diff --git a/compiler/test/ast/TestVariousCompilerAst.kt b/compiler/test/ast/TestVariousCompilerAst.kt
index cafbdb714..dfdd370c3 100644
--- a/compiler/test/ast/TestVariousCompilerAst.kt
+++ b/compiler/test/ast/TestVariousCompilerAst.kt
@@ -549,5 +549,46 @@ main {
         tc.type shouldBe DataType.UBYTE
         tc.expression shouldBe instanceOf<ArrayIndexedExpression>()
     }
+
+    test("multi vardecls smart desugaring") {
+        val src="""
+main {
+    sub start() {
+        ubyte @shared x,y,z
+        ubyte @shared k,l,m = 42
+        uword @shared r,s,t = sys.progend()
+    }
+}"""
+        val result = compileText(Cx16Target(), optimize=true, src, writeAssembly=false)!!
+        val st = result.compilerAst.entrypoint.statements
+        st.size shouldBe 18
+        st[0] shouldBe instanceOf<VarDecl>()    // x
+        st[2] shouldBe instanceOf<VarDecl>()    // y
+        st[4] shouldBe instanceOf<VarDecl>()    // z
+        st[6] shouldBe instanceOf<VarDecl>()    // k
+        st[8] shouldBe instanceOf<VarDecl>()    // l
+        st[10] shouldBe instanceOf<VarDecl>()    // m
+        st[12] shouldBe instanceOf<VarDecl>()    // r
+        st[14] shouldBe instanceOf<VarDecl>()    // s
+        st[16] shouldBe instanceOf<VarDecl>()    // t
+        val valX = (st[1] as Assignment).value
+        (valX as NumericLiteral).number shouldBe 0.0
+        val valY = (st[3] as Assignment).value
+        (valY as NumericLiteral).number shouldBe 0.0
+        val valZ = (st[5] as Assignment).value
+        (valZ as NumericLiteral).number shouldBe 0.0
+        val valK = (st[7] as Assignment).value
+        (valK as NumericLiteral).number shouldBe 42.0
+        val valL = (st[9] as Assignment).value
+        (valL as NumericLiteral).number shouldBe 42.0
+        val valM = (st[11] as Assignment).value
+        (valM as NumericLiteral).number shouldBe 42.0
+        val valR = (st[13] as Assignment).value
+        (valR as FunctionCallExpression).target.nameInSource shouldBe listOf("sys", "progend")
+        val valS = (st[15] as Assignment).value
+        (valS as IdentifierReference).nameInSource shouldBe listOf("r")
+        val valT = (st[17] as Assignment).value
+        (valT as IdentifierReference).nameInSource shouldBe listOf("r")
+    }
 })
 
diff --git a/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/statements/AstStatements.kt b/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/statements/AstStatements.kt
index b2ce0269a..d6f12fc13 100644
--- a/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/statements/AstStatements.kt
+++ b/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/statements/AstStatements.kt
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ class VarDecl(val type: VarDeclType,
                 this.arraysize?.referencesIdentifier(nameInSource)==true
 
     fun desugarMultiDecl(): List<VarDecl> {
-        if(value?.isSimple==true) {
+        if(value==null || value?.isSimple==true) {
             // just copy the initialization value to a separata vardecl for each component
             return names.map {
                 val copy = VarDecl(type, origin, datatype, zeropage, arraysize?.copy(), it, emptyList(), value?.copy(),
diff --git a/docs/source/todo.rst b/docs/source/todo.rst
index c9f91c54f..82b309640 100644
--- a/docs/source/todo.rst
+++ b/docs/source/todo.rst
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 TODO
 ====
 
-ubyte x,y   compiles to more code than  ubyte x + ubyte y
-
 can we make ubyte x,y = cbm.SCREEN() work?  (sugar for  ubyte x,y //  x,y=cbm.SCREEN() ?)
 
 ...
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index 25bed855b..14c91279c 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -1,28 +1,11 @@
 %import textio
-%import verafx
 %zeropage basicsafe
 %option no_sysinit
 
 main {
     sub start() {
-        uword result, resulthi
-        result, resulthi = verafx.mult(9344, 6522)
-        txt.print_uwhex(resulthi, true)
-        txt.spc()
-        txt.print_uwhex(result, false)
-        txt.nl()
-
-        word sresult, sresulthi
-        sresult, sresulthi = verafx.muls(9344, -6522)
-        txt.print_w(sresulthi)
-        txt.spc()
-        txt.print_w(sresult)
-        txt.nl()
-
-        sresult, sresulthi = verafx.muls(144, -22)
-        txt.print_w(sresulthi)
-        txt.spc()
-        txt.print_w(sresult)
-        txt.nl()
+        ubyte @shared x,y,z
+        ubyte @shared k,l,m = 42
+        uword @shared r,s,t = sys.progend()
     }
 }