diff --git a/vlib/sync/channel_array_mut_test.v b/vlib/sync/channel_array_mut_test.v
index 679cf1b3e6..07b3bb0a13 100644
--- a/vlib/sync/channel_array_mut_test.v
+++ b/vlib/sync/channel_array_mut_test.v
@@ -15,13 +15,12 @@ mut:
 
 // this function gets an array of channels for `St` references
 fn do_rec_calc_send(chs []chan mut St) {
-	mut s := &St(0)
 	for {
-		if !(&sync.Channel(chs[0])).pop(&s) {
+		mut s := <-chs[0] or {
 			break
 		}
 		s.n++
-		(&sync.Channel(chs[1])).push(&s)
+		chs[1] <- s
 	}
 }
 
@@ -32,8 +31,8 @@ fn test_channel_array_mut() {
 		n: 100
 	}
 	for _ in 0 .. num_iterations {
-		(&sync.Channel(chs[0])).push(&t)
-		(&sync.Channel(chs[1])).pop(&t)
+		chs[0] <- t
+		t = <-chs[1]
 	}
 	(&sync.Channel(chs[0])).close()
 	assert t.n == 100 + num_iterations
diff --git a/vlib/sync/channel_opt_propagate_test.v b/vlib/sync/channel_opt_propagate_test.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0850ceb858
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/sync/channel_opt_propagate_test.v
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import sync
+
+const (
+	num_iterations = 10000
+)
+
+fn get_val_from_chan(ch chan i64) ?i64 {
+	r := <-ch?
+	return r
+}
+
+// this function gets an array of channels for `i64`
+fn do_rec_calc_send(chs []chan i64, sem sync.Semaphore) {
+	mut msg := ''
+	for {
+		mut s := get_val_from_chan(chs[0]) or {
+			msg = err.str()
+			break
+		}
+		s++
+		chs[1] <- s
+	}
+	assert msg == 'channel closed'
+	sem.post()
+}
+
+fn test_channel_array_mut() {
+	mut chs := [chan i64{}, chan i64{cap: 10}]
+	sem := sync.new_semaphore()
+	go do_rec_calc_send(chs, sem)
+	mut t := i64(100)
+	for _ in 0 .. num_iterations {
+		chs[0] <- t
+		t = <-chs[1]
+	}
+	(&sync.Channel(chs[0])).close()
+	sem.wait()
+	assert t == 100 + num_iterations
+}
diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
index b52edf0284..623b8056c4 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
@@ -440,6 +440,7 @@ pub:
 	pos        token.Position
 pub mut:
 	right_type table.Type
+	or_block   OrExpr
 }
 
 pub struct IndexExpr {
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
index 83ebe096bf..536cc1298e 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
@@ -2465,6 +2465,7 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) expr(node ast.Expr) table.Type {
 			if node.op == .arrow {
 				right := c.table.get_type_symbol(right_type)
 				if right.kind == .chan {
+					c.stmts(node.or_block.stmts)
 					return right.chan_info().elem_type
 				} else {
 					c.error('<- operator can only be used with `chan` types', node.pos)
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
index 40e48bb0cb..5a3d2286c4 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ mut:
 	is_vlines_enabled     bool // is it safe to generate #line directives when -g is passed
 	vlines_path           string // set to the proper path for generating #line directives
 	optionals             []string // to avoid duplicates TODO perf, use map
+	chan_pop_optionals    []string // types for `x := <-ch or {...}`
 	shareds               []int // types with hidden mutex for which decl has been emitted
 	inside_ternary        int // ?: comma separated statements on a single line
 	inside_map_postfix    bool // inside map++/-- postfix expr
@@ -460,6 +461,22 @@ fn (mut g Gen) find_or_register_shared(t table.Type, base string) string {
 	return sh_typ
 }
 
+fn (mut g Gen) register_chan_pop_optional_call(opt_el_type, styp string) {
+	if opt_el_type !in g.chan_pop_optionals {
+		g.chan_pop_optionals << opt_el_type
+		g.channel_definitions.writeln('
+static inline $opt_el_type __Option_${styp}_popval($styp ch) {
+	$opt_el_type _tmp;
+	if (sync__Channel_try_pop_priv(ch, _tmp.data, false)) {
+		Option _tmp2 = v_error(tos_lit("channel closed"));
+		return *($opt_el_type*)&_tmp2;
+	}
+	_tmp.ok = true; _tmp.is_none = false; _tmp.v_error = (string){.str=(byteptr)""}; _tmp.ecode = 0;
+	return _tmp;
+}')
+	}
+}
+
 // cc_type returns the Cleaned Concrete Type name, *without ptr*,
 // i.e. it's always just Cat, not Cat_ptr:
 fn (g &Gen) cc_type(t table.Type) string {
@@ -519,7 +536,8 @@ typedef struct {
 				if typ.name != 'chan' {
 					styp := util.no_dots(typ.name)
 					g.type_definitions.writeln('typedef chan $styp;')
-					el_stype := g.typ(typ.chan_info().elem_type)
+					chan_inf := typ.chan_info()
+					el_stype := g.typ(chan_inf.elem_type)
 					g.channel_definitions.writeln('
 static inline $el_stype __${styp}_popval($styp ch) {
 	$el_stype val;
@@ -1997,22 +2015,45 @@ fn (mut g Gen) expr(node ast.Expr) {
 			}
 		}
 		ast.PrefixExpr {
+			gen_or := node.op == .arrow && node.or_block.kind != .absent
 			if node.op == .amp {
 				g.is_amp = true
 			}
 			if node.op == .arrow {
-				right_type := g.unwrap_generic(node.right_type)
-				right_sym := g.table.get_type_symbol(right_type)
-				styp := util.no_dots(right_sym.name)
-				g.write('__${styp}_popval(')
+				styp := g.typ(node.right_type)
+				right_sym := g.table.get_type_symbol(node.right_type)
+				mut right_inf := right_sym.info as table.Chan
+				elem_type := right_inf.elem_type
+				is_gen_or_and_assign_rhs := gen_or && g.is_assign_rhs
+				cur_line := if is_gen_or_and_assign_rhs {
+					line := g.go_before_stmt(0)
+					g.out.write(tabs[g.indent])
+					line
+				} else {
+					''
+				}
+				tmp_opt := if gen_or { g.new_tmp_var() } else { '' }
+				if gen_or {
+					opt_elem_type := g.typ(elem_type.set_flag(.optional))
+					g.register_chan_pop_optional_call(opt_elem_type, styp)
+					g.write('$opt_elem_type $tmp_opt = __Option_${styp}_popval(')
+				} else {
+					g.write('__${styp}_popval(')
+				}
+				g.expr(node.right)
+				g.write(')')
+				if gen_or {
+					g.or_block(tmp_opt, node.or_block, elem_type)
+					if is_gen_or_and_assign_rhs {
+						elem_styp := g.typ(elem_type)
+						g.write('\n$cur_line*($elem_styp*)${tmp_opt}.data')
+					}
+				}
 			} else {
 				// g.write('/*pref*/')
 				g.write(node.op.str())
 				// g.write('(')
-			}
-			g.expr(node.right)
-			if node.op == .arrow {
-				g.write(')')
+				g.expr(node.right)
 			}
 			g.is_amp = false
 		}
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v b/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v
index f8191bc283..dfc34118fe 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v
@@ -314,9 +314,40 @@ fn (mut p Parser) prefix_expr() ast.PrefixExpr {
 	if mut right is ast.CastExpr {
 		right.in_prexpr = true
 	}
+	mut or_stmts := []ast.Stmt{}
+	mut or_kind := ast.OrKind.absent
+	// allow `x := <-ch or {...}` to handle closed channel
+	if op == .arrow && p.tok.kind == .key_orelse {
+			p.next()
+			p.open_scope()
+			p.scope.register('errcode', ast.Var{
+				name: 'errcode'
+				typ: table.int_type
+				pos: p.tok.position()
+				is_used: true
+			})
+			p.scope.register('err', ast.Var{
+				name: 'err'
+				typ: table.string_type
+				pos: p.tok.position()
+				is_used: true
+			})
+			or_kind = .block
+			or_stmts = p.parse_block_no_scope(false)
+			p.close_scope()
+	}
+	if p.tok.kind == .question {
+		p.next()
+		or_kind = .propagate
+	}
 	return ast.PrefixExpr{
 		op: op
 		right: right
 		pos: pos
+		or_block: ast.OrExpr{
+			stmts: or_stmts
+			kind: or_kind
+			pos: pos
+		}
 	}
 }