diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node.go
index f3d1f21eeb..300084aea6 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/node.go
@@ -482,11 +482,6 @@ func IsMethod(n Node) bool {
 	return n.Type().Recv() != nil
 }
 
-func HasNamedResults(fn *Func) bool {
-	typ := fn.Type()
-	return typ.NumResults() > 0 && types.OrigSym(typ.Result(0).Sym) != nil
-}
-
 // HasUniquePos reports whether n has a unique position that can be
 // used for reporting error messages.
 //
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/stmt.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/stmt.go
index 93a147c335..9bb3f79392 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/stmt.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/stmt.go
@@ -423,17 +423,14 @@ func tcRange(n *ir.RangeStmt) {
 
 // tcReturn typechecks an ORETURN node.
 func tcReturn(n *ir.ReturnStmt) ir.Node {
-	typecheckargs(n)
 	if ir.CurFunc == nil {
-		base.Errorf("return outside function")
-		n.SetType(nil)
-		return n
+		base.FatalfAt(n.Pos(), "return outside function")
 	}
 
-	if ir.HasNamedResults(ir.CurFunc) && len(n.Results) == 0 {
-		return n
+	typecheckargs(n)
+	if len(n.Results) != 0 {
+		typecheckaste(ir.ORETURN, nil, false, ir.CurFunc.Type().Results(), n.Results, func() string { return "return argument" })
 	}
-	typecheckaste(ir.ORETURN, nil, false, ir.CurFunc.Type().Results(), n.Results, func() string { return "return argument" })
 	return n
 }