diff --git a/basis/alien/complex/complex.factor b/basis/alien/complex/complex.factor
index 60a84b9394..079ad57aa5 100644
--- a/basis/alien/complex/complex.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/complex/complex.factor
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2009 Slava Pestov.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
-USING: alien.complex.functor sequences kernel ;
+USING: alien.c-types alien.complex.functor accessors
+sequences kernel ;
 IN: alien.complex
 
-<< { "float" "double" } [ dup "complex-" prepend define-complex-type ] each >>
\ No newline at end of file
+<<
+{ "float" "double" } [ dup "complex-" prepend define-complex-type ] each
+
+! This overrides the fact that small structures are never returned
+! in registers on NetBSD, Linux and Solaris running on 32-bit x86.
+"complex-float" c-type t >>return-in-registers? drop
+ >>
diff --git a/basis/alien/structs/structs.factor b/basis/alien/structs/structs.factor
index 9c28b71cc6..3e26e4fb39 100755
--- a/basis/alien/structs/structs.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/structs/structs.factor
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ fields
 { unboxer-quot callable }
 { getter callable }
 { setter callable }
-return-in-registers ;
+return-in-registers? ;
+
+M: struct-type c-type ;
 
 M: struct-type heap-size size>> ;
 
diff --git a/basis/cpu/x86/32/32.factor b/basis/cpu/x86/32/32.factor
index c409cfb164..f881792ac6 100755
--- a/basis/cpu/x86/32/32.factor
+++ b/basis/cpu/x86/32/32.factor
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ M: x86.32 return-struct-in-registers? ( c-type -- ? )
     [ return-in-registers?>> ]
     [ heap-size { 1 2 4 8 } member? ] bi
     os { linux netbsd solaris } member? not
-    and and ;
+    and or ;
 
 : struct-return@ ( n -- operand )
     [ next-stack@ ] [ stack-frame get params>> stack@ ] if* ;