diff --git a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_vcl.c b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_vcl.c
index f2845752a6..ba7f2969b8 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_vcl.c
+++ b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_vcl.c
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ struct vcl {
 	pthread_rwlock_t	temp_rwl;
 	VTAILQ_HEAD(,backend)	backend_list;
 	VTAILQ_HEAD(,vclref)	ref_list;
+	int			nrefs;
 	struct vcl		*label;
 	int			nlabels;
 };
@@ -521,15 +522,29 @@ VRT_count(VRT_CTX, unsigned u)
 }
 
 VCL_VCL
-VRT_vcl_lookup(const char *name)
+VRT_vcl_get(VRT_CTX, const char *name)
 {
 	VCL_VCL vcl;
 
+	CHECK_OBJ_NOTNULL(ctx, VRT_CTX_MAGIC);
 	vcl = vcl_find(name);
 	AN(vcl);
+	Lck_Lock(&vcl_mtx);
+	vcl->nrefs++;
+	Lck_Unlock(&vcl_mtx);
 	return (vcl);
 }
 
+void
+VRT_vcl_rel(VRT_CTX, VCL_VCL vcl)
+{
+	CHECK_OBJ_NOTNULL(ctx, VRT_CTX_MAGIC);
+	AN(vcl);
+	Lck_Lock(&vcl_mtx);
+	vcl->nrefs--;
+	Lck_Unlock(&vcl_mtx);
+}
+
 void
 VRT_vcl_select(VRT_CTX, VCL_VCL vcl)
 {
@@ -564,6 +579,7 @@ VRT_ref_vcl(VRT_CTX, const char *desc)
 
 	Lck_Lock(&vcl_mtx);
 	VTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&vcl->ref_list, ref, list);
+	vcl->nrefs++;
 	Lck_Unlock(&vcl_mtx);
 
 	return (ref);
@@ -595,6 +611,7 @@ VRT_rel_vcl(VRT_CTX, struct vclref **refp)
 	Lck_Lock(&vcl_mtx);
 	assert(!VTAILQ_EMPTY(&vcl->ref_list));
 	VTAILQ_REMOVE(&vcl->ref_list, ref, list);
+	vcl->nrefs--;
 	/* No garbage collection here, for the same reasons as in VCL_Rel. */
 	Lck_Unlock(&vcl_mtx);
 
@@ -812,12 +829,15 @@ vcl_cli_list(struct cli *cli, const char * const *av, void *priv)
 			flg = "available";
 		VCLI_Out(cli, "%-10s %5s/%-8s %6u %s",
 		    flg, vcl->state, vcl->temp, vcl->busy, vcl->loaded_name);
-		if (vcl->label != NULL)
+		if (vcl->label != NULL) {
 			VCLI_Out(cli, " -> %s", vcl->label->loaded_name);
-		else if (vcl->nlabels > 1)
-			VCLI_Out(cli, " (%d labels)", vcl->nlabels);
-		else if (vcl->nlabels > 0)
-			VCLI_Out(cli, " (%d label)", vcl->nlabels);
+			if (vcl->nrefs)
+				VCLI_Out(cli, " (%d return(vcl)%s)",
+				    vcl->nrefs, vcl->nrefs > 1 ? "'s" : "");
+		} else if (vcl->nlabels > 0) {
+			VCLI_Out(cli, " (%d label%s)",
+			    vcl->nlabels, vcl->nlabels > 1 ? "s" : "");
+		}
 		VCLI_Out(cli, "\n");
 	}
 }
diff --git a/bin/varnishd/mgt/mgt_vcl.c b/bin/varnishd/mgt/mgt_vcl.c
index e34b0cb2c6..adfb7c63a4 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/mgt/mgt_vcl.c
+++ b/bin/varnishd/mgt/mgt_vcl.c
@@ -643,15 +643,17 @@ mcf_vcl_list(struct cli *cli, const char * const *av, void *priv)
 			    vp->state);
 			VCLI_Out(cli, "/%-8s", vp->warm ?
 			    VCL_STATE_WARM : VCL_STATE_COLD);
-			VCLI_Out(cli, " %6s %s", "", vp->name);
+			VCLI_Out(cli, " %6s %s", "-", vp->name);
 			if (mcf_is_label(vp)) {
 				vd = VTAILQ_FIRST(&vp->dfrom);
 				AN(vd);
 				VCLI_Out(cli, " -> %s", vd->to->name);
-			} else if (vp->nto > 1) {
-				VCLI_Out(cli, " (%d labels)", vp->nto);
+				if (vp->nto > 0)
+					VCLI_Out(cli, " (%d return(vcl)%s)",
+					    vp->nto, vp->nto > 1 ? "'s" : "");
 			} else if (vp->nto > 0) {
-				VCLI_Out(cli, " (%d label)", vp->nto);
+				VCLI_Out(cli, " (%d label%s)",
+				    vp->nto, vp->nto > 1 ? "s" : "");
 			}
 			VCLI_Out(cli, "\n");
 		}
diff --git a/include/vrt.h b/include/vrt.h
index 567c49b1b1..b6915d7cf0 100644
--- a/include/vrt.h
+++ b/include/vrt.h
@@ -319,7 +319,8 @@ int VRT_Vmod_Init(VRT_CTX, struct vmod **hdl, void *ptr, int len,
 void VRT_Vmod_Fini(struct vmod **hdl);
 
 /* VCL program related */
-VCL_VCL VRT_vcl_lookup(const char *);
+VCL_VCL VRT_vcl_get(VRT_CTX, const char *);
+void VRT_vcl_rel(VRT_CTX, VCL_VCL);
 void VRT_vcl_select(VRT_CTX, VCL_VCL);
 
 struct vmod_priv;
diff --git a/lib/libvcc/vcc_action.c b/lib/libvcc/vcc_action.c
index 92e7b9f72a..9e45f586ed 100644
--- a/lib/libvcc/vcc_action.c
+++ b/lib/libvcc/vcc_action.c
@@ -264,8 +264,10 @@ parse_return_vcl(struct vcc *tl)
 
 		p = New_IniFin(tl);
 		AN(p);
-		VSB_printf(p->ini, "\t%s = VRT_vcl_lookup(\"%.*s\");",
+		VSB_printf(p->ini, "\t%s = VRT_vcl_get(ctx, \"%.*s\");",
 		    buf, PF(tl->t));
+		VSB_printf(p->fin, "\tVRT_vcl_rel(ctx, %s);",
+		    buf);
 	}
 	Fb(tl, 1, "VRT_vcl_select(ctx, %s);\t/* %.*s */\n",
 	    (const char*)sym->eval_priv, PF(tl->t));