diff --git a/tools/qfcc/include/expr.h b/tools/qfcc/include/expr.h
index 4fb859faf..a1650cbed 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/include/expr.h
+++ b/tools/qfcc/include/expr.h
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 typedef struct {
 	type_t     *type;			///< Type of vector (vector/quaternion)
-	const expr_t *list;			///< Linked list of element expressions.
+	ex_list_t   list;			///< Linked list of element expressions.
 } ex_vector_t;
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ typedef struct {
 #define POINTER_VAL(p) (((p).def ? (p).def->offset : 0) + (p).val)
 
 typedef struct expr_s {
-	expr_t *next;
+	expr_t     *next;
 	expr_type   type;			///< the type of the result of this expression
 	int         line;			///< source line that generated this expression
 	pr_string_t file;			///< source file that generated this expression
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/dot_expr.c b/tools/qfcc/source/dot_expr.c
index 9e774a5ff..672e49848 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/dot_expr.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/dot_expr.c
@@ -178,8 +178,6 @@ print_bool (dstring_t *dstr, const expr_t *e, int level, int id, const expr_t *n
 				   i);
 	dasprintf (dstr, "%*s</table>\n", indent + 2, "");
 	dasprintf (dstr, "%*s>];\n", indent, "");
-	if (e->next)
-		next = e->next;
 	_print_expr (dstr, e->boolean.e, level, id, next);
 	for (i = 0; i < tl_count; i++)
 		dasprintf (dstr, "%*se_%p:t%d -> e_%p;\n", indent, "", e, i,
@@ -195,8 +193,6 @@ print_label (dstring_t *dstr, const expr_t *e, int level, int id, const expr_t *
 {
 	int         indent = level * 2 + 2;
 
-	if (e->next)
-		next = e->next;
 	if (next)
 		dasprintf (dstr, "%*se_%p -> e_%p [constraint=true,style=dashed];\n",
 				   indent, "", e, next);
@@ -209,8 +205,6 @@ print_labelref (dstring_t *dstr, const expr_t *e, int level, int id, const expr_
 {
 	int         indent = level * 2 + 2;
 
-	if (e->next)
-		next = e->next;
 	if (next)
 		dasprintf (dstr, "%*se_%p -> e_%p [constraint=true,style=dashed];\n",
 				   indent, "", e, next);
@@ -227,7 +221,7 @@ print_block (dstring_t *dstr, const expr_t *e, int level, int id,
 	const expr_t *exprs[num_exprs + 1];
 
 	list_scatter (&e->block.list, exprs);
-	exprs[num_exprs] = 0;
+	exprs[num_exprs] = next;
 
 	int colspan = num_exprs ? num_exprs : 1;
 
@@ -397,9 +391,6 @@ print_conditional (dstring_t *dstr, const expr_t *e, int level, int id, const ex
 			   e->branch.test);
 	dasprintf (dstr, "%*se_%p -> \"e_%p\" [label=\"g\"];\n", indent, "", e,
 			   e->branch.target);
-	if (e->next) {
-		next = e->next;
-	}
 	if (next) {
 		dasprintf (dstr, "%*se_%p -> e_%p [constraint=true,"
 				   "style=dashed];\n", indent, "", e, next);
@@ -520,7 +511,8 @@ print_vector (dstring_t *dstr, const expr_t *e, int level, int id, const expr_t
 {
 	int         indent = level * 2 + 2;
 
-	for (const expr_t *ele = e->vector.list; ele; ele = ele->next) {
+	for (auto li = e->vector.list.head; li; li = li->next) {
+		auto ele = li->expr;
 		_print_expr (dstr, ele, level, id, next);
 		dasprintf (dstr, "%*se_%p -> \"e_%p\";\n", indent, "", e, ele);
 	}
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/expr.c b/tools/qfcc/source/expr.c
index 2e192159f..d58a681fc 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/expr.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/expr.c
@@ -1384,9 +1384,6 @@ append_expr (expr_t *block, const expr_t *e)
 	if (!e || e->type == ex_error)
 		return block;
 
-	if (e->next)
-		internal_error (e, "append_expr: expr loop detected");
-
 	auto li = new_listitem (e);
 	*block->block.tail = li;
 	block->block.tail = &li->next;
@@ -1403,9 +1400,6 @@ prepend_expr (expr_t *block, const expr_t *e)
 	if (!e || e->type == ex_error)
 		return block;
 
-	if (e->next)
-		internal_error (e, "append_expr: expr loop detected");
-
 	auto li = new_listitem (e);
 	li->next = block->block.head;
 	block->block.head = li;
@@ -1591,7 +1585,6 @@ convert_from_bool (const expr_t *e, type_t *type)
 	}
 	auto cond = new_expr ();
 	*cond = *e;
-	cond->next = 0;
 
 	return conditional_expr (cond, one, zero);
 }
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/expr_assign.c b/tools/qfcc/source/expr_assign.c
index 43e9029e9..6892fd465 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/expr_assign.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/expr_assign.c
@@ -230,12 +230,15 @@ copy_qv_elements (expr_t *block, const expr_t *dst, const expr_t *src)
 	const expr_t *dw, *sw;
 	const expr_t *ds, *ss;
 	const expr_t *dv, *sv;
+	int         count = list_count (&src->vector.list);
+	const expr_t *components[count];
+	list_scatter (&src->vector.list, components);
 
 	if (is_vector (src->vector.type)) {
 		// guaranteed to have three elements
-		sx = src->vector.list;
-		sy = sx->next;
-		sz = sy->next;
+		sx = components[0];
+		sy = components[1];
+		sz = components[2];
 		dx = field_expr (dst, new_name_expr ("x"));
 		dy = field_expr (dst, new_name_expr ("y"));
 		dz = field_expr (dst, new_name_expr ("z"));
@@ -244,12 +247,12 @@ copy_qv_elements (expr_t *block, const expr_t *dst, const expr_t *src)
 		append_expr (block, assign_expr (dz, sz));
 	} else {
 		// guaranteed to have two or four elements
-		if (src->vector.list->next->next) {
+		if (count == 4) {
 			// four vals: x, y, z, w
-			sx = src->vector.list;
-			sy = sx->next;
-			sz = sy->next;
-			sw = sz->next;
+			sx = components[0];
+			sy = components[1];
+			sz = components[2];
+			sw = components[3];
 			dx = field_expr (dst, new_name_expr ("x"));
 			dy = field_expr (dst, new_name_expr ("y"));
 			dz = field_expr (dst, new_name_expr ("z"));
@@ -260,8 +263,8 @@ copy_qv_elements (expr_t *block, const expr_t *dst, const expr_t *src)
 			append_expr (block, assign_expr (dw, sw));
 		} else {
 			// v, s
-			sv = src->vector.list;
-			ss = sv->next;
+			sv = components[0];
+			ss = components[1];
 			dv = field_expr (dst, new_name_expr ("v"));
 			ds = field_expr (dst, new_name_expr ("s"));
 			append_expr (block, assign_expr (dv, sv));
@@ -274,7 +277,8 @@ static int
 copy_elements (expr_t *block, const expr_t *dst, const expr_t *src, int base)
 {
 	int         index = 0;
-	for (const expr_t *e = src->vector.list; e; e = e->next) {
+	for (auto li = src->vector.list.head; li; li = li->next) {
+		auto e = li->expr;
 		if (e->type == ex_vector) {
 			index += copy_elements (block, dst, e, index + base);
 		} else {
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/expr_vector.c b/tools/qfcc/source/expr_vector.c
index 1dced7ec1..76a512994 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/expr_vector.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/expr_vector.c
@@ -132,14 +132,9 @@ new_vector_list (const expr_t *expr_list)
 		return vec;
 	}
 
-	for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
-		//FIXME this should use ex_list
-		((expr_t *) elements[i])->next = (expr_t *) elements[i + 1];
-	}
-
 	expr_t     *vec = new_expr ();
 	vec->type = ex_vector;
 	vec->vector.type = vector_type (ele_type, width);
-	vec->vector.list = elements[0];
+	list_gather (&vec->vector.list, elements, count);
 	return vec;
 }
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/statements.c b/tools/qfcc/source/statements.c
index c529f37e6..52364bebd 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/statements.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/statements.c
@@ -1926,7 +1926,8 @@ static int
 statement_copy_elements (sblock_t **sblock, const expr_t *dst, const expr_t *src, int base)
 {
 	int         index = 0;
-	for (const expr_t *e = src->vector.list; e; e = e->next) {
+	for (auto li = src->vector.list.head; li; li = li->next) {
+		auto e = li->expr;
 		if (e->type == ex_vector) {
 			index += statement_copy_elements (sblock, dst, e, index + base);
 		} else {
@@ -2073,15 +2074,12 @@ build_bool_block (expr_t *block, expr_t *e)
 			build_bool_block (block, (expr_t *) e->boolean.e);
 			return;
 		case ex_label:
-			e->next = 0;
 			append_expr (block, e);
 			return;
 		case ex_assign:
-			e->next = 0;
 			append_expr (block, e);
 			return;
 		case ex_branch:
-			e->next = 0;
 			append_expr (block, e);
 			return;
 		case ex_expr:
@@ -2089,7 +2087,6 @@ build_bool_block (expr_t *block, expr_t *e)
 				build_bool_block (block, (expr_t *) e->expr.e1);
 				build_bool_block (block, (expr_t *) e->expr.e2);
 			} else {
-				e->next = 0;
 				append_expr (block, e);
 			}
 			return;