diff --git a/vlib/compiler/main.v b/vlib/compiler/main.v
index ea67b82818..35a4695fc8 100644
--- a/vlib/compiler/main.v
+++ b/vlib/compiler/main.v
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ pub mut:
 						 // This is on by default, since a vast majority of users do not
 						 // work on the builtin module itself.
 	//generating_vh bool
+	comptime_define string  // -D vfmt for `if $vfmt {`
 }
 
 // Should be called by main at the end of the compilation process, to cleanup
@@ -279,7 +280,7 @@ pub fn (v mut V) compile() {
 	// parse generated V code (str() methods etc)
 	mut vgen_parser := v.new_parser_from_string(v.vgen_buf.str())
 	// free the string builder which held the generated methods
-	vgen_parser.is_vgen = true 
+	vgen_parser.is_vgen = true
 	v.vgen_buf.free()
 	vgen_parser.parse(.main)
 	// v.parsers.add(vgen_parser)
@@ -765,6 +766,7 @@ pub fn new_v(args[]string) &V {
 
 	joined_args := args.join(' ')
 	target_os := get_arg(joined_args, 'os', '')
+	comptime_define := get_arg(joined_args, 'd', '')
 	mut out_name := get_arg(joined_args, 'o', 'a.out')
 
 	mut dir := args.last()
@@ -922,6 +924,7 @@ pub fn new_v(args[]string) &V {
 		cflags: cflags
 		ccompiler: find_c_compiler()
 		building_v: !is_repl && (rdir_name == 'compiler' || rdir_name == 'v.v'  || dir.contains('vlib'))
+		comptime_define: comptime_define
 	}
 	if pref.is_verbose || pref.is_debug {
 		println('C compiler=$pref.ccompiler')
diff --git a/vlib/compiler/parser.v b/vlib/compiler/parser.v
index 2dd78e6667..56210fd4fe 100644
--- a/vlib/compiler/parser.v
+++ b/vlib/compiler/parser.v
@@ -3872,7 +3872,13 @@ fn (p mut Parser) js_decode() string {
 
 fn (p mut Parser) attribute() {
 	p.check(.lsbr)
-	p.attr = p.check_name()
+	if p.tok == .key_if {
+		// [if vfmt]
+		p.next()
+		p.attr = 'if ' + p.check_name()
+	}	else {
+		p.attr = p.check_name()
+	}
 	attr_token_idx := p.cur_tok_index()
 	if p.tok == .colon {
 		p.check(.colon)
diff --git a/vlib/compiler/vfmt.v b/vlib/compiler/vfmt.v
index 7375dd9768..f7b5dacf62 100644
--- a/vlib/compiler/vfmt.v
+++ b/vlib/compiler/vfmt.v
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ module compiler
 import strings
 
 // fmt helpers
+//[if vfmt]
 fn (scanner mut Scanner) fgen(s_ string) {
 	mut s := s_
 	if scanner.fmt_line_empty {