diff --git a/stix/lib/Stix.st b/stix/lib/Stix.st
index aa7c0a9..13e1836 100644
--- a/stix/lib/Stix.st
+++ b/stix/lib/Stix.st
@@ -385,6 +385,3 @@
 	#dcl owner preamble ntmprs nargs code source.
 }
 
-#################################################################
-## MAIN
-#################################################################
diff --git a/stix/lib/comp.c b/stix/lib/comp.c
index 15bdab4..1fdeb84 100644
--- a/stix/lib/comp.c
+++ b/stix/lib/comp.c
@@ -1565,6 +1565,10 @@ static int emit_double_param_instruction (stix_t* stix, int cmd, stix_size_t par
 				bc = cmd | 0x80;
 				goto write_long;
 			}
+
+		case BCODE_MAKE_BLOCK:
+			bc = cmd;
+			goto write_long;
 	}
 
 	stix->errnum = STIX_EINVAL;
@@ -2471,6 +2475,10 @@ static int compile_block_expression (stix_t* stix)
 	/* store the accumulated number of temporaries for the current block */
 	if (store_tmpr_count_for_block (stix, stix->c->mth.tmpr_count) <= -1) return -1;
 
+#if defined(STIX_USE_MAKE_BLOCK)
+printf ("\tmake_block nargs %d ntmprs %d\n", (int)block_arg_count, (int)stix->c->mth.tmpr_count /*block_tmpr_count*/);
+	if (emit_double_param_instruction(stix, BCODE_MAKE_BLOCK, block_arg_count, stix->c->mth.tmpr_count/*block_tmpr_count*/) <= -1) return -1;
+#else
 printf ("\tpush_context nargs %d ntmprs %d\n", (int)block_arg_count, (int)stix->c->mth.tmpr_count /*block_tmpr_count*/);
 printf ("\tpush smint %d\n", (int)block_arg_count);
 printf ("\tpush smint %d\n", (int)stix->c->mth.tmpr_count /*block_tmpr_count*/);
@@ -2479,6 +2487,8 @@ printf ("\tsend_block_copy\n");
 	    emit_push_smint_literal(stix, block_arg_count) <= -1 ||
 	    emit_push_smint_literal(stix, stix->c->mth.tmpr_count/*block_tmpr_count*/) <= -1 ||
 	    emit_byte_instruction(stix, BCODE_SEND_BLOCK_COPY) <= -1) return -1;
+#endif
+	
 
 printf ("\tjump\n");
 	/* insert dummy instructions before replacing them with a jump instruction */
@@ -3332,7 +3342,8 @@ static int compile_method_expression (stix_t* stix, int pop)
 
 			GET_TOKEN (stix);
 
-printf ("ASSIGNIUNG TO ....");
+printf ("ASSIGNING TO ....");
+assignee.ptr = &stix->c->mth.assignees.ptr[assignee_offset];
 print_ucs (&assignee);
 printf ("\n");
 
diff --git a/stix/lib/exec.c b/stix/lib/exec.c
index d9d6181..b694284 100644
--- a/stix/lib/exec.c
+++ b/stix/lib/exec.c
@@ -673,8 +673,6 @@ printf ("~~~~~~~~~~ BLOCK VALUING %p TO NEW BLOCK %p\n", org_blkctx, blkctx);
 	}
 	ACTIVE_STACK_POPS (stix, nargs + 1); /* pop arguments and receiver */
 
-	/*blkctx->ip = blkctx->iip;*/
-
 	STIX_ASSERT (blkctx->home != stix->_nil);
 
 	/* the number of temporaries stored in the block context
@@ -1640,6 +1638,51 @@ printf ("LEAVING_BLOCK\n");
 				ACTIVE_STACK_PUSH (stix, return_value);
 				break;
 
+			case BCODE_MAKE_BLOCK:
+			{
+				stix_oop_context_t blkctx;
+
+				/* b1 - number of block arguments
+				 * b2 - number of block temporaries */
+				FETCH_PARAM_CODE_TO (stix, b1);
+				FETCH_PARAM_CODE_TO (stix, b2);
+
+printf ("MAKE_BLOCK %d %d\n", (int)b1, (int)b2);
+
+				STIX_ASSERT (b1 >= 0);
+				STIX_ASSERT (b2 >= b1);
+
+				/* the block context object created here is used
+				 * as a base object for block context activation.
+				 * primitive_block_context_value() clones a block 
+				 * context and activates the cloned context.
+				 * this base block context is created with no 
+				 * stack for this reason. */
+				blkctx = (stix_oop_context_t)stix_instantiate (stix, stix->_block_context, STIX_NULL, 0); 
+				if (!blkctx) return -1;
+
+				/* the long forward jump instruction has the format of 
+				 *   11000100 KKKKKKKK or 11000100 KKKKKKKK KKKKKKKK 
+				 * depending on STIX_BCODE_LONG_PARAM_SIZE. change 'ip' to point to
+				 * the instruction after the jump. */
+				blkctx->ip = STIX_OOP_FROM_SMINT(stix->ip + STIX_BCODE_LONG_PARAM_SIZE + 1);
+				/* stack pointer below the bottom. this block context has an
+				 * empty stack anyway. */
+				blkctx->sp = STIX_OOP_FROM_SMINT(-1);
+				/* the number of arguments for a block context is local to the block */
+				blkctx->method_or_nargs = STIX_OOP_FROM_SMINT(b1);
+				/* the number of temporaries here is an accumulated count including
+				 * the number of temporaries of a home context */
+				blkctx->ntmprs = STIX_OOP_FROM_SMINT(b2);
+
+				blkctx->home = (stix_oop_t)stix->active_context;
+				blkctx->receiver_or_source = stix->_nil; /* no source */
+
+				blkctx->origin = stix->active_context->origin;
+				ACTIVE_STACK_PUSH (stix, (stix_oop_t)blkctx);
+				break;
+			}
+
 			case BCODE_SEND_BLOCK_COPY:
 			{
 				stix_ooi_t nargs, ntmprs;
@@ -1672,6 +1715,7 @@ printf ("SEND_BLOCK_COPY\n");
 				/* get the receiver to the block copy message after block context instantiation
 				 * not to get affected by potential GC */
 				rctx = (stix_oop_context_t)ACTIVE_STACK_GETTOP(stix);
+				STIX_ASSERT (rctx == stix->active_context);
 
 				/* [NOTE]
 				 *  blkctx->caller is left to nil. it is set to the 
diff --git a/stix/lib/stix-prv.h b/stix/lib/stix-prv.h
index 3038c08..e6c6fc3 100644
--- a/stix/lib/stix-prv.h
+++ b/stix/lib/stix-prv.h
@@ -36,9 +36,13 @@
  * while stix has not been fully initialized when this is defined*/
 #define STIX_SUPPORT_GC_DURING_IGNITION
 
-/* define this to generate CTXTEMVAR instructions */
+/* define this to generate XXXX_CTXTEMVAR instructions */
 #define STIX_USE_CTXTEMPVAR
 
+/* define this to use the MAKE_BLOCK instruction instead of
+ * PUSH_CONTEXT, PUSH_INTLIT, PUSH_INTLIT, SEND_BLOCK_COPY */
+#define STIX_USE_MAKE_BLOCK
+
 /* define this to allow an pointer(OOP) object to have trailing bytes 
  * this is used to embed bytes codes into the back of a compile method
  * object instead of putting in in a separate byte array. */
@@ -47,7 +51,6 @@
 /* this is for gc debugging */
 #define STIX_DEBUG_GC_001  
 
-
 #include <stdio.h> /* TODO: delete these header inclusion lines */
 #include <string.h>
 #include <assert.h>
@@ -764,13 +767,14 @@ enum stix_bcode_t
 	BCODE_PUSH_INTLIT              = 0xB1, /* 177 */
 	BCODE_PUSH_NEGINTLIT           = 0xB2, /* 178 */
 
-	/* UNUSED 0xE8 - 0xF8 */
+	/* UNUSED 0xE8 - 0xF7 */
 
-	BCODE_DUP_STACKTOP             = 0xF9,
-	BCODE_POP_STACKTOP             = 0xFA,
-	BCODE_RETURN_STACKTOP          = 0xFB, /* ^something */
-	BCODE_RETURN_RECEIVER          = 0xFC, /* ^self */
-	BCODE_RETURN_FROM_BLOCK        = 0xFD, /* return the stack top from a block */
+	BCODE_DUP_STACKTOP             = 0xF8,
+	BCODE_POP_STACKTOP             = 0xF9,
+	BCODE_RETURN_STACKTOP          = 0xFA, /* ^something */
+	BCODE_RETURN_RECEIVER          = 0xFB, /* ^self */
+	BCODE_RETURN_FROM_BLOCK        = 0xFC, /* return the stack top from a block */
+	BCODE_MAKE_BLOCK               = 0xFD,
 	BCODE_SEND_BLOCK_COPY          = 0xFE,
 	BCODE_NOOP                     = 0xFF
 };
diff --git a/stix/lib/stix.h b/stix/lib/stix.h
index 5f5fe0c..75ef9a3 100644
--- a/stix/lib/stix.h
+++ b/stix/lib/stix.h
@@ -916,9 +916,8 @@ STIX_EXPORT int stix_ignite (
 	stix_t* stix
 );
 
-
 /**
- * The stix_executes() function XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
+ * The stix_execute() function executes an activated context.
  */
 STIX_EXPORT int stix_execute (
 	stix_t* stix