diff --git a/compiler/gengo/gengo.go b/compiler/gengo/gengo.go
index 311e60f..b4b958f 100644
--- a/compiler/gengo/gengo.go
+++ b/compiler/gengo/gengo.go
@@ -1486,6 +1486,14 @@ func (g *Generator) emitAssign(a *ast.AssignExpr, locals localMap) {
 	if aliasExpr, ok := a.Left.(*ast.AliasExpr); ok {
 		if aliasIdent, ok2 := aliasExpr.Alias.(*ast.IdentExpr); ok2 {
 			if fieldIdent, ok3 := aliasExpr.Field.(*ast.IdentExpr); ok3 {
+				upper := strings.ToUpper(aliasIdent.Name)
+				// `M->name := v` / `MEMVAR->name := v` are memvar writes,
+				// not workarea field writes.
+				if upper == "M" || upper == "MEMVAR" {
+					g.emitExpr(a.Right)
+					g.writeln(fmt.Sprintf(`t.PopMemvar(%q)`, fieldIdent.Name))
+					return
+				}
 				g.emitExpr(a.Right)
 				g.writeln(fmt.Sprintf(`{ _wa := t.WA.(*hbrdd.WorkAreaManager); _wa.SetAliasField(%q, %q, t.Pop2()) }`, aliasIdent.Name, fieldIdent.Name))
 				return
@@ -2716,6 +2724,16 @@ func (g *Generator) emitAssignExpr(e *ast.AssignExpr) {
 	if aliasExpr, ok := e.Left.(*ast.AliasExpr); ok {
 		if aliasIdent, ok2 := aliasExpr.Alias.(*ast.IdentExpr); ok2 {
 			if fieldIdent, ok3 := aliasExpr.Field.(*ast.IdentExpr); ok3 {
+				upper := strings.ToUpper(aliasIdent.Name)
+				if upper == "M" || upper == "MEMVAR" {
+					// Memvar write — leaves a copy on the stack for the
+					// enclosing expression to pick up (matches Dup+SetAlias
+					// path).
+					g.emitExpr(e.Right)
+					g.writeln("t.Dup()")
+					g.writeln(fmt.Sprintf(`t.PopMemvar(%q)`, fieldIdent.Name))
+					return
+				}
 				g.emitExpr(e.Right)
 				g.writeln("t.Dup()")
 				g.writeln(fmt.Sprintf(`{ _wa := t.WA.(*hbrdd.WorkAreaManager); _wa.SetAliasField(%q, %q, t.Pop2()) }`, aliasIdent.Name, fieldIdent.Name))
@@ -3082,6 +3100,13 @@ func (g *Generator) emitAliasExpr(e *ast.AliasExpr) {
 
 	// Case 1: alias->field (static alias, simple field name)
 	if ident, ok := e.Alias.(*ast.IdentExpr); ok && isFieldIdent {
+		upper := strings.ToUpper(ident.Name)
+		// `M->name` / `MEMVAR->name` access the memvar namespace, not
+		// a database workarea. Harbour reserves both aliases for this.
+		if upper == "M" || upper == "MEMVAR" {
+			g.writeln(fmt.Sprintf(`t.PushMemvar(%q)`, fieldIdent.Name))
+			return
+		}
 		g.writeln(fmt.Sprintf(`t.PushAliasField(%q, %q)`, ident.Name, fieldIdent.Name))
 		return
 	}