diff --git a/harbour/ChangeLog b/harbour/ChangeLog
index 99526ddff4..726153a687 100644
--- a/harbour/ChangeLog
+++ b/harbour/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+20000502-16:22 GMT+1 Ryszard Glab <rglab@imid.med.pl>
+
+    *source/compiler/harbour.l
+	* fixed syntax:
+	RETURN ++variable
+
 20000502-16:07 GMT+1 Ryszard Glab <rglab@imid.med.pl>
 
     *source/compiler/hbpcode.c
diff --git a/harbour/source/compiler/harbour.l b/harbour/source/compiler/harbour.l
index 90b34dd9d0..c51181fb58 100644
--- a/harbour/source/compiler/harbour.l
+++ b/harbour/source/compiler/harbour.l
@@ -1107,13 +1107,29 @@ Separator     {SpaceTab}
                    return IDENTIFIER;
                  }
                }
-<RETURN_>{Separator}*("+="|"-="|"->"|"++"|"--") { /* operators */
+<RETURN_>{Separator}*("+="|"-="|"->") { /* operators */
                if( i_INDEX_STATE ) BEGIN INDEX; else BEGIN 0;
                hb_comp_iState =IDENTIFIER;
                unput( yytext[ yyleng-1 ] );
                unput( yytext[ yyleng-2 ] );
                return IDENTIFIER;
              }
+<RETURN_>{Separator}*("++"|"--") { /* operators */
+               if( i_INDEX_STATE ) BEGIN INDEX; else BEGIN 0;
+               unput( yytext[ yyleng-1 ] );
+               unput( yytext[ yyleng-2 ] );
+                 if( hb_comp_iState == LOOKUP )
+                 { /* it is the first item in the line */
+                   hb_xfree( (void *) yylval.string );
+                   hb_comp_iState = RETURN;
+                   return RETURN;
+                 }
+                 else
+                 { /* there is another item in line already */
+                   hb_comp_iState =IDENTIFIER;
+                   return IDENTIFIER;
+                 }
+             }
 <RETURN_>{Separator}*("::") { /* SELF operator */
                if( i_INDEX_STATE ) BEGIN INDEX; else BEGIN 0;
                hb_xfree( (void *) yylval.string );