diff --git a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/CxxOps.td b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/CxxOps.td
index 8dbbbce5..50162bdf 100644
--- a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/CxxOps.td
+++ b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/CxxOps.td
@@ -99,6 +99,22 @@ def Cxx_ReturnOp : Cxx_Op<"return", [Pure, HasParent<"FuncOp">, Terminator]> {
   let hasVerifier = 0;
 }
 
+def Cxx_AllocaOp : Cxx_Op<"alloca"> {
+  let arguments = (ins);
+
+  let results = (outs Cxx_PointerType:$result);
+}
+
+def Cxx_LoadOp : Cxx_Op<"load"> {
+  let arguments = (ins Cxx_PointerType:$addr);
+
+  let results = (outs AnyType:$result);
+}
+
+def Cxx_StoreOp : Cxx_Op<"store"> {
+  let arguments = (ins AnyType:$value, Cxx_PointerType:$addr);
+}
+
 def Cxx_TodoExprOp : Cxx_Op<"todo.expr"> {
   let arguments = (ins StrAttr:$message);
   let results = (outs Cxx_ExprType:$result);
diff --git a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.h b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.h
index 4f9cc141..25e1a5c9 100644
--- a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.h
+++ b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen.h
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@ class Codegen {
   mlir::ModuleOp module_;
   mlir::cxx::FuncOp function_;
   TranslationUnit* unit_ = nullptr;
+  mlir::Block* exitBlock_ = nullptr;
+  mlir::cxx::AllocaOp exitValue_;
   int count_ = 0;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen_declarations.cc b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen_declarations.cc
index 25c5c634..7f550844 100644
--- a/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen_declarations.cc
+++ b/src/mlir/cxx/mlir/codegen_declarations.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@
 #include <cxx/symbols.h>
 #include <cxx/types.h>
 
+// mlir
+#include <mlir/Dialect/ControlFlow/IR/ControlFlowOps.h>
+#include <mlir/IR/Block.h>
+
 #include <format>
 
 namespace cxx {
@@ -267,10 +271,9 @@ auto Codegen::DeclarationVisitor::operator()(OpaqueEnumDeclarationAST* ast)
 auto Codegen::DeclarationVisitor::operator()(FunctionDefinitionAST* ast)
     -> DeclarationResult {
   auto functionSymbol = ast->symbol;
-  auto functionType = type_cast<FunctionType>(functionSymbol->type());
-  auto returnType = functionType->returnType();
-
-  auto exprType = gen.builder_.getType<mlir::cxx::ExprType>();
+  const auto functionType = type_cast<FunctionType>(functionSymbol->type());
+  const auto returnType = functionType->returnType();
+  const auto needsExitValue = !gen.control()->is_void(returnType);
 
   std::vector<mlir::Type> inputTypes;
   std::vector<mlir::Type> resultTypes;
@@ -279,12 +282,11 @@ auto Codegen::DeclarationVisitor::operator()(FunctionDefinitionAST* ast)
     inputTypes.push_back(gen.convertType(paramTy));
   }
 
-  if (!gen.control()->is_void(functionType->returnType())) {
+  if (needsExitValue) {
     resultTypes.push_back(gen.convertType(returnType));
   }
 
   auto funcType = gen.builder_.getFunctionType(inputTypes, resultTypes);
-  auto loc = gen.builder_.getUnknownLoc();
 
   std::vector<std::string> path;
   for (Symbol* symbol = ast->symbol; symbol;
@@ -309,46 +311,70 @@ auto Codegen::DeclarationVisitor::operator()(FunctionDefinitionAST* ast)
     name += std::format("_{}", ++gen.count_);
   }
 
-  auto savedInsertionPoint = gen.builder_.saveInsertionPoint();
+  const auto savedInsertionPoint = gen.builder_.saveInsertionPoint();
 
-  auto func = gen.builder_.create<mlir::cxx::FuncOp>(loc, name, funcType);
+  const auto loc = gen.getLocation(ast->symbol->location());
 
+  auto func = gen.builder_.create<mlir::cxx::FuncOp>(loc, name, funcType);
   auto entryBlock = &func.front();
+  auto exitBlock = gen.builder_.createBlock(&func.getBody());
+  mlir::cxx::AllocaOp exitValue;
 
+  // set the insertion point to the entry block
   gen.builder_.setInsertionPointToEnd(entryBlock);
 
-  std::swap(gen.function_, func);
+  if (needsExitValue) {
+    auto exitValueLoc =
+        gen.getLocation(ast->functionBody->firstSourceLocation());
+    auto exitValueType = gen.convertType(returnType);
+    auto ptrType = gen.builder_.getType<mlir::cxx::PointerType>(exitValueType);
+    exitValue = gen.builder_.create<mlir::cxx::AllocaOp>(exitValueLoc, ptrType);
 
-#if false
-  for (auto node : ListView{ast->attributeList}) {
-    auto value = gen(node);
+    exitBlock->addArgument(ptrType, exitValueLoc);
   }
 
-  for (auto node : ListView{ast->declSpecifierList}) {
-    auto value = gen(node);
-  }
-
-  auto declaratorResult = gen(ast->declarator);
-  auto requiresClauseResult = gen(ast->requiresClause);
-#endif
+  // restore state
+  std::swap(gen.function_, func);
+  std::swap(gen.exitBlock_, exitBlock);
+  std::swap(gen.exitValue_, exitValue);
 
+  // generate code for the function body
   auto functionBodyResult = gen(ast->functionBody);
 
-  std::swap(gen.function_, func);
+  // terminate the function body
 
-  auto endLoc = gen.getLocation(ast->lastSourceLocation());
+  const auto endLoc = gen.getLocation(ast->lastSourceLocation());
 
-  if (gen.control()->is_void(returnType)) {
-    // If the function returns void, we don't need to return anything.
-    gen.builder_.create<mlir::cxx::ReturnOp>(endLoc);
+  if (needsExitValue) {
+    // We need to return a value of the correct type.
+
+    llvm::SmallVector<mlir::Value> exitBlockArgs;
+    exitBlockArgs.push_back(gen.exitValue_.getResult());
+
+    gen.builder_.create<mlir::cf::BranchOp>(endLoc, gen.exitBlock_,
+                                            exitBlockArgs);
+
+    gen.builder_.setInsertionPointToEnd(gen.exitBlock_);
+
+    auto elementType = gen.exitValue_.getType().getElementType();
+
+    auto value = gen.builder_.create<mlir::cxx::LoadOp>(endLoc, elementType,
+                                                        gen.exitValue_);
+
+    gen.builder_.create<mlir::cxx::ReturnOp>(endLoc, value->getResults());
   } else {
-    // Otherwise, we need to return a value of the correct type.
-    auto r = gen.emitTodoExpr(ast->lastSourceLocation(), "result value");
+    // If the function returns void, we don't need to return anything.
 
-    auto result =
-        gen.builder_.create<mlir::cxx::ReturnOp>(endLoc, r->getResults());
+    gen.builder_.create<mlir::cf::BranchOp>(endLoc, gen.exitBlock_);
+    gen.builder_.setInsertionPointToEnd(gen.exitBlock_);
+    gen.builder_.create<mlir::cxx::ReturnOp>(endLoc);
   }
 
+  // restore the state
+  std::swap(gen.function_, func);
+  std::swap(gen.exitBlock_, exitBlock);
+  std::swap(gen.exitValue_, exitValue);
+
   gen.builder_.restoreInsertionPoint(savedInsertionPoint);
 
   return {};