diff --git a/include/pocketpy/compiler/compiler.hpp b/include/pocketpy/compiler/compiler.hpp
index 3a8abb8e..704523d2 100644
--- a/include/pocketpy/compiler/compiler.hpp
+++ b/include/pocketpy/compiler/compiler.hpp
@@ -60,9 +60,8 @@ struct Compiler {
     static void init_pratt_rules() noexcept;
 
     bool match(TokenIndex expected) noexcept;
-    bool match_newlines_repl() noexcept{ return match_newlines(mode() == REPL_MODE); }
-    bool match_newlines(bool repl_throw = false) noexcept;
     bool match_end_stmt() noexcept;
+    bool match_newlines(bool* need_more_lines = NULL) noexcept;
     /*************************************************/
     [[nodiscard]] Error* EXPR() noexcept{ return parse_expression(PREC_LOWEST + 1); }
     [[nodiscard]] Error* EXPR_TUPLE(bool allow_slice = false) noexcept;
@@ -130,7 +129,6 @@ struct Compiler {
     [[nodiscard]] Error* SyntaxError(const char* msg = "invalid syntax", ...) noexcept;
     [[nodiscard]] Error* IndentationError(const char* msg) noexcept{ return lexer._error(false, "IndentationError", msg, {}); }
     [[nodiscard]] Error* NeedMoreLines() noexcept{
-        assert(false);
         return lexer._error(false, "NeedMoreLines", "", {}, (i64)ctx()->is_compiling_class);
     }
 
diff --git a/include/pocketpy/compiler/lexer.hpp b/include/pocketpy/compiler/lexer.hpp
index 3b1dc368..65460fa3 100644
--- a/include/pocketpy/compiler/lexer.hpp
+++ b/include/pocketpy/compiler/lexer.hpp
@@ -129,10 +129,7 @@ struct Lexer {
     [[nodiscard]] Error* _error(bool lexer_err, const char* type, const char* msg, va_list args, i64 userdata=0) noexcept;
     [[nodiscard]] Error* SyntaxError(const char* fmt, ...) noexcept;
     [[nodiscard]] Error* IndentationError(const char* msg) noexcept { return _error(true, "IndentationError", msg, {}); }
-    [[nodiscard]] Error* NeedMoreLines() noexcept {
-        assert(false);
-        return _error(true, "NeedMoreLines", "", {}, 0);
-    }
+    [[nodiscard]] Error* NeedMoreLines() noexcept { return _error(true, "NeedMoreLines", "", {}, 0); }
 
     Lexer(VM* vm, std::shared_ptr<SourceData> src) noexcept;
     
diff --git a/scripts/run_tests.py b/scripts/run_tests.py
index 6f88edc0..533ecfa9 100644
--- a/scripts/run_tests.py
+++ b/scripts/run_tests.py
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ if len(sys.argv) == 2:
     test_dir('benchmarks/')
 else:
     test_dir('tests/')
-    # test_repl()
+    test_repl()
 
 
 print("ALL TESTS PASSED")
diff --git a/src/compiler/compiler.cpp b/src/compiler/compiler.cpp
index 3624b453..567a8f15 100644
--- a/src/compiler/compiler.cpp
+++ b/src/compiler/compiler.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ namespace pkpy {
 
 #define consume(expected) if(!match(expected)) return SyntaxError("expected '%s', got '%s'", TK_STR(expected), TK_STR(curr().type));
 #define consume_end_stmt() if(!match_end_stmt()) return SyntaxError("expected statement end")
+#define check_newlines_repl() { bool __nml; match_newlines(&__nml); if(__nml) return NeedMoreLines(); }
 #define check(B) if((err = B)) return err
 
 PrattRule Compiler::rules[kTokenCount];
@@ -171,14 +172,15 @@ bool Compiler::match(TokenIndex expected) noexcept{
     return true;
 }
 
-bool Compiler::match_newlines(bool repl_throw) noexcept{
+bool Compiler::match_newlines(bool* need_more_lines) noexcept{
     bool consumed = false;
     if(curr().type == TK("@eol")) {
-        while(curr().type == TK("@eol"))
-            advance();
+        while(curr().type == TK("@eol")) advance();
         consumed = true;
     }
-    if(repl_throw && curr().type == TK("@eof")) return NeedMoreLines();
+    if(need_more_lines) {
+        *need_more_lines = (mode() == REPL_MODE && curr().type == TK("@eof"));
+    }
     return consumed;
 }
 
@@ -199,11 +201,11 @@ Error* Compiler::EXPR_TUPLE(bool allow_slice) noexcept{
     // tuple expression
     int count = 1;
     do {
-        if(curr().brackets_level) match_newlines_repl();
+        if(curr().brackets_level) check_newlines_repl()
         if(!is_expression(allow_slice)) break;
         check(parse_expression(PREC_LOWEST + 1, allow_slice));
         count += 1;
-        if(curr().brackets_level) match_newlines_repl();
+        if(curr().brackets_level) check_newlines_repl();
     } while(match(TK(",")));
     TupleExpr* e = make_expr<TupleExpr>(count);
     for(int i=count-1; i>=0; i--)
@@ -351,9 +353,9 @@ Error* Compiler::exprUnaryOp() noexcept{
 
 Error* Compiler::exprGroup() noexcept{
     Error* err;
-    match_newlines_repl();
+    check_newlines_repl()
     check(EXPR_TUPLE());  // () is just for change precedence
-    match_newlines_repl();
+    check_newlines_repl()
     consume(TK(")"));
     if(ctx()->s_top()->is_tuple()) return NULL;
     Expr* g = make_expr<GroupedExpr>(ctx()->s_popx());
@@ -368,7 +370,7 @@ Error* Compiler::consume_comp(Opcode op0, Opcode op1) noexcept{
     check(EXPR_VARS());                         // [expr, vars]
     consume(TK("in"));
     check(parse_expression(PREC_TERNARY + 1));  // [expr, vars, iter]
-    match_newlines_repl();
+    check_newlines_repl()
     if(match(TK("if"))) {
         check(parse_expression(PREC_TERNARY + 1));  // [expr, vars, iter, cond]
         has_cond = true;
@@ -379,7 +381,7 @@ Error* Compiler::consume_comp(Opcode op0, Opcode op1) noexcept{
     ce->vars = ctx()->s_popx();
     ce->expr = ctx()->s_popx();
     ctx()->s_push(ce);
-    match_newlines_repl();
+    check_newlines_repl()
     return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -388,16 +390,16 @@ Error* Compiler::exprList() noexcept{
     int line = prev().line;
     int count = 0;
     do {
-        match_newlines_repl();
+        check_newlines_repl()
         if(curr().type == TK("]")) break;
         check(EXPR()); count += 1;
-        match_newlines_repl();
+        check_newlines_repl()
         if(count == 1 && match(TK("for"))) {
             check(consume_comp(OP_BUILD_LIST, OP_LIST_APPEND));
             consume(TK("]"));
             return NULL;
         }
-        match_newlines_repl();
+        check_newlines_repl()
     } while(match(TK(",")));
     consume(TK("]"));
     ListExpr* e = make_expr<ListExpr>(count);
@@ -413,7 +415,7 @@ Error* Compiler::exprMap() noexcept{
     bool parsing_dict = false;  // {...} may be dict or set
     int count = 0;
     do {
-        match_newlines_repl();
+        check_newlines_repl()
         if(curr().type == TK("}")) break;
         check(EXPR());  // [key]
         int star_level = ctx()->s_top()->star_level();
@@ -434,7 +436,7 @@ Error* Compiler::exprMap() noexcept{
             }
         }
         count += 1;
-        match_newlines_repl();
+        check_newlines_repl()
         if(count == 1 && match(TK("for"))) {
             if(parsing_dict){
                 check(consume_comp(OP_BUILD_DICT, OP_DICT_ADD));
@@ -444,7 +446,7 @@ Error* Compiler::exprMap() noexcept{
             consume(TK("}"));
             return NULL;
         }
-        match_newlines_repl();
+        check_newlines_repl()
     } while(match(TK(",")));
     consume(TK("}"));
 
@@ -466,7 +468,7 @@ Error* Compiler::exprCall() noexcept{
     e->callable = ctx()->s_popx();
     ctx()->s_push(e);     // push onto the stack in advance
     do {
-        match_newlines_repl();
+        check_newlines_repl()
         if(curr().type == TK(")")) break;
         if(curr().type == TK("@id") && next().type == TK("=")) {
             consume(TK("@id"));
@@ -485,7 +487,7 @@ Error* Compiler::exprCall() noexcept{
                 e->args.push_back(ctx()->s_popx());
             }
         }
-        match_newlines_repl();
+        check_newlines_repl()
     } while(match(TK(",")));
     consume(TK(")"));
     return NULL;
@@ -549,9 +551,9 @@ Error* Compiler::exprSlice1() noexcept{
 Error* Compiler::exprSubscr() noexcept{
     Error* err;
     int line = prev().line;
-    match_newlines_repl();
+    check_newlines_repl()
     check(EXPR_TUPLE(true));
-    match_newlines_repl();
+    check_newlines_repl()
     consume(TK("]"));           // [lhs, rhs]
     SubscrExpr* e = make_expr<SubscrExpr>();
     e->line = line;
@@ -578,7 +580,12 @@ Error* Compiler::compile_block_body(PrattCallback callback) noexcept{
         }
         return NULL;
     }
-    if(!match_newlines_repl()) return SyntaxError("expected a new line after ':'");
+
+    bool need_more_lines;
+    bool consumed = match_newlines(&need_more_lines);
+    if(need_more_lines) return NeedMoreLines();
+    if(!consumed) return SyntaxError("expected a new line after ':'");
+
     consume(TK("@indent"));
     while(curr().type != TK("@dedent")) {
         match_newlines();
@@ -838,7 +845,10 @@ Error* Compiler::compile_decorated() noexcept{
     do {
         check(EXPR());
         count += 1;
-        if(!match_newlines_repl()) return SyntaxError();
+        bool need_more_lines;
+        bool consumed = match_newlines(&need_more_lines);
+        if(need_more_lines) return NeedMoreLines();
+        if(!consumed) return SyntaxError("expected a newline after '@'");
     } while(match(TK("@")));
 
     if(match(TK("class"))) {
@@ -1340,5 +1350,6 @@ Error* Compiler::SyntaxError(const char* msg, ...) noexcept{
 #undef consume
 #undef consume_end_stmt
 #undef check
+#undef check_newlines_repl
 
 }  // namespace pkpy
diff --git a/src/pocketpy.cpp b/src/pocketpy.cpp
index 6e9b5333..cbd1a338 100644
--- a/src/pocketpy.cpp
+++ b/src/pocketpy.cpp
@@ -1731,6 +1731,9 @@ CodeObject_ VM::compile(std::string_view source, const Str& filename, CompileMod
 
 void VM::__compile_error(Error* err){
     assert(err != nullptr);
+    if(err->type == std::string_view("NeedMoreLines")){
+        throw NeedMoreLines((bool)err->userdata);
+    }
     __last_exception = vm->call(
         vm->builtins->attr(err->type),
         VAR((const char*)err->msg)