diff --git a/tools/qfcc/include/value.h b/tools/qfcc/include/value.h
index 8edc6850c..941423ef7 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/include/value.h
+++ b/tools/qfcc/include/value.h
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ struct ex_value_s *new_uinteger_val (int uinteger_val);
 struct ex_value_s *new_short_val (short short_val);
 struct ex_value_s *new_nil_val (struct type_s *type);
 
-void convert_value (struct ex_value_s *value, struct type_s *type);
+struct ex_value_s * convert_value (struct ex_value_s *value,
+								   struct type_s *type);
 struct def_s *emit_value (struct ex_value_s *value, struct def_s *def);
 
 int	ReuseString (const char *str);
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/def.c b/tools/qfcc/source/def.c
index e6825374a..c56641534 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/def.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/def.c
@@ -569,14 +569,14 @@ initialize_def (symbol_t *sym, type_t *type, expr_t *init, defspace_t *space,
 				if (init->e.value->v.pointer.def)
 					reloc_def_field (init->e.value->v.pointer.def, sym->s.def);
 			} else {
-				ex_value_t  v = *init->e.value;
+				ex_value_t *v = init->e.value;
 				if (is_scalar (sym->type))
-					convert_value (&v, sym->type);
-				if (v.type == ev_string) {
+					v = convert_value (v, sym->type);
+				if (v->type == ev_string) {
 					EMIT_STRING (sym->s.def->space, D_STRING (sym->s.def),
-								 v.v.string_val);
+								 v->v.string_val);
 				} else {
-					memcpy (D_POINTER (void, sym->s.def), &v.v,
+					memcpy (D_POINTER (void, sym->s.def), &v->v,
 							type_size (type) * sizeof (pr_type_t));
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/value.c b/tools/qfcc/source/value.c
index 332981157..6234a1ce6 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/value.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/value.c
@@ -373,30 +373,26 @@ value_as_uint (ex_value_t *value)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void
+ex_value_t *
 convert_value (ex_value_t *value, type_t *type)
 {
 	if (!is_scalar (type) || !is_scalar (ev_types[value->type])) {
 		error (0, "unable to convert non-scalar value");
-		return;
+		return value;
 	}
 	if (is_float (type)) {
 		float       val = value_as_float (value);
-		value->type = ev_float;
-		value->v.float_val = val;
+		return new_float_val (val);
 	} else if (type->type == ev_short) {
 		int         val = value_as_int (value);
-		value->type = ev_short;
-		value->v.short_val = val;
+		return new_short_val (val);
 	} else if (type->type == ev_uinteger) {
 		unsigned    val = value_as_uint (value);
-		value->type = ev_uinteger;
-		value->v.uinteger_val = val;
+		return new_uinteger_val (val);
 	} else {
 		//FIXME handle enums separately?
 		int         val = value_as_int (value);
-		value->type = ev_integer;
-		value->v.integer_val = val;
+		return new_integer_val (val);
 	}
 }