrangement..EMIT_CALL for try...catch... with 2 args???*/
+	if (emit_byte_instruction(hcl, HCL_CODE_TRY_CATCH, HCL_CNODE_GET_LOC(cf->operand)) <= -1) return -1;
 
 	hcl->c->blk.depth--; 
 	POP_CFRAME (hcl);
diff --git a/lib/decode.c b/lib/decode.c
index e019b72..c874642 100644
--- a/lib/decode.c
+++ b/lib/decode.c
@@ -348,7 +348,10 @@ int hcl_decode (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_oow_t start, hcl_oow_t end)
 			handle_call:
 				LOG_INST_1 (hcl, "call %zu", b1);
 				break;
-			
+			/* -------------------------------------------------------- */
+			case HCL_CODE_TRY_CATCH:
+				LOG_INST_0 (hcl, "try_catch");
+				break;
 			/* -------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 			case HCL_CODE_PUSH_CTXTEMPVAR_X:
diff --git a/lib/exec.c b/lib/exec.c
index 6ecb2fd..2c5e0c1 100644
--- a/lib/exec.c
+++ b/lib/exec.c
@@ -1905,9 +1905,32 @@ static HCL_INLINE int call_primitive (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_ooi_t nargs)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	return ((hcl_pfimpl_t)rcv->impl) (hcl, (hcl_mod_t*)rcv->mod, nargs);
+	return ((hcl_pfimpl_t)rcv->impl)(hcl, (hcl_mod_t*)rcv->mod, nargs);
 }
 
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+static HCL_INLINE int call_try_catch (hcl_t* hcl)
+{
+	int x;
+	hcl_oop_block_t rcv;
+	hcl_oop_context_t newctx;
+	hcl_ooi_t nargs = 1;
+
+	rcv = (hcl_oop_block_t)HCL_STACK_GETRCV(hcl, nargs);
+	HCL_ASSERT (hcl, HCL_IS_BLOCK(hcl, rcv));
+
+/* TODO: make this block a try catch block */
+	x = prepare_new_block(hcl, rcv, 0, 0, &newctx);
+	if (HCL_UNLIKELY(x <= -1)) return -1;
+
+	HCL_STACK_POPS (hcl, nargs + 1); /* pop arguments and receiver */
+	newctx->sender = hcl->active_context;
+
+	SWITCH_ACTIVE_CONTEXT (hcl, newctx);
+	return 0;
+}
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 
 #if 0
@@ -3005,7 +3028,16 @@ static int execute (hcl_t* hcl)
 				}
 				break;
 			}
-			
+
+			/* -------------------------------------------------------- */
+			case HCL_CODE_TRY_CATCH:
+				LOG_INST_0 (hcl, "try_catch");
+				if (call_try_catch(hcl) <= -1) 
+				{
+					supplement_errmsg (hcl, fetched_instruction_pointer);
+					goto oops;
+				}
+				break;
 			/* -------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 			case HCL_CODE_PUSH_CTXTEMPVAR_X:
diff --git a/lib/hcl-prv.h b/lib/hcl-prv.h
index 11a6c16..68a7357 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-prv.h
+++ b/lib/hcl-prv.h
@@ -752,7 +752,8 @@ enum hcl_bcode_t
 	HCL_CODE_JUMP2_BACKWARD_IF_FALSE  = 0xD3, /* 211 */
 
 	HCL_CODE_CALL_X                   = 0xD4, /* 212 */
-	/* UNUSED - 0xD5 - 0xD7 */
+	HCL_CODE_TRY_CATCH                = 0xD5, /* 213 */
+	/* UNUSED - 0xD6 - 0xD7 */
 
 	HCL_CODE_STORE_INTO_CTXTEMPVAR_X  = 0xD8, /* 216 ## */
 	/* UNUSED - 0xD9 - 0xDB */