diff --git a/src/comp/middle/trans.rs b/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
index a945c88e2a68b..fca1c6c0bc23b 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
@@ -1026,6 +1026,18 @@ fn find_scope_cx(@block_ctxt cx) -> @block_ctxt {
     }
 }
 
+fn find_outer_scope_cx(@block_ctxt cx) -> @block_ctxt {
+    auto scope_cx = find_scope_cx(cx);
+    alt (cx.parent) {
+        case (parent_some(?b)) {
+            be find_scope_cx(b);
+        }
+        case (parent_none) {
+            fail;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn umax(@block_ctxt cx, ValueRef a, ValueRef b) -> ValueRef {
     auto cond = cx.build.ICmp(lib.llvm.LLVMIntULT, a, b);
     ret cx.build.Select(cond, b, a);
@@ -5368,8 +5380,49 @@ fn trans_block(@block_ctxt cx, &ast.block b) -> result {
         case (some[@ast.expr](?e)) {
             r = trans_expr(bcx, e);
             bcx = r.bcx;
+
             if (is_terminated(bcx)) {
                 ret r;
+            } else {
+                auto r_ty = ty.expr_ty(e);
+
+                if (ty.type_is_boxed(r_ty)) {
+                    // The value resulting from the block gets copied into an
+                    // alloca created in an outer scope and its refcount
+                    // bumped so that it can escape this block. This means
+                    // that it will definitely live until the end of the
+                    // enclosing scope, even if nobody uses it, which may be
+                    // something of a surprise.
+
+                    // It's possible we never hit this block, so the alloca
+                    // must be initialized to null, then when the potential
+                    // value finally goes out of scope the drop glue will see
+                    // that it was never used and ignore it.
+
+                    // NB: Here we're building and initalizing the alloca in
+                    // the alloca context, not this block's context.
+                    auto res_alloca = alloc_ty(bcx, r_ty);
+                    auto alloca_ty = type_of(bcx.fcx.ccx, r_ty);
+                    auto builder = new_builder(bcx.fcx.llallocas);
+                    builder.Store(C_null(alloca_ty), res_alloca.val);
+
+                    // Now we're working in our own block context again
+                    auto res_copy = copy_ty(bcx, INIT,
+                                            res_alloca.val, r.val, r_ty);
+                    bcx = res_copy.bcx;
+
+                    fn drop_hoisted_ty(@block_ctxt cx,
+                                       ValueRef alloca_val,
+                                       @ty.t t) -> result {
+                        auto reg_val = load_scalar_or_boxed(cx,
+                                                            alloca_val, t);
+                        ret drop_ty(cx, reg_val, t);
+                    }
+
+                    auto cleanup = bind drop_hoisted_ty(_, res_alloca.val,
+                                                        r_ty);
+                    find_outer_scope_cx(bcx).cleanups += vec(clean(cleanup));
+                }
             }
         }
         case (none[@ast.expr]) {
diff --git a/src/comp/pretty/pprust.rs b/src/comp/pretty/pprust.rs
index d478227ce2278..f3b0f3fe97939 100644
--- a/src/comp/pretty/pprust.rs
+++ b/src/comp/pretty/pprust.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,24 @@ fn ty_to_str(&@ast.ty ty) -> str {
     ret writer.get_str();
 }
 
+fn block_to_str(&ast.block blk) -> str {
+    auto writer = io.string_writer();
+    auto s = @rec(s=pp.mkstate(writer.get_writer(), 78u),
+                  comments=option.none[vec[lexer.cmnt]],
+                  mutable cur_cmnt=0u);
+    print_block(s, blk);
+    ret writer.get_str();
+}
+
+fn expr_to_str(&@ast.expr e) -> str {
+    auto writer = io.string_writer();
+    auto s = @rec(s=pp.mkstate(writer.get_writer(), 78u),
+                  comments=option.none[vec[lexer.cmnt]],
+                  mutable cur_cmnt=0u);
+    print_expr(s, e);
+    ret writer.get_str();
+}
+
 impure fn hbox(ps s) {
     pp.hbox(s.s, indent_unit);
 }
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/expr-alt.rs b/src/test/run-pass/expr-alt.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..22cdf32a67230
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/expr-alt.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// xfail-boot
+// xfail-stage0
+// -*- rust -*-
+
+// Tests for using alt as an expression
+
+fn test() {
+  let bool res = alt (true) {
+    case (true) {
+      true
+    }
+    case (false) {
+      false
+    }
+  };
+  check (res);
+
+  res = alt(false) {
+    case (true) {
+      false
+    }
+    case (false) {
+      true
+    }
+  };
+  check (res);
+}
+
+fn main() {
+  test();
+}
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/expr-block-box.rs b/src/test/run-pass/expr-block-box.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e8ab62091a59d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/expr-block-box.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// xfail-boot
+// -*- rust -*-
+
+fn main() {
+  auto x = {
+    @100
+  };
+
+  check (*x == 100);
+}
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/expr-block-generic.rs b/src/test/run-pass/expr-block-generic.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..fc34d112419d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/expr-block-generic.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+// xfail-boot
+// xfail-stage0
+// -*- rust -*-
+
+// Tests for standalone blocks as expressions with dynamic type sizes
+
+type compare[T] = fn(&T t1, &T t2) -> bool;
+
+fn test_generic[T](&T expected, &compare[T] eq) {
+  let T actual = { expected };
+  check (eq(expected, actual));
+}
+
+fn test_bool() {
+  fn compare_bool(&bool b1, &bool b2) -> bool {
+    ret b1 == b2;
+  }
+  auto eq = bind compare_bool(_, _);
+  test_generic[bool](true, eq);
+}
+
+
+fn test_tup() {
+  type t = tup(int, int);
+  fn compare_tup(&t t1, &t t2) -> bool {
+    ret t1 == t2;
+  }
+  auto eq = bind compare_tup(_, _);
+  test_generic[t](tup(1, 2), eq);
+}
+
+fn test_vec() {
+  fn compare_vec(&vec[int] v1, &vec[int] v2) -> bool {
+    ret v1 == v2;
+  }
+  auto eq = bind compare_vec(_, _);
+  test_generic[vec[int]](vec(1, 2), eq);
+}
+
+fn test_box() {
+  fn compare_box(&@bool b1, &@bool b2) -> bool {
+    ret *b1 == *b2;
+  }
+  auto eq = bind compare_box(_, _);
+  test_generic[@bool](@true, eq);
+}
+
+fn main() {
+  test_bool();
+  test_tup();
+  // FIXME: These two don't pass yet
+  test_vec();
+  test_box();
+}
+
+
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/expr-block.rs b/src/test/run-pass/expr-block.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ecc6f04a34029
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/expr-block.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// xfail-boot
+// -*- rust -*-
+
+// Tests for standalone blocks as expressions
+
+fn test_basic() {
+  let bool res = { true };
+  check (res);
+}
+
+fn test_rec() {
+  auto res = { rec(v1 = 10, v2 = 20) };
+  check (res.v2 == 20);
+}
+
+fn test_filled_with_stuff() {
+  auto res = {
+    auto a = 0;
+    while (a < 10) {
+      a += 1;
+    }
+    a
+  };
+  check (res == 10);
+}
+
+fn main() {
+  test_basic();
+  test_rec();
+  test_filled_with_stuff();
+}
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/expr-if-box.rs b/src/test/run-pass/expr-if-box.rs
index 98503211fc2c3..a629c9c9bc464 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/expr-if-box.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/expr-if-box.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 // xfail-boot
-// xfail-stage0
 // -*- rust -*-
 
 // Tests for if as expressions returning boxed types
@@ -9,6 +8,12 @@ fn test_box() {
   check (*res == 100);
 }
 
+fn test_str() {
+  auto res = if (true) { "happy" } else { "sad" };
+  check (res == "happy");
+}
+
 fn main() {
   test_box();
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+  test_str();
+}
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/expr-if.rs b/src/test/run-pass/expr-if.rs
index e69a629f9d055..7c99f2ea82e1c 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/expr-if.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/expr-if.rs
@@ -80,11 +80,6 @@ fn test_if_as_block_result() {
   check (res);
 }
 
-fn test_str() {
-  auto res = if (true) { "happy" } else { "sad" };
-  check (res == "happy");
-}
-
 fn main() {
   test_if();
   test_else();
@@ -94,5 +89,4 @@ fn main() {
   test_inferrence();
   test_if_as_if_condition();
   test_if_as_block_result();
-  test_str();
 }