diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b8ffeee..3d984ce 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 # Hidden files
 **/.*
 
+# scratchpad
+/scratchpad
+
 # But not:
 !.gitignore
 !.git
diff --git a/src/common/lambda.rs b/src/common/lambda.rs
index 2b78144..9ba3a60 100644
--- a/src/common/lambda.rs
+++ b/src/common/lambda.rs
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ impl fmt::Display for Lambda {
                     index += consumed;
                     writeln!(f, "Load Con\t{}\t{:?}", constant_index, self.constants[constant_index])?;
                 },
-                Opcode::Del => { writeln!(f, "Delete  \t\t--")?; },
+                Opcode::NotInit => { writeln!(f, "NotInit \t\tDeclare variable")?; }
+                Opcode::Del     => { writeln!(f, "Delete  \t\t--")?; },
                 Opcode::Capture => {
                     let (local_index, consumed) = build_number(&self.code[index..]);
                     index += consumed;
@@ -169,14 +170,14 @@ impl fmt::Display for Lambda {
                 Opcode::Tuple => {
                     let (length, consumed) = build_number(&self.code[index..]);
                     index += consumed;
-                    writeln!(f, "Tuple  \t{}\tValues tupled together", length)?;
+                    writeln!(f, "Tuple   \t{}\tValues tupled together", length)?;
                 },
                 Opcode::UnLabel => { writeln!(f, "UnLabel  \t\t--")?; },
                 Opcode::UnData  => { writeln!(f, "UnData   \t\t--")?; },
                 Opcode::UnTuple => {
                     let (item_index, consumed) = build_number(&self.code[index..]);
                     index += consumed;
-                    writeln!(f, "UnTuple\t{}\tItem accessed", item_index)?;
+                    writeln!(f, "UnTuple \t{}\tItem accessed", item_index)?;
                 },
                 Opcode::Copy    => { writeln!(f, "Copy     \t\t--")?; },
                 Opcode::FFICall => {
diff --git a/src/common/opcode.rs b/src/common/opcode.rs
index c2cce4a..6be86b4 100644
--- a/src/common/opcode.rs
+++ b/src/common/opcode.rs
@@ -6,40 +6,42 @@
 pub enum Opcode {
     /// Load a constant.
     Con = 0,
+    /// Load uninitialized Data.
+    NotInit = 1,
     /// Delete a value off the stack.
-    Del = 1,
+    Del = 2,
     /// Calls out to a Rust function via FFI
-    FFICall = 2,
+    FFICall = 3,
     /// Copies topmost value on the stack.
-    Copy = 3,
+    Copy = 4,
     /// Moves a variable onto the heap.
-    Capture = 4,
+    Capture = 5,
     /// Save a constant into a variable.
-    Save = 5,
+    Save = 6,
     /// Save a value to a captured variable.
-    SaveCap = 6,
+    SaveCap = 7,
     /// Push a copy of a variable onto the stack.
-    Load = 7,
+    Load = 8,
     /// Load a copy of a captured variable.
-    LoadCap = 8,
+    LoadCap = 9,
     /// Call a function.
-    Call = 9,
+    Call = 10,
     /// Return from a function.
-    Return = 10,
+    Return = 11,
     /// Creates a closure over the current local environment.
-    Closure = 11,
+    Closure = 12,
     /// Prints a value.
-    Print = 12,
+    Print = 13,
     /// Constructs a label.
-    Label = 13,
+    Label = 14,
     // Constructs a tuple.
-    Tuple = 14,
+    Tuple = 15,
     /// Destructures atomic data by asserting it matches exactly.
-    UnData = 15,
+    UnData = 16,
     /// Destructures a label.
-    UnLabel = 16,
+    UnLabel = 17,
     /// Sestructures a tuple.
-    UnTuple = 17,
+    UnTuple = 18,
 }
 
 impl Opcode {
diff --git a/src/compiler/gen.rs b/src/compiler/gen.rs
index a6e628b..0b76583 100644
--- a/src/compiler/gen.rs
+++ b/src/compiler/gen.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ use crate::common::{
     data::Data,
 };
 
+// TODO: do a pass where we hoist and resolve variables?
+// may work well for types too.
+
 use crate::compiler::{
     cst::{CST, CSTPattern},
     // TODO: CST specific pattern once where?
@@ -136,7 +139,6 @@ impl Compiler {
         return None;
     }
 
-
     /// Tries to resolve a variable in enclosing scopes
     /// if resolution it successful, it captures the variable in the original scope
     /// then builds a chain of upvalues to hoist that upvalue where it's needed.
@@ -239,20 +241,30 @@ impl Compiler {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    pub fn resolve_assign(&mut self, name: &str) {
+    // resolves the assignment of a variable
+    // returns true if the variable was declared.
+    pub fn resolve_assign(&mut self, name: &str) -> bool {
+        let mut declared = false;
+
         let index = if let Some(i) = self.local(name) {
             self.lambda.emit(Opcode::Save); i
         } else if let Some(i) = self.captured_upvalue(name) {
             self.lambda.emit(Opcode::SaveCap); i
         } else {
             self.declare(name.to_string());
+            declared = true;
             self.lambda.emit(Opcode::Save);
             self.locals.len() - 1
         };
 
         self.lambda.emit_bytes(&mut split_number(index));
+        return declared;
     }
 
+    // TODO: simplify destructure.
+    // because declarations can only happen with Symbol,
+    // there can be at most one declaration
+
     /// Destructures a pattern into
     /// a series of unpack and assign instructions.
     /// Instructions match against the topmost stack item.
@@ -260,11 +272,16 @@ impl Compiler {
     pub fn destructure(&mut self, pattern: Spanned<CSTPattern>, redeclare: bool) {
         self.lambda.emit_span(&pattern.span);
 
+        // write to a new code buffer so we can schloop declarations in
+        let mut old_code = mem::replace(&mut self.lambda.code, vec![]);
+        let mut declare = false;
+
         match pattern.item {
             CSTPattern::Symbol(name) => {
                 if redeclare { self.declare(name.to_string()) }
-                self.resolve_assign(&name);
-            }
+                // new declarations grow the stack
+                declare = self.resolve_assign(&name);
+            },
             CSTPattern::Data(expected) => {
                 self.data(expected);
                 self.lambda.emit(Opcode::UnData);
@@ -282,6 +299,13 @@ impl Compiler {
                 }
             },
         }
+
+        let mut added_code = mem::replace(&mut self.lambda.code, vec![]);
+
+        // if we declared a new variable, grow the stack
+        if declare && !redeclare { self.lambda.emit(Opcode::NotInit); }
+        self.lambda.code.append(&mut old_code);
+        self.lambda.code.append(&mut added_code);
     }
 
     /// Assign a value to a variable.
@@ -371,6 +395,8 @@ mod test {
         let lambda = gen(desugar(parse(lex(source).unwrap()).unwrap()).unwrap()).unwrap();
 
         let result = vec![
+            // 3 variabled declared in scope
+            (Opcode::NotInit as u8), (Opcode::NotInit as u8), (Opcode::NotInit as u8),
             (Opcode::Con as u8), 128, (Opcode::Save as u8), 128,  // con true, save to heck,
                 (Opcode::Con as u8), 129, (Opcode::Del as u8),    // load unit, delete
             (Opcode::Load as u8), 128, (Opcode::Save as u8), 129, // load heck, save to lol,
diff --git a/src/vm/stack.rs b/src/vm/stack.rs
index c1d88a1..f2c4055 100644
--- a/src/vm/stack.rs
+++ b/src/vm/stack.rs
@@ -102,6 +102,11 @@ impl Stack {
         self.stack.push(Tagged::frame());
     }
 
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn push_not_init(&mut self) {
+        self.stack.push(Tagged::new(Slot::NotInit));
+    }
+
     /// Wraps the top data value on the stack in `Data::Heaped`,
     /// data must not already be on the heap
     #[inline]
diff --git a/src/vm/vm.rs b/src/vm/vm.rs
index 829be69..95f27c6 100644
--- a/src/vm/vm.rs
+++ b/src/vm/vm.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ impl VM {
 
         match opcode {
             Opcode::Con     => self.con(),
+            Opcode::NotInit => self.not_init(),
             Opcode::Del     => self.del(),
             Opcode::FFICall => self.ffi_call(),
             Opcode::Copy    => self.copy_val(),
@@ -114,9 +115,11 @@ impl VM {
     /// In the future, fibers will allow for error handling -
     /// right now, error in Passerine are practically panics.
     pub fn run(&mut self) -> Result<(), Trace> {
+        println!("{}", self.closure.lambda);
+
         while !self.is_terminated() {
-            // println!("before: {:#?}", self.stack.stack);
-            // println!("executing: {:?}", Opcode::from_byte(self.peek_byte()));
+            println!("before: {:#?}", self.stack.stack);
+            println!("executing: {:?}", Opcode::from_byte(self.peek_byte()));
             if let Err(error) = self.step() {
                 // TODO: clean up stack on error
                 println!("{}", error);
@@ -126,7 +129,7 @@ impl VM {
             };
             // println!("---");
         }
-        // println!("after: {:?}", self.stack.stack);
+        println!("after: {:?}", self.stack.stack);
         // println!("---");
 
         return Ok(());
@@ -150,6 +153,12 @@ impl VM {
         self.done()
     }
 
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn not_init(&mut self) -> Result<(), Trace> {
+        self.stack.push_not_init();
+        self.done()
+    }
+
     /// Moves the top value on the stack to the heap,
     /// replacing it with a reference to the heapified value.
     #[inline]
@@ -301,6 +310,7 @@ impl VM {
         }
 
         self.stack.push_data(t[index].clone());
+        self.stack.push_data(Data::Tuple(t));
         self.done()
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/snippets/tuple.pn b/tests/snippets/tuple.pn
index ea51476..9bdb9e1 100644
--- a/tests/snippets/tuple.pn
+++ b/tests/snippets/tuple.pn
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 
 x = (true, false)
 
-(w, z) = x
+(w, x) = x