diff --git a/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/Compiler.kt b/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/Compiler.kt
index b57423c..4f9e88b 100644
--- a/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/Compiler.kt
+++ b/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/Compiler.kt
@@ -2247,7 +2247,7 @@ class Compiler(
             throw ScriptError(cc.currentPos(), "try block must have either catch or finally clause or both")
 
         val stmtPos = body.pos
-        return object : Statement() {
+        val tryStatement = object : Statement() {
             override val pos: Pos = stmtPos
             override suspend fun execute(scope: Scope): Obj {
                 var result: Obj = ObjVoid
@@ -2296,6 +2296,7 @@ class Compiler(
                 return result
             }
         }
+        return TryStatement(tryStatement, stmtPos)
     }
 
     private fun parseEnumDeclaration(isExtern: Boolean = false): Statement {
diff --git a/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/TryStatement.kt b/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/TryStatement.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b52039
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/TryStatement.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2026 Sergey S. Chernov
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package net.sergeych.lyng
+
+import net.sergeych.lyng.obj.Obj
+
+class TryStatement(
+    private val delegate: Statement,
+    private val startPos: Pos,
+) : Statement() {
+    override val pos: Pos = startPos
+
+    override suspend fun execute(scope: Scope): Obj {
+        return delegate.execute(scope)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/bytecode/BytecodeCompiler.kt b/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/bytecode/BytecodeCompiler.kt
index 30577b9..3bd6551 100644
--- a/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/bytecode/BytecodeCompiler.kt
+++ b/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/bytecode/BytecodeCompiler.kt
@@ -78,6 +78,23 @@ class BytecodeCompiler(
             is VarDeclStatement -> compileVarDecl(name, stmt)
             is net.sergeych.lyng.ThrowStatement -> compileThrowStatement(name, stmt)
             is net.sergeych.lyng.ExtensionPropertyDeclStatement -> compileExtensionPropertyDecl(name, stmt)
+            is net.sergeych.lyng.TryStatement -> {
+                val value = emitStatementEval(stmt)
+                builder.emit(Opcode.RET, value.slot)
+                val localCount = maxOf(nextSlot, value.slot + 1) - scopeSlotCount
+                builder.build(
+                    name,
+                    localCount,
+                    addrCount = nextAddrSlot,
+                    returnLabels = returnLabels,
+                    scopeSlotDepths,
+                    scopeSlotIndices,
+                    scopeSlotNames,
+                    localSlotNames,
+                    localSlotMutables,
+                    localSlotDepths
+                )
+            }
             else -> null
         }
     }
@@ -297,12 +314,7 @@ class BytecodeCompiler(
                     builder.emit(Opcode.NEG_REAL, a.slot, out)
                     CompiledValue(out, SlotType.REAL)
                 }
-                else -> {
-                    val obj = ensureObjSlot(a)
-                    val methodId = builder.addConst(BytecodeConst.StringVal("negate"))
-                    builder.emit(Opcode.CALL_VIRTUAL, obj.slot, methodId, 0, 0, out)
-                    CompiledValue(out, SlotType.OBJ)
-                }
+                else -> compileEvalRef(ref)
             }
             UnaryOp.NOT -> {
                 when (a.type) {
@@ -312,13 +324,7 @@ class BytecodeCompiler(
                         builder.emit(Opcode.INT_TO_BOOL, a.slot, tmp)
                         builder.emit(Opcode.NOT_BOOL, tmp, out)
                     }
-                    SlotType.OBJ, SlotType.UNKNOWN -> {
-                        val obj = ensureObjSlot(a)
-                        val methodId = builder.addConst(BytecodeConst.StringVal("logicalNot"))
-                        val tmpObj = allocSlot()
-                        builder.emit(Opcode.CALL_VIRTUAL, obj.slot, methodId, 0, 0, tmpObj)
-                        builder.emit(Opcode.OBJ_TO_BOOL, tmpObj, out)
-                    }
+                    SlotType.OBJ, SlotType.UNKNOWN -> return compileEvalRef(ref)
                     else -> return null
                 }
                 CompiledValue(out, SlotType.BOOL)
@@ -328,10 +334,7 @@ class BytecodeCompiler(
                     builder.emit(Opcode.INV_INT, a.slot, out)
                     return CompiledValue(out, SlotType.INT)
                 }
-                val obj = ensureObjSlot(a)
-                val methodId = builder.addConst(BytecodeConst.StringVal("bitNot"))
-                builder.emit(Opcode.CALL_VIRTUAL, obj.slot, methodId, 0, 0, out)
-                CompiledValue(out, SlotType.OBJ)
+                return compileEvalRef(ref)
             }
         }
     }
@@ -1825,6 +1828,7 @@ class BytecodeCompiler(
                 is net.sergeych.lyng.ClassDeclStatement -> emitStatementEval(target)
                 is net.sergeych.lyng.FunctionDeclStatement -> emitStatementEval(target)
                 is net.sergeych.lyng.EnumDeclStatement -> emitStatementEval(target)
+                is net.sergeych.lyng.TryStatement -> emitStatementEval(target)
                 is net.sergeych.lyng.BreakStatement -> compileBreak(target)
                 is net.sergeych.lyng.ContinueStatement -> compileContinue(target)
                 is net.sergeych.lyng.ReturnStatement -> compileReturn(target)
diff --git a/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/bytecode/BytecodeStatement.kt b/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/bytecode/BytecodeStatement.kt
index bd2f132..99d741a 100644
--- a/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/bytecode/BytecodeStatement.kt
+++ b/lynglib/src/commonMain/kotlin/net/sergeych/lyng/bytecode/BytecodeStatement.kt
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ class BytecodeStatement private constructor(
                 is net.sergeych.lyng.ClassDeclStatement -> false
                 is net.sergeych.lyng.FunctionDeclStatement -> false
                 is net.sergeych.lyng.EnumDeclStatement -> false
+                is net.sergeych.lyng.TryStatement -> false
                 else -> true
             }
         }
diff --git a/lynglib/src/commonTest/kotlin/EmbeddingExceptionTest.kt b/lynglib/src/commonTest/kotlin/EmbeddingExceptionTest.kt
index 9caf520..c1d3248 100644
--- a/lynglib/src/commonTest/kotlin/EmbeddingExceptionTest.kt
+++ b/lynglib/src/commonTest/kotlin/EmbeddingExceptionTest.kt
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import kotlin.test.assertEquals
 import kotlin.test.assertIs
 import kotlin.test.assertTrue
 
-@Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): uses fallback (try/catch)")
+@Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): exception rethrow mismatch")
 class EmbeddingExceptionTest {
 
     @Test
diff --git a/lynglib/src/commonTest/kotlin/StdlibTest.kt b/lynglib/src/commonTest/kotlin/StdlibTest.kt
index 5966636..a37c2ac 100644
--- a/lynglib/src/commonTest/kotlin/StdlibTest.kt
+++ b/lynglib/src/commonTest/kotlin/StdlibTest.kt
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ import net.sergeych.lyng.eval
 import kotlin.test.Ignore
 import kotlin.test.Test
 
-@Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): uses fallback")
 class StdlibTest {
     @Test
+    @Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): iterable filter mismatch")
     fun testIterableFilter() = runTest {
         eval("""
             assertEquals([2,4,6,8], (1..8).filter{ println("call2"); it % 2 == 0 }.toList() )
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class StdlibTest {
     }
 
     @Test
+    @Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): range first/last mismatch")
     fun testFirstLast() = runTest {
         eval("""
             assertEquals(1, (1..8).first )
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ class StdlibTest {
     }
 
     @Test
+    @Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): range take mismatch")
     fun testTake() = runTest {
         eval("""
             val r = 1..8
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ class StdlibTest {
     }
 
     @Test
+    @Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): any/all mismatch")
     fun testAnyAndAll() = runTest {
         eval("""
             assert( [1,2,3].any { it > 2 } )
@@ -87,6 +90,7 @@ class StdlibTest {
     }
 
     @Test
+    @Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): range drop mismatch")
     fun testDrop() = runTest {
         eval("""
             assertEquals([7,8], (1..8).drop(6).toList() )
@@ -95,6 +99,7 @@ class StdlibTest {
     }
 
     @Test
+    @Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): flatten/filter mismatch")
     fun testFlattenAndFilter() = runTest {
         eval("""
             assertEquals([1,2,3,4,5,6], [1,3,5].map { [it, it+1] }.flatten() )
@@ -110,6 +115,7 @@ class StdlibTest {
     }
 
     @Test
+    @Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): count mismatch")
     fun testCount() = runTest {
         eval("""
             assertEquals(5, (1..10).toList().count { it % 2 == 1 } )
@@ -117,6 +123,7 @@ class StdlibTest {
     }
 
     @Test
+    @Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): with mismatch")
     fun testWith() = runTest {
         eval("""
             class Person(val name, var age)
diff --git a/lynglib/src/jvmTest/kotlin/LynonTests.kt b/lynglib/src/jvmTest/kotlin/LynonTests.kt
index db1ace2..e498e5e 100644
--- a/lynglib/src/jvmTest/kotlin/LynonTests.kt
+++ b/lynglib/src/jvmTest/kotlin/LynonTests.kt
@@ -343,7 +343,6 @@ class LynonTests {
 
 
     @Test
-    @Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): unary minus regression")
     fun testUnaryMinus() = runTest {
         eval(
             """
@@ -354,7 +353,6 @@ class LynonTests {
     }
 
     @Test
-    @Ignore("TODO(bytecode-only): simple types regression")
     fun testSimpleTypes() = runTest {
         testScope().eval(
             """