diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
index 404f1962f8..a40332d6ac 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
@@ -452,8 +452,9 @@ pub struct StructInit {
 pub:
 	pos             token.Pos
 	name_pos        token.Pos
-	is_short        bool // Foo{val1, val2}
-	is_short_syntax bool // foo(field1: val1, field2: val2)
+	no_keys         bool // `Foo{val1, val2}`
+	is_short_syntax bool // `foo(field1: val1, field2: val2)`
+	is_anon         bool //  `x: struct{ foo: bar }`
 pub mut:
 	unresolved           bool
 	pre_comments         []Comment
@@ -469,6 +470,12 @@ pub mut:
 	generic_types        []Type
 }
 
+pub enum StructInitKind {
+	normal
+	short_syntax
+	anon
+}
+
 // import statement
 pub struct Import {
 pub:
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/struct.v b/vlib/v/checker/struct.v
index 260b1fe733..dc58640eb8 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/struct.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/struct.v
@@ -267,7 +267,8 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) struct_init(mut node ast.StructInit) ast.Type {
 		&& c.table.cur_concrete_types.len == 0 {
 		pos := type_sym.name.last_index('.') or { -1 }
 		first_letter := type_sym.name[pos + 1]
-		if !first_letter.is_capital() && type_sym.kind != .placeholder {
+		if !first_letter.is_capital() && type_sym.kind != .placeholder
+			&& !type_sym.name.starts_with('main._VAnonStruct') {
 			c.error('cannot initialize builtin type `$type_sym.name`', node.pos)
 		}
 	}
@@ -324,7 +325,7 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) struct_init(mut node ast.StructInit) ast.Type {
 			} else {
 				info = type_sym.info as ast.Struct
 			}
-			if node.is_short {
+			if node.no_keys {
 				exp_len := info.fields.len
 				got_len := node.fields.len
 				if exp_len != got_len && !c.pref.translated {
@@ -335,7 +336,7 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) struct_init(mut node ast.StructInit) ast.Type {
 				}
 			}
 			mut info_fields_sorted := []ast.StructField{}
-			if node.is_short {
+			if node.no_keys {
 				info_fields_sorted = info.fields.clone()
 				info_fields_sorted.sort(a.i < b.i)
 			}
@@ -343,7 +344,7 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) struct_init(mut node ast.StructInit) ast.Type {
 			for i, mut field in node.fields {
 				mut field_info := ast.StructField{}
 				mut field_name := ''
-				if node.is_short {
+				if node.no_keys {
 					if i >= info.fields.len {
 						// It doesn't make sense to check for fields that don't exist.
 						// We should just stop here.
@@ -496,7 +497,7 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) struct_init(mut node ast.StructInit) ast.Type {
 				}
 				*/
 				// Check for `[required]` struct attr
-				if field.attrs.contains('required') && !node.is_short && !node.has_update_expr {
+				if field.attrs.contains('required') && !node.no_keys && !node.has_update_expr {
 					mut found := false
 					for init_field in node.fields {
 						if field.name == init_field.name {
diff --git a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
index be4c5dd4ef..4c1576f555 100644
--- a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
+++ b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ fn expr_is_single_line(expr ast.Expr) bool {
 			}
 		}
 		ast.StructInit {
-			if !expr.is_short && (expr.fields.len > 0 || expr.pre_comments.len > 0) {
+			if !expr.no_keys && (expr.fields.len > 0 || expr.pre_comments.len > 0) {
 				return false
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/vlib/v/fmt/struct.v b/vlib/v/fmt/struct.v
index 0af6423507..d73afb00da 100644
--- a/vlib/v/fmt/struct.v
+++ b/vlib/v/fmt/struct.v
@@ -216,6 +216,9 @@ pub fn (mut f Fmt) struct_init(node ast.StructInit) {
 	if name == 'void' {
 		name = ''
 	}
+	if node.is_anon {
+		f.write('struct ')
+	}
 	if node.fields.len == 0 && !node.has_update_expr {
 		// `Foo{}` on one line if there are no fields or comments
 		if node.pre_comments.len == 0 {
@@ -226,8 +229,8 @@ pub fn (mut f Fmt) struct_init(node ast.StructInit) {
 			f.write('}')
 		}
 		f.mark_import_as_used(name)
-	} else if node.is_short {
-		// `Foo{1,2,3}` (short syntax )
+	} else if node.no_keys {
+		// `Foo{1,2,3}` (short syntax, no keys)
 		f.write('$name{')
 		f.mark_import_as_used(name)
 		if node.has_update_expr {
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/struct.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/struct.v
index 4306b2527b..0923fa1986 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/struct.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/struct.v
@@ -22,17 +22,18 @@ fn (mut g Gen) struct_init(node ast.StructInit) {
 	if is_amp {
 		g.out.go_back(1) // delete the `&` already generated in `prefix_expr()
 	}
-	g.write('(')
-	defer {
-		g.write(')')
-	}
-
 	mut is_anon := false
 	if sym.kind == .struct_ {
 		mut info := sym.info as ast.Struct
 
 		is_anon = info.is_anon
 	}
+	if !is_anon {
+		g.write('(')
+		defer {
+			g.write(')')
+		}
+	}
 	if is_anon {
 		// No name needed for anon structs, C figures it out on its own.
 		g.writeln('{')
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/expr.v b/vlib/v/parser/expr.v
index c4aaa0b2ff..7afe792a53 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/expr.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/expr.v
@@ -325,6 +325,11 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) check_expr(precedence int) ?ast.Expr {
 			node = p.map_init()
 			p.check(.rcbr)
 		}
+		.key_struct {
+			// Anonymous struct
+			p.next()
+			return p.struct_init('', .anon)
+		}
 		.key_fn {
 			if p.expecting_type {
 				// Anonymous function type
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/fn.v b/vlib/v/parser/fn.v
index 3897c8afb9..768ab5cd13 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/fn.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/fn.v
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) call_args() []ast.CallArg {
 		mut expr := ast.empty_expr()
 		if p.tok.kind == .name && p.peek_tok.kind == .colon {
 			// `foo(key:val, key2:val2)`
-			expr = p.struct_init('void_type', true) // short_syntax:true
+			expr = p.struct_init('void_type', .short_syntax)
 		} else {
 			expr = p.expr(0)
 		}
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
index 09d8141514..84b9298a37 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
@@ -2428,12 +2428,12 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) name_expr() ast.Expr {
 		&& (!p.inside_match || (p.inside_select && prev_tok_kind == .arrow && lit0_is_capital))
 		&& !p.inside_match_case && (!p.inside_if || p.inside_select)
 		&& (!p.inside_for || p.inside_select) && !known_var {
-		return p.struct_init(p.mod + '.' + p.tok.lit, false) // short_syntax: false
+		return p.struct_init(p.mod + '.' + p.tok.lit, .normal) // short_syntax: false
 	} else if p.peek_tok.kind == .lcbr
 		&& ((p.inside_if && lit0_is_capital && p.tok.lit.len > 1 && !known_var && language == .v)
 		|| (p.inside_match_case && p.tok.kind == .name && p.peek_tok.pos - p.tok.pos == p.tok.len)) {
 		// `if a == Foo{} {...}` or `match foo { Foo{} {...} }`
-		return p.struct_init(p.mod + '.' + p.tok.lit, false)
+		return p.struct_init(p.mod + '.' + p.tok.lit, .normal)
 	} else if p.peek_tok.kind == .dot && (lit0_is_capital && !known_var && language == .v) {
 		// T.name
 		if p.is_generic_name() {
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/struct.v b/vlib/v/parser/struct.v
index bc3792e728..6e340f4349 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/struct.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/struct.v
@@ -385,12 +385,12 @@ run them via `v file.v` instead',
 	}
 }
 
-fn (mut p Parser) struct_init(typ_str string, short_syntax bool) ast.StructInit {
-	first_pos := (if short_syntax && p.prev_tok.kind == .lcbr { p.prev_tok } else { p.tok }).pos()
+fn (mut p Parser) struct_init(typ_str string, kind ast.StructInitKind) ast.StructInit {
+	first_pos := (if kind == .short_syntax && p.prev_tok.kind == .lcbr { p.prev_tok } else { p.tok }).pos()
 	p.struct_init_generic_types = []ast.Type{}
-	typ := if short_syntax { ast.void_type } else { p.parse_type() }
+	typ := if kind == .short_syntax { ast.void_type } else { p.parse_type() }
 	p.expr_mod = ''
-	if !short_syntax {
+	if kind != .short_syntax {
 		p.check(.lcbr)
 	}
 	pre_comments := p.eat_comments()
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ fn (mut p Parser) struct_init(typ_str string, short_syntax bool) ast.StructInit
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	if !short_syntax {
+	if kind != .short_syntax {
 		p.check(.rcbr)
 	}
 	p.is_amp = saved_is_amp
@@ -472,9 +472,10 @@ fn (mut p Parser) struct_init(typ_str string, short_syntax bool) ast.StructInit
 		update_expr_comments: update_expr_comments
 		has_update_expr: has_update_expr
 		name_pos: first_pos
-		pos: first_pos.extend(if short_syntax { p.tok.pos() } else { p.prev_tok.pos() })
-		is_short: no_keys
-		is_short_syntax: short_syntax
+		pos: first_pos.extend(if kind == .short_syntax { p.tok.pos() } else { p.prev_tok.pos() })
+		no_keys: no_keys
+		is_short_syntax: kind == .short_syntax
+		is_anon: kind == .anon
 		pre_comments: pre_comments
 		generic_types: p.struct_init_generic_types
 	}
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/struct_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/struct_test.v
index d73abf40fa..5f5f336ea2 100644
--- a/vlib/v/tests/struct_test.v
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/struct_test.v
@@ -425,9 +425,25 @@ struct Book {
 }
 
 fn test_anon() {
-	empty_book := Book{} // author:struct{'sdf', 23}}
+	empty_book := Book{}
 	assert empty_book.author.age == 0
 	assert empty_book.author.name == ''
-
 	println(empty_book.author.age)
+
+	book := Book{
+		author: struct {'Peter Brown', 23}
+	}
+	assert book.author.name == 'Peter Brown'
+	assert book.author.age == 23
+	println(book.author.name)
+
+	book2 := Book{
+		author: struct {
+			name: 'Samantha Black'
+			age: 24
+		}
+	}
+	assert book2.author.name == 'Samantha Black'
+	assert book2.author.age == 24
+	println(book2.author.name)
 }