diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
index f1378280e6..c512f01323 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
@@ -591,6 +591,7 @@ pub:
 
 pub struct Assoc {
 pub:
+	typ      table.Type
 	var_name string
 	fields   []string
 	exprs    []Expr
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
index 6f551c2338..b31f197bc5 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
@@ -1349,7 +1349,29 @@ fn (g mut Gen) const_decl(node ast.ConstDecl) {
 }
 
 // { user | name: 'new name' }
-fn (g mut Gen) assoc(node ast.Assoc) {}
+fn (g mut Gen) assoc(node ast.Assoc) {
+	if node.typ == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	g.writeln('// assoc')
+	styp := g.typ(node.typ)
+	g.writeln('($styp){')
+	for i, field in node.fields {
+		g.write('\t.$field = ')
+		g.expr(node.exprs[i])
+		g.writeln(', ')
+	}
+	// Copy the rest of the fields.
+	sym := g.table.get_type_symbol(node.typ)
+	info := sym.info as table.Struct
+	for field in info.fields {
+		g.writeln('\t.$field.name = ${node.var_name}.$field.name,')
+	}
+	g.write('}')
+	if g.is_amp {
+		g.write(', sizeof($styp))')
+	}
+}
 
 fn (g mut Gen) call_args(args []ast.CallArg) {
 	for i, arg in args {
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
index c4555a48c7..60bb585dc8 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
@@ -790,6 +790,10 @@ pub fn (p mut Parser) expr(precedence int) ast.Expr {
 			}
 			else {
 				name := p.check_name()
+				var := p.scope.find_var(name) or {
+					p.error('unknown variable `$name`')
+					return node
+				}
 				mut fields := []string
 				mut vals := []ast.Expr
 				p.check(.pipe)
@@ -810,6 +814,7 @@ pub fn (p mut Parser) expr(precedence int) ast.Expr {
 					fields: fields
 					exprs: vals
 					pos: p.tok.position()
+					typ: var.typ
 				}
 			}
 			p.check(.rcbr)