diff --git a/compiler/semtempl.nim b/compiler/semtempl.nim
index 84ba49e0cf..371abe1e3d 100644
--- a/compiler/semtempl.nim
+++ b/compiler/semtempl.nim
@@ -581,6 +581,11 @@ proc semPatternBody(c: var TemplCtx, n: PNode): PNode =
       localError(n.info, errInvalidExpression)
       result = n
 
+  proc stupidStmtListExpr(n: PNode): bool =
+    for i in 0 .. n.len-2:
+      if n[i].kind notin {nkEmpty, nkCommentStmt}: return false
+    result = true
+
   result = n
   case n.kind
   of nkIdent:
@@ -606,6 +611,12 @@ proc semPatternBody(c: var TemplCtx, n: PNode): PNode =
         localError(n.info, errInvalidExpression)
     else:
       localError(n.info, errInvalidExpression)
+  of nkStmtList, nkStmtListExpr:
+    if stupidStmtListExpr(n):
+      result = semPatternBody(c, n.lastSon)
+    else:
+      for i in countup(0, sonsLen(n) - 1):
+        result.sons[i] = semPatternBody(c, n.sons[i])
   of nkCallKinds:
     let s = qualifiedLookUp(c.c, n.sons[0], {})
     if s != nil:
diff --git a/compiler/vm.nim b/compiler/vm.nim
index 05d00c19f4..0db287c6aa 100644
--- a/compiler/vm.nim
+++ b/compiler/vm.nim
@@ -1461,6 +1461,8 @@ proc evalConstExprAux(module, prc: PSym, n: PNode, mode: TEvalMode): PNode =
   let n = transformExpr(module, n)
   setupGlobalCtx(module)
   var c = globalCtx
+  let oldMode = c.mode
+  defer: c.mode = oldMode
   c.mode = mode
   let start = genExpr(c, n, requiresValue = mode!=emStaticStmt)
   if c.code[start].opcode == opcEof: return emptyNode
diff --git a/tests/bind/tbind2.nim b/tests/bind/tbind2.nim
index d2219765d0..0e0cbd7880 100644
--- a/tests/bind/tbind2.nim
+++ b/tests/bind/tbind2.nim
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 discard """
   file: "tbind2.nim"
-  line: 14
+  line: 12
   errormsg: "ambiguous call"
 """
 # Test the new ``bind`` keyword for templates
diff --git a/tests/template/twrongmapit.nim b/tests/template/twrongmapit.nim
index bca1292b81..0a6d694f67 100644
--- a/tests/template/twrongmapit.nim
+++ b/tests/template/twrongmapit.nim
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 discard """
-  errormsg: "'"
-  file: "sequtils.nim"
-  line: 435
+  output: "####"
 """
 # unfortunately our tester doesn't support multiple lines of compiler
 # error messages yet...
@@ -29,4 +27,6 @@ when ATTEMPT == 0:
 # bug #1543
 import sequtils
 
-(var i= @[""];i).mapIt(it)
+(var i = @[""];i).mapIt(it)
+# now works:
+echo "##", i[0], "##"