diff --git a/pythonbpf/codegen.py b/pythonbpf/codegen.py
index 5de23a5..772c2b2 100644
--- a/pythonbpf/codegen.py
+++ b/pythonbpf/codegen.py
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@
 from .functions_pass import func_proc
 from .maps import maps_proc
 from .structs import structs_proc
-from .globals_pass import globals_processing
+from .globals_pass import (
+    globals_list_creation,
+    globals_processing,
+    populate_global_symbol_table,
+)
 from .debuginfo import DW_LANG_C11, DwarfBehaviorEnum, DebugInfoGenerator
 import os
 import subprocess
@@ -40,12 +44,15 @@ def processor(source_code, filename, module):
     for func_node in bpf_chunks:
         logger.info(f"Found BPF function/struct: {func_node.name}")
 
+    populate_global_symbol_table(tree, module)
+    license_processing(tree, module)
+    globals_processing(tree, module)
+
     structs_sym_tab = structs_proc(tree, module, bpf_chunks)
     map_sym_tab = maps_proc(tree, module, bpf_chunks)
     func_proc(tree, module, bpf_chunks, map_sym_tab, structs_sym_tab)
 
-    license_processing(tree, module)
-    globals_processing(tree, module)
+    globals_list_creation(tree, module)
 
 
 def compile_to_ir(filename: str, output: str, loglevel=logging.WARNING):
diff --git a/pythonbpf/globals_pass.py b/pythonbpf/globals_pass.py
index 1228809..1e97763 100644
--- a/pythonbpf/globals_pass.py
+++ b/pythonbpf/globals_pass.py
@@ -1,8 +1,121 @@
 from llvmlite import ir
 import ast
 
+from logging import Logger
+import logging
+from .type_deducer import ctypes_to_ir
 
-def emit_globals(module: ir.Module, names: list[str]):
+logger: Logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+# TODO: this is going to be a huge fuck of a headache in the future.
+global_sym_tab = []
+
+
+def populate_global_symbol_table(tree, module: ir.Module):
+    for node in tree.body:
+        if isinstance(node, ast.FunctionDef):
+            for dec in node.decorator_list:
+                if (
+                    isinstance(dec, ast.Call)
+                    and isinstance(dec.func, ast.Name)
+                    and dec.func.id == "section"
+                    and len(dec.args) == 1
+                    and isinstance(dec.args[0], ast.Constant)
+                    and isinstance(dec.args[0].value, str)
+                ):
+                    global_sym_tab.append(node)
+                elif isinstance(dec, ast.Name) and dec.id == "bpfglobal":
+                    global_sym_tab.append(node)
+
+                elif isinstance(dec, ast.Name) and dec.id == "map":
+                    global_sym_tab.append(node)
+    return False
+
+
+def emit_global(module: ir.Module, node, name):
+    logger.info(f"global identifier {name} processing")
+    # deduce LLVM type from the annotated return
+    if not isinstance(node.returns, ast.Name):
+        raise ValueError(f"Unsupported return annotation {ast.dump(node.returns)}")
+    ty = ctypes_to_ir(node.returns.id)
+
+    # extract the return expression
+    # TODO: turn this return extractor into a generic function I can use everywhere.
+    ret_stmt = node.body[0]
+    if not isinstance(ret_stmt, ast.Return) or ret_stmt.value is None:
+        raise ValueError(f"Global '{name}' has no valid return")
+
+    init_val = ret_stmt.value
+
+    # simple constant like "return 0"
+    if isinstance(init_val, ast.Constant):
+        llvm_init = ir.Constant(ty, init_val.value)
+
+    # variable reference like "return SOME_CONST"
+    elif isinstance(init_val, ast.Name):
+        # need symbol resolution here, stub as 0 for now
+        raise ValueError(f"Name reference {init_val.id} not yet supported")
+
+    # constructor call like "return c_int64(0)" or dataclass(...)
+    elif isinstance(init_val, ast.Call):
+        if len(init_val.args) >= 1 and isinstance(init_val.args[0], ast.Constant):
+            llvm_init = ir.Constant(ty, init_val.args[0].value)
+        else:
+            logger.info("Defaulting to zero as no constant argument found")
+            llvm_init = ir.Constant(ty, 0)
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Unsupported return expr {ast.dump(init_val)}")
+
+    gvar = ir.GlobalVariable(module, ty, name=name)
+    gvar.initializer = llvm_init
+    gvar.align = 8
+    gvar.linkage = "dso_local"
+    gvar.global_constant = False
+    return gvar
+
+
+def globals_processing(tree, module):
+    """Process stuff decorated with @bpf and @bpfglobal except license and return the section name"""
+    globals_sym_tab = []
+
+    for node in tree.body:
+        # Skip non-assignment and non-function nodes
+        if not (isinstance(node, ast.FunctionDef)):
+            continue
+
+        # Get the name based on node type
+        if isinstance(node, ast.FunctionDef):
+            name = node.name
+        else:
+            continue
+
+        # Check for duplicate names
+        if name in globals_sym_tab:
+            raise SyntaxError(f"ERROR: Global name '{name}' previously defined")
+        else:
+            globals_sym_tab.append(name)
+
+        if isinstance(node, ast.FunctionDef) and node.name != "LICENSE":
+            decorators = [
+                dec.id for dec in node.decorator_list if isinstance(dec, ast.Name)
+            ]
+            if "bpf" in decorators and "bpfglobal" in decorators:
+                if (
+                    len(node.body) == 1
+                    and isinstance(node.body[0], ast.Return)
+                    and node.body[0].value is not None
+                    and isinstance(
+                        node.body[0].value, (ast.Constant, ast.Name, ast.Call)
+                    )
+                ):
+                    emit_global(module, node, name)
+                else:
+                    raise SyntaxError(f"ERROR: Invalid syntax for {name} global")
+
+    return None
+
+
+def emit_llvm_compiler_used(module: ir.Module, names: list[str]):
     """
     Emit the @llvm.compiler.used global given a list of function/global names.
     """
@@ -24,7 +137,7 @@ def emit_globals(module: ir.Module, names: list[str]):
     gv.section = "llvm.metadata"
 
 
-def globals_processing(tree, module: ir.Module):
+def globals_list_creation(tree, module: ir.Module):
     collected = ["LICENSE"]
 
     for node in tree.body:
@@ -40,10 +153,11 @@ def globals_processing(tree, module: ir.Module):
                 ):
                     collected.append(node.name)
 
-                elif isinstance(dec, ast.Name) and dec.id == "bpfglobal":
-                    collected.append(node.name)
+                # NOTE: all globals other than
+                # elif isinstance(dec, ast.Name) and dec.id == "bpfglobal":
+                #     collected.append(node.name)
 
                 elif isinstance(dec, ast.Name) and dec.id == "map":
                     collected.append(node.name)
 
-    emit_globals(module, collected)
+    emit_llvm_compiler_used(module, collected)
diff --git a/tests/c-form/globals.bpf.c b/tests/c-form/globals.bpf.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..588cac5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/c-form/globals.bpf.c
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 OR BSD-3-Clause
+#include <linux/bpf.h>
+#include <bpf/bpf_helpers.h>
+#include <bpf/bpf_tracing.h>
+#include <linux/types.h>
+
+struct test_struct {
+    __u64 a;
+    __u64 b;
+};
+
+struct test_struct w = {};
+volatile __u64 prev_time = 0;
+
+SEC("tracepoint/syscalls/sys_enter_execve")
+int trace_execve(void *ctx)
+{
+    bpf_printk("previous %ul now %ul", w.b, w.a);
+    __u64 ts = bpf_ktime_get_ns();
+    bpf_printk("prev %ul now %ul", prev_time, ts);
+    w.a = ts;
+    w.b = prev_time;
+    prev_time = ts;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+char LICENSE[] SEC("license") = "GPL";
diff --git a/tests/failing_tests/globals.py b/tests/failing_tests/globals.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55d9740
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/failing_tests/globals.py
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import logging
+
+from pythonbpf import compile, bpf, section, bpfglobal, compile_to_ir
+from ctypes import c_void_p, c_int64, c_int32
+
+@bpf
+@bpfglobal
+def somevalue() -> c_int32:
+    return c_int32(42)
+
+@bpf
+@bpfglobal
+def somevalue2() -> c_int64:
+    return c_int64(69)
+
+@bpf
+@bpfglobal
+def somevalue1() -> c_int32:
+    return c_int32(42)
+
+
+# --- Passing examples ---
+
+# Simple constant return
+@bpf
+@bpfglobal
+def g1() -> c_int64:
+    return c_int64(42)
+
+# Constructor with one constant argument
+@bpf
+@bpfglobal
+def g2() -> c_int64:
+    return c_int64(69)
+
+
+# --- Failing examples ---
+
+# No return annotation
+# @bpf
+# @bpfglobal
+# def g3():
+#     return 42
+
+# Return annotation is complex
+# @bpf
+# @bpfglobal
+# def g4() -> List[int]:
+#     return []
+
+# # Return is missing
+# @bpf
+# @bpfglobal
+# def g5() -> c_int64:
+#     pass
+
+# # Return is a variable reference
+# #TODO: maybe fix this sometime later. It defaults to 0
+# CONST = 5
+# @bpf
+# @bpfglobal
+# def g6() -> c_int64:
+#     return c_int64(CONST)
+
+# Constructor with multiple args
+#TODO: this is not working. should it work ?
+@bpf
+@bpfglobal
+def g7() -> c_int64:
+    return c_int64(1)
+
+# Dataclass call
+#TODO: fails with dataclass
+# @dataclass
+# class Point:
+#     x: c_int64
+#     y: c_int64
+
+# @bpf
+# @bpfglobal
+# def g8() -> Point:
+#     return Point(1, 2)
+
+
+@bpf
+@section("tracepoint/syscalls/sys_enter_execve")
+def sometag(ctx: c_void_p) -> c_int64:
+    print("test")
+    global somevalue
+    somevalue = 2
+    print(f"{somevalue}")
+    return c_int64(1)
+
+@bpf
+@bpfglobal
+def LICENSE() -> str:
+    return "GPL"
+
+
+compile_to_ir("globals.py", "globals.ll", loglevel=logging.INFO)
+compile()
diff --git a/tests/failing_tests/undeclared_values.py b/tests/failing_tests/undeclared_values.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02f5184
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/failing_tests/undeclared_values.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import logging
+
+from pythonbpf import compile, bpf, section, bpfglobal, compile_to_ir
+from ctypes import c_void_p, c_int64
+
+# This should not pass as somevalue is not declared at all.
+@bpf
+@section("tracepoint/syscalls/sys_enter_execve")
+def sometag(ctx: c_void_p) -> c_int64:
+    print("test")
+    print(f"{somevalue}")  #type: ignore
+    return c_int64(1)
+
+@bpf
+@bpfglobal
+def LICENSE() -> str:
+    return "GPL"
+
+
+compile_to_ir("globals.py", "globals.ll", loglevel=logging.INFO)
+compile()