diff --git a/src/jolt/api.janet b/src/jolt/api.janet
index 98713e8..78580d7 100644
--- a/src/jolt/api.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/api.janet
@@ -55,44 +55,12 @@
     (install-async! ctx)
     ctx))
 
-# Stateful / context-modifying forms always use the interpreter (they mutate
-# the context: namespaces, macros, types, multimethods, dynamic vars, …).
-(defn- stateful-head? [head-name]
-  (or (= head-name "defmacro") (= head-name "ns")
-      (= head-name "deftype") (= head-name "defmulti") (= head-name "defmethod")
-      (= head-name "require") (= head-name "in-ns")
-      (= head-name "syntax-quote") (= head-name "set!")
-      (= head-name "var") (= head-name ".") (= head-name "new")
-      (= head-name "eval")))
-
-# Hybrid compile path: try to compile the form, fall back to the interpreter for
-# anything the compiler can't (yet) handle. Only the compile step is guarded —
-# runtime errors in compiled code propagate, so we never double-eval side effects
-# or hide real errors behind a fallback. The interpreter handles every form, so
-# the result is always correct; compilation is a transparent speedup.
-(defn- try-compile-eval [ctx form]
-  (let [compiled (protect (compile-ast form ctx))]
-    (if (compiled 0)
-      (eval-compiled (compiled 1) ctx)
-      (eval-form ctx @{} form))))
-
 (defn eval-one
-  "Evaluate a single already-parsed form, routing to the compiler when the
-  context has :compile? enabled (stateful forms always interpret; forms the
-  compiler can't handle fall back to the interpreter)."
+  "Evaluate a single already-parsed form. Routing (compile when :compile? is set,
+  stateful forms interpret, interpreter fallback for forms the compiler can't
+  handle) lives in loader/eval-toplevel so load-ns and eval-one stay in sync."
   [ctx form]
-  (if (get (ctx :env) :compile?)
-    (if (array? form)
-      (let [first-form (first form)
-            head-name (if (and (struct? first-form) (= :symbol (first-form :jolt/type)))
-                        (first-form :name) nil)]
-        (if (stateful-head? head-name)
-          (eval-form ctx @{} form)
-          (try-compile-eval ctx form)))
-      (if (or (and (struct? form) (= :symbol (form :jolt/type))) (tuple? form))
-        (try-compile-eval ctx form)
-        (eval-form ctx @{} form)))
-    (eval-form ctx @{} form)))
+  (eval-toplevel ctx form))
 
 (defn eval-string
   "Evaluate a Clojure source string in a Jolt context.
diff --git a/src/jolt/loader.janet b/src/jolt/loader.janet
index b2197a3..da48ce5 100644
--- a/src/jolt/loader.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/loader.janet
@@ -6,6 +6,47 @@
 (use ./compiler)
 (use ./evaluator)
 
+# Stateful / context-modifying forms always interpret: they mutate the context
+# (namespaces, macros, types, multimethods, dynamic vars, …) in ways the compiler
+# doesn't model. Kept here so the compile/interpret routing lives in one place,
+# used by both load-ns and the public eval-one.
+(defn- stateful-head? [head-name]
+  (or (= head-name "defmacro") (= head-name "ns")
+      (= head-name "deftype") (= head-name "defmulti") (= head-name "defmethod")
+      (= head-name "require") (= head-name "in-ns")
+      (= head-name "syntax-quote") (= head-name "set!")
+      (= head-name "var") (= head-name ".") (= head-name "new")
+      (= head-name "eval")))
+
+(defn- form-head-name [form]
+  (when (array? form)
+    (let [ff (first form)]
+      (when (and (struct? ff) (= :symbol (ff :jolt/type))) (ff :name)))))
+
+(defn eval-toplevel
+  "Evaluate one top-level form for ctx, honoring :compile?. Stateful forms always
+  interpret; otherwise the form is compiled and run, falling back to the
+  interpreter when the compiler can't handle it. Only the compile step is guarded
+  — runtime errors in compiled code propagate (no double-eval, no hidden errors)."
+  [ctx form]
+  (defn try-compile []
+    (let [compiled (protect (compile-ast form ctx))]
+      (if (compiled 0)
+        (eval-compiled (compiled 1) ctx)
+        (eval-form ctx @{} form))))
+  (if (get (ctx :env) :compile?)
+    (if (array? form)
+      # A call/list: compile it unless its head is a stateful special form.
+      (let [hn (form-head-name form)]
+        (if (and hn (stateful-head? hn))
+          (eval-form ctx @{} form)
+          (try-compile)))
+      # A bare symbol or vector literal compiles; anything else interprets.
+      (if (or (and (struct? form) (= :symbol (form :jolt/type))) (tuple? form))
+        (try-compile)
+        (eval-form ctx @{} form)))
+    (eval-form ctx @{} form)))
+
 (defn load-ns
   "Load a Clojure namespace from a .clj file.
   When ctx has :compile? enabled, forms are compiled to Janet source,
@@ -41,23 +82,17 @@
     (when (nil? ns-name)
       (error (string "No ns form found in " filepath)))
     
-    (if compile?
-      (do
-        # Compile each form and eval as Janet
-        (var cached (get cache ns-name))
-        (when (nil? cached)
-          (set cached @[])
-          (put cache ns-name cached))
-        
-        (each form forms
-          (array/push cached form)
-          (compile-and-eval form ctx))
-        ns-name)
-      # Interpreter path
-      (do
-        (each form forms
-          (eval-form ctx @{} form))
-        ns-name))))
+    # Per-form routing (compile-or-interpret, stateful forms interpret) is shared
+    # with eval-one via eval-toplevel. When compiling, also record the forms so a
+    # namespace can be inspected / re-emitted.
+    (when compile?
+      (var cached (get cache ns-name))
+      (when (nil? cached)
+        (set cached @[])
+        (put cache ns-name cached))
+      (each form forms (array/push cached form)))
+    (each form forms (eval-toplevel ctx form))
+    ns-name))
 
 (defn compiled?
   "Check if a namespace has been compiled and cached."