diff --git a/src/c/dcl.c b/src/c/dcl.c
index f59399746b2..abf6b7ac731 100644
--- a/src/c/dcl.c
+++ b/src/c/dcl.c
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ funchdr(Node *n)
 	if(dclcontext != PEXTERN)
 		fatal("funchdr: dclcontext");
 	dclcontext = PAUTO;
+	markdcl("func");
 
 	funcargs(n->type);
 	if(n->type->thistuple > 0) {
@@ -364,6 +365,7 @@ funcbody(Node *n)
 	if(dclcontext != PAUTO)
 		fatal("funcbody: dclcontext");
 	dclcontext = PEXTERN;
+	popdcl("func");
 }
 
 /*
@@ -477,7 +479,7 @@ pushdcl(Sym *s)
 }
 
 void
-popdcl(void)
+popdcl(char *why)
 {
 	Sym *d, *s;
 
@@ -491,18 +493,38 @@ popdcl(void)
 		if(debug['d'])
 			print("\t%ld pop %S\n", curio.lineno, s);
 	}
-	if(d != S)
-		d = d->link;
-	dclstack = d;
+	if(d == S)
+		fatal("popdcl: no mark");
+	if(strcmp(why, d->package) != 0)
+		fatal("popdcl: pushed as %s poped as %s", d->package, why);
+	dclstack = d->link;
 }
 
 void
-markdcl(void)
+poptodcl(void)
+{
+	Sym *d, *s;
+
+	for(d=dclstack; d!=S; d=d->link) {
+		if(d->name == nil)
+			break;
+		s = pkglookup(d->name, d->package);
+		dcopy(s, d);
+		if(debug['d'])
+			print("\t%ld pop %S\n", curio.lineno, s);
+	}
+	if(d == S)
+		fatal("poptodcl: no mark");
+}
+
+void
+markdcl(char *why)
 {
 	Sym *d;
 
 	d = push();
 	d->name = nil;		// used as a mark in fifo
+	d->package = why;	// diagnostic for unmatched
 //	if(debug['d'])
 //		print("markdcl\n");
 }
@@ -512,7 +534,7 @@ markdclstack(void)
 {
 	Sym *d, *s;
 
-	markdcl();
+	markdcl("fnlit");
 
 	// copy the entire pop of the stack
 	// all the way back to block0.
@@ -529,6 +551,19 @@ markdclstack(void)
 	}
 }
 
+void
+testdclstack(void)
+{
+	Sym *d;
+
+	for(d=dclstack; d!=S; d=d->link) {
+		if(d->name == nil) {
+			yyerror("mark left on the stack");
+			continue;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 void
 addvar(Node *n, Node *t, int ctxt)
 {
diff --git a/src/c/go.h b/src/c/go.h
index eaada806663..a0fd35e1aa8 100644
--- a/src/c/go.h
+++ b/src/c/go.h
@@ -446,9 +446,11 @@ void	funcbody(Node*);
 Node*	dostruct(Node*, int);
 Node**	stotype(Node*, Node**, Node*);
 Node*	sortinter(Node*);
-void	markdcl(void);
-void	popdcl(void);
+void	markdcl(char*);
+void	popdcl(char*);
+void	poptodcl(void);
 void	markdclstack(void);
+void	testdclstack(void);
 Sym*	pushdcl(Sym*);
 void	addvar(Node*, Node*, int);
 void	addtyp(Node*, Node*, int);
diff --git a/src/c/go.y b/src/c/go.y
index 0c8fac798ab..eb122474f2e 100644
--- a/src/c/go.y
+++ b/src/c/go.y
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ file:
 	{
 		if(debug['f'])
 			frame(1);
+		testdclstack();
 	}
 
 package:
@@ -286,12 +287,12 @@ complex_stmt:
 	LFOR for_stmt
 	{
 		/* FOR and WHILE are the same keyword */
-		popdcl();
+		popdcl("for/while");
 		$$ = $2;
 	}
 |	LSWITCH if_stmt
 	{
-		popdcl();
+		popdcl("if/switch");
 		if(!casebody($2->nbody))
 			yyerror("switch statement must have case labels");
 		$$ = $2;
@@ -299,18 +300,18 @@ complex_stmt:
 	}
 |	LIF if_stmt
 	{
-		popdcl();
+		popdcl("if/switch");
 		$$ = $2;
 	}
 |	LIF if_stmt LELSE else_stmt
 	{
-		popdcl();
+		popdcl("if/switch");
 		$$ = $2;
 		$$->nelse = $4;
 	}
 |	LRANGE range_stmt
 	{
-		popdcl();
+		popdcl("range");
 		$$ = $2;
 	}
 |	LRETURN oexpr_list ';'
@@ -322,14 +323,12 @@ complex_stmt:
 		// will be converted to OCASE
 		// right will point to next case
 		// done in casebody()
-		popdcl();
-		markdcl();
+		poptodcl();
 		$$ = nod(OXCASE, $2, N);
 	}
 |	LDEFAULT ':'
 	{
-		popdcl();
-		markdcl();
+		poptodcl();
 		$$ = nod(OXCASE, N, N);
 	}
 |	LFALL ';'
@@ -369,13 +368,13 @@ complex_stmt:
 compound_stmt:
 	'{'
 	{
-		markdcl();
+		markdcl("compound");
 	} ostmt_list '}'
 	{
 		$$ = $3;
 		if($$ == N)
 			$$ = nod(OEMPTY, N, N);
-		popdcl();
+		popdcl("compound");
 	}
 
 for_header:
@@ -404,7 +403,9 @@ for_body:
 	}
 
 for_stmt:
-	{ markdcl(); } for_body
+	{
+		markdcl("for/while");
+	} for_body
 	{
 		$$ = $2;
 	}
@@ -433,7 +434,9 @@ if_body:
 	}
 
 if_stmt:
-	{ markdcl(); } if_body
+	{
+		markdcl("if/switch");
+	} if_body
 	{
 		$$ = $2;
 	}
@@ -461,7 +464,9 @@ range_body:
 	}
 
 range_stmt:
-	{ markdcl(); } range_body
+	{
+		markdcl("range");
+	} range_body
 	{
 		$$ = $2;
 	}
@@ -883,7 +888,7 @@ fnlitdcl:
 fnliteral:
 	fnlitdcl '{' ostmt_list '}'
 	{
-		popdcl();
+		popdcl("fnlit");
 
 		vargen++;
 		snprint(namebuf, sizeof(namebuf), "_f%.3ld", vargen);