diff --git a/examples/multiline-bodies.ilo b/examples/multiline-bodies.ilo
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..806c625a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/multiline-bodies.ilo
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+-- Multi-line function bodies — readable indented form.
+--
+-- ilo's spec says newlines are non-semantic: an entire program can be one
+-- line, but a multi-line file with indented continuations must work too.
+-- These shapes all used to fail with ILO-P009 ("expected expression, got
+-- Semi" / "got PipeOp") because `normalize_newlines` injected a `;` inside
+-- brackets or before a continuation pipe. Now they all run.
+
+-- Multi-line list literal.
+nums>L n
+  xs=[
+    1,
+    2,
+    3
+  ]
+  xs
+
+-- Multi-line list literal with leading commas (common when copy-pasting
+-- columns of values).
+items>L n
+  xs=[1
+    ,2
+    ,3]
+  xs
+
+-- Multi-line paren-grouped expression.
+gp x:n>n
+  y=(+x
+    1)
+  y
+
+-- Pipe chain across multiple lines — `>>` on a continuation line is never
+-- a statement start, so the `;` injection is suppressed.
+pipe x:n>n
+  x
+    >>str
+    >>len
+
+-- Indented multi-statement body (already worked, kept as a regression
+-- baseline).
+tot p:n q:n>n
+  s=*p q
+  t=*s q
+  +s t
+
+-- run: nums
+-- out: [1, 2, 3]
+-- run: items
+-- out: [1, 2, 3]
+-- run: gp 5
+-- out: 6
+-- run: pipe 42
+-- out: 2
+-- run: tot 3 4
+-- out: 60
diff --git a/src/lexer/mod.rs b/src/lexer/mod.rs
index db948bac..ea18ad2a 100644
--- a/src/lexer/mod.rs
+++ b/src/lexer/mod.rs
@@ -176,6 +176,14 @@ pub enum Token {
 /// - `\n` followed by whitespace (indented continuation) → `;`
 /// - `\n` at column 0 (new declaration) → kept as `\n`
 /// - `;` immediately after `{` or before `}` → removed
+/// - Inside `(...)` or `[...]` (list literal, paren-group, fn-call arg list),
+///   `\n` is treated as whitespace: no `;` is emitted, so multi-line list and
+///   paren expressions parse correctly. String literals are walked through so
+///   `(`/`[` inside text don't affect depth.
+/// - Continuation lines starting with `>>` (pipe operator) suppress the `;`
+///   so `xs\n  >>map{...}` chains correctly. `>>` is never a valid statement
+///   start, so this is unambiguous. Other operators (`+`, `-`, `*`, ...) are
+///   valid prefix-call statement heads and are NOT special-cased.
 pub fn normalize_newlines(source: &str) -> String {
     if !source.contains('\n') {
         return source.to_string();
@@ -185,13 +193,17 @@ pub fn normalize_newlines(source: &str) -> String {
     let mut chars = source.chars().peekable();
     // Track the last non-whitespace char pushed to `out` to avoid O(n) trim_end scans.
     let mut last_significant: Option<char> = None;
+    // Depth of open `(` and `[` we're currently inside. `{` is tracked
+    // separately by `last_significant` (existing precedent).
+    let mut bracket_depth: u32 = 0;
 
     while let Some(c) = chars.next() {
         if c == '"' {
             // Pass through string literal content verbatim so `--` inside a
-            // string isn't mistaken for a comment, and so `\n` (if ever present
-            // inside a string) isn't rewritten to `;`. Mirrors logos's string
-            // regex: closing quote terminates unless escaped.
+            // string isn't mistaken for a comment, `\n` (if ever present
+            // inside a string) isn't rewritten to `;`, and `(`/`[` inside
+            // text don't bump bracket depth. Mirrors logos's string regex:
+            // closing quote terminates unless escaped.
             out.push(c);
             last_significant = Some(c);
             while let Some(sc) = chars.next() {
@@ -223,14 +235,41 @@ pub fn normalize_newlines(source: &str) -> String {
             // surrounding `\n` handling on the next loop iteration emits the
             // appropriate `;` or newline based on the line that follows.
         } else if c == '\n' {
+            // Inside `(...)` or `[...]`, treat newlines as whitespace —
+            // don't emit `;` or `\n`, but emit a single space so tokens on
+            // adjacent lines don't get glued together (e.g. `(+x\n  1)`
+            // must not become `(+x1)`). Then skip indent on the next line.
+            if bracket_depth > 0 {
+                out.push(' ');
+                while matches!(chars.peek(), Some(' ') | Some('\t')) {
+                    chars.next();
+                }
+                continue;
+            }
             // Check if next line is indented (starts with space or tab)
             if matches!(chars.peek(), Some(' ') | Some('\t')) {
+                // Peek past indent at the first real char on the next line
+                // so we can decide whether to emit a `;` before it.
+                let mut lookahead = chars.clone();
+                while matches!(lookahead.peek(), Some(' ') | Some('\t')) {
+                    lookahead.next();
+                }
+                // `>>` (pipe operator) at the start of a continuation line is
+                // never a statement start — it must be chaining the previous
+                // line's expression. Suppress the `;` so the chain parses.
+                // Other operators (`+`/`-`/`*`) are valid prefix-call
+                // statement starts and must NOT trigger this.
+                let next_is_pipe = {
+                    let mut probe = lookahead.clone();
+                    probe.next() == Some('>') && probe.next() == Some('>')
+                };
                 // Indented continuation → emit `;` and skip the whitespace
                 // But first check if the last non-whitespace char was `{` — if so, skip the `;`
                 // Also skip if `out` already ends in `;` (e.g. previous line
-                // was a comment that produced no significant output).
-                if last_significant == Some('{') || out.ends_with(';') {
-                    // Don't emit `;` after `{` or an existing `;`, just skip whitespace
+                // was a comment that produced no significant output), or if
+                // the continuation begins with `>>` (pipe chain).
+                if last_significant == Some('{') || out.ends_with(';') || next_is_pipe {
+                    // Don't emit `;`
                 } else {
                     out.push(';');
                 }
@@ -254,6 +293,13 @@ pub fn normalize_newlines(source: &str) -> String {
             if !c.is_ascii_whitespace() {
                 last_significant = Some(c);
             }
+            match c {
+                '(' | '[' => bracket_depth += 1,
+                ')' | ']' => {
+                    bracket_depth = bracket_depth.saturating_sub(1);
+                }
+                _ => {}
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/regression_multiline_fn_body.rs b/tests/regression_multiline_fn_body.rs
index 02f06654..7c142deb 100644
--- a/tests/regression_multiline_fn_body.rs
+++ b/tests/regression_multiline_fn_body.rs
@@ -33,10 +33,16 @@ fn run_file(engine: &str, src: &str, entry: &str) -> String {
         seq
     ));
     std::fs::write(&path, src).unwrap();
-    let out = ilo()
-        .args([path.to_str().unwrap(), engine, entry])
-        .output()
-        .expect("failed to run ilo");
+    // `entry` may be a bare function name (`f`) or a function name plus
+    // whitespace-separated CLI args (`gp 5`). Split on whitespace so the
+    // CLI receives each token as its own argv slot — matches how the
+    // `examples_engines` harness invokes things.
+    let mut cmd = ilo();
+    cmd.arg(path.to_str().unwrap()).arg(engine);
+    for arg in entry.split_whitespace() {
+        cmd.arg(arg);
+    }
+    let out = cmd.output().expect("failed to run ilo");
     assert!(
         out.status.success(),
         "ilo {engine} failed for `{src}`: stderr={}",
@@ -60,6 +66,30 @@ const SL_SIMPLE: &str = "f>n;5\n";
 // Single-line baseline, multi-token return type.
 const SL_RESULT: &str = "f>R t t;~\"hello\"\n";
 
+// Multi-line list literal — items spread across lines. Previously
+// `normalize_newlines` injected a `;` after `[` and between items, producing
+// ILO-P009 "expected expression, got Semi". `[`/`]` now suppress newlines.
+const ML_LIST_LITERAL: &str = "nums>L n\n  xs=[\n    1,\n    2,\n    3\n  ]\n  xs\n";
+// Multi-line list literal with leading commas (common when paginating
+// long literal columns).
+const ML_LIST_LEADING_COMMA: &str = "nums>L n\n  xs=[1\n    ,2\n    ,3]\n  xs\n";
+// Multi-line paren-grouped expression. `(`/`)` now suppress newlines and
+// emit a space so adjacent-line tokens don't glue together (`(+x\n  1)`
+// must not normalise to `(+x1)`).
+const ML_PAREN: &str = "gp x:n>n\n  y=(+x\n    1)\n  y\n";
+// Pipe chain across continuation lines. `>>` is never a statement start,
+// so the `;` is suppressed when a continuation line begins with `>>`.
+const ML_PIPE: &str = "pipe x:n>n\n  x\n    >>str\n    >>len\n";
+// Nested `(...)` inside `[...]` exercises both depth counters in the same
+// source. The leading-comma layout is common when columns of expressions
+// are spread across lines.
+const ML_NESTED_BRACKETS: &str = "nest>L n\n  xs=[(+1 2)\n    ,(+3 4)\n    ,(+5 6)]\n  xs\n";
+// Multi-line `>>` pipe chain inside a `{...}` loop body. The pipe
+// suppression must coexist with the `last_significant == '{'` rule for
+// the line right after `{`.
+const ML_PIPE_IN_BLOCK: &str =
+    "agg xs:L n>n\n  s=0\n  @x xs{\n    v=x\n      >>str\n      >>len\n    s=+s v\n  }\n  s\n";
+
 fn check_all(engine: &str) {
     assert_eq!(
         run_file(engine, ML_RESULT, "f"),
@@ -91,6 +121,36 @@ fn check_all(engine: &str) {
         "~hello",
         "single-line R t t engine={engine}"
     );
+    assert_eq!(
+        run_file(engine, ML_LIST_LITERAL, "nums"),
+        "[1, 2, 3]",
+        "multi-line list literal engine={engine}"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        run_file(engine, ML_LIST_LEADING_COMMA, "nums"),
+        "[1, 2, 3]",
+        "multi-line list literal leading-comma engine={engine}"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        run_file(engine, ML_PAREN, "gp 5"),
+        "6",
+        "multi-line paren expression engine={engine}"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        run_file(engine, ML_PIPE, "pipe 42"),
+        "2",
+        "multi-line pipe chain engine={engine}"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        run_file(engine, ML_NESTED_BRACKETS, "nest"),
+        "[3, 7, 11]",
+        "nested ( inside [ engine={engine}"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        run_file(engine, ML_PIPE_IN_BLOCK, "agg [1,22,333]"),
+        "6",
+        "multi-line pipe inside loop body engine={engine}"
+    );
 }
 
 #[test]