diff --git a/bin/main.c b/bin/main.c
index 6afc2c9..f3d4a2e 100644
--- a/bin/main.c
+++ b/bin/main.c
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ static hcl_oop_t execute_in_batch_mode (hcl_t* hcl, int verbose)
 	hcl_oop_t retv;
 
 	hcl_decode (hcl, 0, hcl_getbclen(hcl));
-	HCL_LOG2 (hcl, HCL_LOG_MNEMONIC, "BYTECODES bclen = > %zu lflen => %zu\n", hcl_getbclen(hcl), hcl_getlflen(hcl));
+	HCL_LOG3 (hcl, HCL_LOG_MNEMONIC, "BYTECODES bclen=%zu lflen=%zu ngtmprs=%zu\n", hcl_getbclen(hcl), hcl_getlflen(hcl), hcl_getngtmprs(hcl));
 	g_hcl = hcl;
 	/*setup_tick ();*/
 
diff --git a/lib/hcl-cmn.h b/lib/hcl-cmn.h
index 305cff8..1f2fe71 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-cmn.h
+++ b/lib/hcl-cmn.h
@@ -859,6 +859,14 @@ typedef struct hcl_t hcl_t;
 #	define HCL_UNUSED
 #endif
 
+#if defined(__STDC_VERSION__) && (__STDC_VERSION__ >= 202311L)
+#	define HCL_NORETURN noreturn
+#elif defined(__STDC_VERSION__) && (__STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L)
+#	define HCL_NORETURN _Noreturn
+#else
+#	define HCL_NORETURN
+#endif
+
 /**
  * The HCL_TYPE_IS_SIGNED() macro determines if a type is signed.
  * \code
@@ -1077,7 +1085,9 @@ typedef struct hcl_t hcl_t;
 #define HCL_STATIC_JOIN_INNER(x, y) x ## y
 #define HCL_STATIC_JOIN(x, y) HCL_STATIC_JOIN_INNER(x, y)
 
-#if defined(__STDC_VERSION__) && (__STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L)
+#if defined(__STDC_VERSION__) && (__STDC_VERSION__ >= 202311L)
+#	define HCL_STATIC_ASSERT(expr)  static_assert (expr, "invalid assertion")
+#elif defined(__STDC_VERSION__) && (__STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L)
 #	define HCL_STATIC_ASSERT(expr)  _Static_assert (expr, "invalid assertion")
 #elif defined(__cplusplus) && (__cplusplus >= 201103L)
 #	define HCL_STATIC_ASSERT(expr) static_assert (expr, "invalid assertion")
diff --git a/lib/hcl.h b/lib/hcl.h
index 9ac2645..f8d13ce 100644
--- a/lib/hcl.h
+++ b/lib/hcl.h
@@ -2369,12 +2369,14 @@ HCL_EXPORT int hcl_decode (
 );
 
 #if defined(HCL_HAVE_INLINE)
-	static HCL_INLINE hcl_oow_t hcl_getbclen (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->code.bc.len; }
-	static HCL_INLINE hcl_oow_t hcl_getlflen (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->code.lit.len; }
-	static HCL_INLINE hcl_ooi_t hcl_getip (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->ip; }
+static HCL_INLINE hcl_oow_t hcl_getbclen (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->code.bc.len; }
+static HCL_INLINE hcl_oow_t hcl_getlflen (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->code.lit.len; }
+static HCL_INLINE hcl_oow_t hcl_getngtmprs (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->code.ngtmprs; }
+static HCL_INLINE hcl_ooi_t hcl_getip (hcl_t* hcl) { return hcl->ip; }
 #else
 #	define hcl_getbclen(hcl) ((hcl)->code.bc.len)
 #	define hcl_getlflen(hcl) ((hcl)->code.lit.len)
+#	define hcl_getngtmprs(hcl) ((hcl)->code.ngtmprs)
 #	define hcl_getip(hcl) ((hcl)->ip)
 #endif
 
diff --git a/t/Makefile.am b/t/Makefile.am
index 1a172ce..31a5432 100644
--- a/t/Makefile.am
+++ b/t/Makefile.am
@@ -6,17 +6,23 @@ check_SCRIPTS = \
 	insta-02.hcl \
 	ret-01.hcl \
 	retvar-01.hcl \
-	va-01.hcl \
-	var-01.hcl 
+	va-01.hcl
+
+check_ERRORS = \
+	var-01.err \
+	var-02.err
 
 ##noinst_SCRIPTS = $(check_SCRIPTS)
-EXTRA_DIST = $(check_SCRIPTS)
+EXTRA_DIST = $(check_SCRIPTS) $(check_ERRORS)
 
 check_PROGRAMS =
 
+TESTS = $(check_PROGRAMS) $(check_SCRIPTS) $(check_ERRORS)
 
-TESTS = $(check_PROGRAMS) $(check_SCRIPTS)
+TEST_EXTENSIONS = .hcl .err
 
-TEST_EXTENSIONS = .hcl
 HCL_LOG_COMPILER = sh $(abs_srcdir)/run.sh ../bin/hcl -x
 AM_HCL_LOG_FLAGS =
+
+ERR_LOG_COMPILER = sh $(abs_srcdir)/err.sh ../bin/hcl -x
+AM_ERR_LOG_FLAGS =
diff --git a/t/Makefile.in b/t/Makefile.in
index 13ccfa6..5af72df 100644
--- a/t/Makefile.in
+++ b/t/Makefile.in
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ POST_UNINSTALL = :
 build_triplet = @build@
 host_triplet = @host@
 check_PROGRAMS =
-TESTS = $(am__EXEEXT_1) $(check_SCRIPTS)
+TESTS = $(am__EXEEXT_1) $(check_SCRIPTS) $(check_ERRORS)
 subdir = t
 ACLOCAL_M4 = $(top_srcdir)/aclocal.m4
 am__aclocal_m4_deps = $(top_srcdir)/m4/ax_check_sign.m4 \
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ am__EXEEXT_1 =
 TEST_SUITE_LOG = test-suite.log
 am__test_logs1 = $(TESTS:=.log)
 am__test_logs2 = $(am__test_logs1:@EXEEXT@.log=.log)
-TEST_LOGS = $(am__test_logs2:.hcl.log=.log)
+am__test_logs3 = $(am__test_logs2:.hcl.log=.log)
 HCL_LOG_DRIVER = $(SHELL) $(top_srcdir)/ac/test-driver
 HCL_LOG_COMPILE = $(HCL_LOG_COMPILER) $(AM_HCL_LOG_FLAGS) \
 	$(HCL_LOG_FLAGS)
@@ -326,6 +326,10 @@ am__set_b = \
     *) \
       b='$*';; \
   esac
+TEST_LOGS = $(am__test_logs3:.err.log=.log)
+ERR_LOG_DRIVER = $(SHELL) $(top_srcdir)/ac/test-driver
+ERR_LOG_COMPILE = $(ERR_LOG_COMPILER) $(AM_ERR_LOG_FLAGS) \
+	$(ERR_LOG_FLAGS)
 am__DIST_COMMON = $(srcdir)/Makefile.in $(top_srcdir)/ac/test-driver
 DISTFILES = $(DIST_COMMON) $(DIST_SOURCES) $(TEXINFOS) $(EXTRA_DIST)
 ACLOCAL = @ACLOCAL@
@@ -473,17 +477,22 @@ check_SCRIPTS = \
 	insta-02.hcl \
 	ret-01.hcl \
 	retvar-01.hcl \
-	va-01.hcl \
-	var-01.hcl 
+	va-01.hcl
 
-EXTRA_DIST = $(check_SCRIPTS)
-TEST_EXTENSIONS = .hcl
+check_ERRORS = \
+	var-01.err \
+	var-02.err
+
+EXTRA_DIST = $(check_SCRIPTS) $(check_ERRORS)
+TEST_EXTENSIONS = .hcl .err
 HCL_LOG_COMPILER = sh $(abs_srcdir)/run.sh ../bin/hcl -x
 AM_HCL_LOG_FLAGS = 
+ERR_LOG_COMPILER = sh $(abs_srcdir)/err.sh ../bin/hcl -x
+AM_ERR_LOG_FLAGS = 
 all: all-am
 
 .SUFFIXES:
-.SUFFIXES: .hcl .hcl$(EXEEXT) .log .trs
+.SUFFIXES: .err .err$(EXEEXT) .hcl .hcl$(EXEEXT) .log .trs
 $(srcdir)/Makefile.in:  $(srcdir)/Makefile.am  $(am__configure_deps)
 	@for dep in $?; do \
 	  case '$(am__configure_deps)' in \
@@ -690,6 +699,20 @@ recheck: all $(check_PROGRAMS) $(check_SCRIPTS)
 @am__EXEEXT_TRUE@	--log-file $$b.log --trs-file $$b.trs \
 @am__EXEEXT_TRUE@	$(am__common_driver_flags) $(AM_HCL_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS) $(HCL_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS) -- $(HCL_LOG_COMPILE) \
 @am__EXEEXT_TRUE@	"$$tst" $(AM_TESTS_FD_REDIRECT)
+.err.log:
+	@p='$<'; \
+	$(am__set_b); \
+	$(am__check_pre) $(ERR_LOG_DRIVER) --test-name "$$f" \
+	--log-file $$b.log --trs-file $$b.trs \
+	$(am__common_driver_flags) $(AM_ERR_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS) $(ERR_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS) -- $(ERR_LOG_COMPILE) \
+	"$$tst" $(AM_TESTS_FD_REDIRECT)
+@am__EXEEXT_TRUE@.err$(EXEEXT).log:
+@am__EXEEXT_TRUE@	@p='$<'; \
+@am__EXEEXT_TRUE@	$(am__set_b); \
+@am__EXEEXT_TRUE@	$(am__check_pre) $(ERR_LOG_DRIVER) --test-name "$$f" \
+@am__EXEEXT_TRUE@	--log-file $$b.log --trs-file $$b.trs \
+@am__EXEEXT_TRUE@	$(am__common_driver_flags) $(AM_ERR_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS) $(ERR_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS) -- $(ERR_LOG_COMPILE) \
+@am__EXEEXT_TRUE@	"$$tst" $(AM_TESTS_FD_REDIRECT)
 distdir: $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 	$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) distdir-am
 
diff --git a/t/err.sh b/t/err.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a1cf57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/err.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+for i in $@; do :; done
+script="$i"
+
+expected_errinfo=$(grep -E "##[[:space:]]+ERROR:" "$script" 2>/dev/null)
+[ -z "$expected_errinfo" ] && {
+	echo "INVALID TESTER - $script contains no ERROR information"
+	exit 1
+}
+
+expected_errline=$(echo $expected_errinfo | cut -d: -f1)
+xlen=$(echo $expected_errline | wc -c)
+xlen=$(expr $xlen + 2)
+expected_errmsg=$(echo $expected_errinfo | cut -c${xlen}-)
+
+output=$($@ 2>&1) 
+echo "$output" | grep -E "ERROR:.+${script}.+${expected_errmsg}" || {
+	echo "$script - $output"
+	exit 1
+}
+exit 0
diff --git a/t/var-01.err b/t/var-01.err
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ff50054
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/var-01.err
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+defclass Object {
+	{
+		## this must not be allowed at this level. if it's allowed,
+		## it should be at the top-level which is above the class level. this is confusing.
+		| j | ## ERROR: syntax error
+		set j 20;
+		printf ">>> %d\n" j;
+	}
+
+	defun ::* init() {
+		printf "Object init...\n";
+		return self;
+	};
+};
diff --git a/t/var-02.err b/t/var-02.err
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6851a3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/var-02.err
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+## if you want local temporaries variables at the top-level, use the blocked expression.
+| a | ## ERROR: syntax error - variable declaration disallowed
+set a 10;
\ No newline at end of file