diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
index 77c822787d..f0cad90d40 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
@@ -562,6 +562,7 @@ func (s *state) stmt(n *Node) {
 	case ORETURN:
 		s.stmtList(n.List)
 		b := s.endBlock()
+		b.Kind = ssa.BlockRet
 		b.AddEdgeTo(s.exit)
 
 	case OCONTINUE, OBREAK:
@@ -3358,6 +3359,7 @@ func genBlock(b, next *ssa.Block, branches []branch) []branch {
 			branches = append(branches, branch{p, b.Succs[0]})
 		}
 	case ssa.BlockExit:
+	case ssa.BlockRet:
 		Prog(obj.ARET)
 	case ssa.BlockCall:
 		if b.Succs[0] != next {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/check.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/check.go
index 0c2bc4c7f1..68ba25a272 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/check.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/check.go
@@ -59,6 +59,16 @@ func checkFunc(f *Func) {
 			if !b.Control.Type.IsMemory() {
 				f.Fatalf("exit block %s has non-memory control value %s", b, b.Control.LongString())
 			}
+		case BlockRet:
+			if len(b.Succs) != 1 {
+				f.Fatalf("ret block %s len(Succs)==%d, want 1", b, len(b.Succs))
+			}
+			if b.Control != nil {
+				f.Fatalf("ret block %s has non-nil control %s", b, b.Control.LongString())
+			}
+			if b.Succs[0].Kind != BlockExit {
+				f.Fatalf("ret block %s has successor %s, not Exit", b, b.Succs[0].Kind)
+			}
 		case BlockDead:
 			if len(b.Succs) != 0 {
 				f.Fatalf("dead block %s has successors", b)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/critical.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/critical.go
index ba75450875..439d4823e5 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/critical.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/critical.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ package ssa
 // Regalloc wants a critical-edge-free CFG so it can implement phi values.
 func critical(f *Func) {
 	for _, b := range f.Blocks {
-		if len(b.Preds) <= 1 {
+		if len(b.Preds) <= 1 || b.Kind == BlockExit {
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/gen/genericOps.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/gen/genericOps.go
index d17f207a80..59b90adfe5 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/gen/genericOps.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/gen/genericOps.go
@@ -375,6 +375,7 @@ var genericBlocks = []blockData{
 	{name: "If"},    // 2 successors, if control goto Succs[0] else goto Succs[1]
 	{name: "Call"},  // 2 successors, normal return and panic
 	{name: "First"}, // 2 successors, always takes the first one (second is dead)
+	{name: "Ret"},   // 1 successor, branches to exit
 }
 
 func init() {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/opGen.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/opGen.go
index f4c74fe340..a61c31ad5a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/opGen.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/opGen.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ const (
 	BlockIf
 	BlockCall
 	BlockFirst
+	BlockRet
 )
 
 var blockString = [...]string{
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ var blockString = [...]string{
 	BlockIf:    "If",
 	BlockCall:  "Call",
 	BlockFirst: "First",
+	BlockRet:   "Ret",
 }
 
 func (k BlockKind) String() string { return blockString[k] }