diff --git a/ase/awk/Context.java b/ase/awk/Context.java
index 45e38be2..f12901a1 100644
--- a/ase/awk/Context.java
+++ b/ase/awk/Context.java
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 /*
- * $Id: Context.java,v 1.7 2007/10/29 15:20:13 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: Context.java,v 1.8 2007/10/30 15:01:31 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 package ase.awk;
 
+import java.util.Stack;
+
 public class Context
 {
 	public static int GLOBAL_ARGC = 0;
@@ -24,15 +26,34 @@ public class Context
 	public static int GLOBAL_RSTART = 15;
 	public static int GLOBAL_SUBSEP = 16;
 
-	private Awk awk;
-	private long runid;
-	private Object custom;
+	protected Awk awk;
+	protected long runid;
+	protected Object custom;
+	protected Stack returnStack;
 
 	Context (Awk awk)
 	{
 		this.awk = awk;
 		this.runid = 0;
 		this.custom = null;
+		this.returnStack = new Stack ();
+	}
+
+	void clear ()
+	{
+		Return r;
+		while ((r = popReturn()) != null) r.clear ();
+	}
+
+	void pushReturn (Return ret)
+	{
+		returnStack.push (ret);
+	}
+
+	Return popReturn ()
+	{
+		if (returnStack.empty()) return null;
+		return (Return)returnStack.pop ();
 	}
 
 	public Awk getAwk ()
diff --git a/ase/awk/Return.java b/ase/awk/Return.java
index 798b4d46..3c25cac7 100644
--- a/ase/awk/Return.java
+++ b/ase/awk/Return.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: Return.java,v 1.5 2007/10/29 15:20:13 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: Return.java,v 1.6 2007/10/30 15:01:31 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 package ase.awk;
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ public class Return
 
 	public Return (Context ctx)
 	{
+		ctx.pushReturn (this);
 		this.runid = ctx.getId();
 		this.valid = 0;
 	}
@@ -136,7 +137,6 @@ public class Return
 		setindexedstrval (this.runid, this.valid, Long.toString(index), v);
 	}
 
-
 	public void clear ()
 	{
 		clearval (this.runid, this.valid);
diff --git a/ase/awk/jni.c b/ase/awk/jni.c
index 700ba576..1be8578d 100644
--- a/ase/awk/jni.c
+++ b/ase/awk/jni.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: jni.c,v 1.41 2007/10/29 15:20:13 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: jni.c,v 1.42 2007/10/30 15:01:31 bacon Exp $
  *
  * {License}
  */
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ struct run_data_t
 	jmethodID exception_get_line;
 	jmethodID exception_get_message;
 
+	jmethodID context_clear;
+
 	jfieldID return_valid;
 
 	jobject context_object;
@@ -725,11 +727,16 @@ JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_ase_awk_Awk_run (JNIEnv* env, jobject obj, jlong awk
 		env, run_data.exception_class, "getLine", "()I");
 	run_data.exception_get_message = (*env)->GetMethodID (
 		env, run_data.exception_class, "getMessage", "()Ljava/lang/String;");
-	
+
 	ASE_ASSERT (run_data.exception_get_code != ASE_NULL);
 	ASE_ASSERT (run_data.exception_get_line != ASE_NULL);
 	ASE_ASSERT (run_data.exception_get_message != ASE_NULL);
 
+	run_data.context_clear = (*env)->GetMethodID (
+		env, run_data.context_class, "clear", "()V");
+
+	ASE_ASSERT (run_data.context_clear != ASE_NULL);
+
 	run_data.return_valid = (*env)->GetFieldID (
 		env, run_data.return_class, FIELD_VALID, "J");
 	if (run_data.return_valid == ASE_NULL)
@@ -1710,11 +1717,19 @@ static int handle_bfn (
 		if (is_debug(awk)) (*env)->ExceptionDescribe (env);
 		(*env)->ExceptionClear (env);
 		(*env)->DeleteLocalRef (env, args);
-	
+
+		/* invoke context.clear */
+		(*env)->CallVoidMethod (env, run_data->context_object, run_data->context_clear);
+		if ((*env)->ExceptionCheck(env))
+		{
+			if (is_debug(awk)) (*env)->ExceptionDescribe (env);
+			(*env)->ExceptionClear (env);
+		}
+
 		/* refdown on ret.valid is needed here */
 		vi = (*env)->GetLongField (env, ret, run_data->return_valid);
 		if (vi != 0) ase_awk_refdownval (run, v);
-		(*env)->SetLongField (env, ret, run_data->return_valid,(jlong)0);
+		(*env)->SetLongField (env, ret, run_data->return_valid ,(jlong)0);
 
 		(*env)->DeleteLocalRef (env, ret);
 		(*env)->DeleteLocalRef (env, name);
@@ -1798,6 +1813,16 @@ static int handle_bfn (
 	(*env)->DeleteLocalRef (env, ret); 
 	(*env)->DeleteLocalRef (env, name);
 
+	(*env)->CallVoidMethod (env, run_data->context_object, run_data->context_clear);
+	if ((*env)->ExceptionCheck(env))
+	{
+/* TODO #1: if exception is thrown in clear, it seems to end with a lot of memory leask. PLEASE CHECK THIS */
+		if (is_debug(awk)) (*env)->ExceptionDescribe (env);
+		(*env)->ExceptionClear (env);
+		ase_awk_setrunerrnum (run, ASE_AWK_EBFNIMPL);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/ase/test/awk/AseAwkPanel.java b/ase/test/awk/AseAwkPanel.java
index 06f48eed..853be3cf 100644
--- a/ase/test/awk/AseAwkPanel.java
+++ b/ase/test/awk/AseAwkPanel.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * $Id: AseAwkPanel.java,v 1.14 2007/10/29 15:20:13 bacon Exp $
+ * $Id: AseAwkPanel.java,v 1.15 2007/10/30 15:01:31 bacon Exp $
  */
 
 import java.awt.*;
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ public class AseAwkPanel extends Panel
 
 			Return r = new Return (ctx);
 			r.setStringValue ("[[%.6f]]");
+			Return r2 = new Return (ctx);
+			r.setStringValue ("[[%.6f]]");
+
 			ctx.setGlobal (Context.GLOBAL_CONVFMT, ret);
 		}