diff --git a/src/AstGen.zig b/src/AstGen.zig
index e2cdffc014..f62a8f18ab 100644
--- a/src/AstGen.zig
+++ b/src/AstGen.zig
@@ -4604,7 +4604,7 @@ fn tryExpr(
     const astgen = parent_gz.astgen;
 
     const fn_block = astgen.fn_block orelse {
-        return astgen.failNode(node, "invalid 'try' outside function scope", .{});
+        return astgen.failNode(node, "'try' outside function scope", .{});
     };
 
     if (parent_gz.in_defer) return astgen.failNode(node, "'try' not allowed inside defer expression", .{});
@@ -6167,6 +6167,10 @@ fn ret(gz: *GenZir, scope: *Scope, node: ast.Node.Index) InnerError!Zir.Inst.Ref
     const node_datas = tree.nodes.items(.data);
     const node_tags = tree.nodes.items(.tag);
 
+    if (astgen.fn_block == null) {
+        return astgen.failNode(node, "'return' outside function scope", .{});
+    }
+
     if (gz.in_defer) return astgen.failNode(node, "cannot return from defer expression", .{});
 
     const defer_outer = &astgen.fn_block.?.base;
diff --git a/test/cases.zig b/test/cases.zig
index ef8c1fd24f..fe1579be44 100644
--- a/test/cases.zig
+++ b/test/cases.zig
@@ -904,7 +904,7 @@ pub fn addCases(ctx: *TestContext) !void {
             \\    _ = S;
             \\}
         ,
-            &.{":4:13: error: invalid 'try' outside function scope"},
+            &.{":4:13: error: 'try' outside function scope"},
         );
     }
     {
diff --git a/test/compile_errors.zig b/test/compile_errors.zig
index 6ce1774ecf..6075eee33a 100644
--- a/test/compile_errors.zig
+++ b/test/compile_errors.zig
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ const std = @import("std");
 const TestContext = @import("../src/test.zig").TestContext;
 
 pub fn addCases(ctx: *TestContext) !void {
+    ctx.objErrStage1("issue #9346: return outside of function scope",
+        \\pub const empty = return 1;
+    , &.{"tmp.zig:1:19: error: 'return' outside function scope"});
+
     ctx.exeErrStage1("std.fmt error for unused arguments",
         \\pub fn main() !void {
         \\    @import("std").debug.print("{d} {d} {d} {d} {d}", .{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15});