diff --git a/src/Stmt.h b/src/Stmt.h
index d79a8631fb..2a439ccaa8 100644
--- a/src/Stmt.h
+++ b/src/Stmt.h
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ public:
     StmtPtr DoReduce(Reducer* c) override;
 
     bool NoFlowAfter(bool ignore_break) const override;
+    bool CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const override;
 
 protected:
     ValPtr DoExec(Frame* f, Val* v, StmtFlowType& flow) override;
@@ -182,6 +183,7 @@ public:
     StmtPtr DoReduce(Reducer* c) override;
 
     bool NoFlowAfter(bool ignore_break) const override;
+    bool CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const override;
 
 protected:
     friend class ZAMCompiler;
@@ -301,6 +303,8 @@ public:
 
     // Note, no need for a NoFlowAfter method because the loop might
     // execute zero times, so it's always the default of "false".
+    // However, we do need to check for potential returns.
+    bool CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const override;
 
 protected:
     ValPtr Exec(Frame* f, StmtFlowType& flow) override;
@@ -350,6 +354,8 @@ public:
 
     // Note, no need for a NoFlowAfter method because the loop might
     // execute zero times, so it's always the default of "false".
+    // However, we do need to check for potential returns.
+    bool CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const override;
 
 protected:
     ValPtr DoExec(Frame* f, Val* v, StmtFlowType& flow) override;
@@ -395,6 +401,7 @@ public:
     StmtPtr Duplicate() override { return SetSucc(new BreakStmt()); }
 
     bool NoFlowAfter(bool ignore_break) const override { return ! ignore_break; }
+    bool CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const override { return ! ignore_break; }
 
 protected:
 };
@@ -436,6 +443,7 @@ public:
     StmtPtr DoReduce(Reducer* c) override;
 
     bool NoFlowAfter(bool ignore_break) const override { return true; }
+    bool CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const override { return true; }
 };
 
 class StmtList : public Stmt {
@@ -460,6 +468,7 @@ public:
     StmtPtr DoReduce(Reducer* c) override;
 
     bool NoFlowAfter(bool ignore_break) const override;
+    bool CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const override;
 
     // Idioms commonly used in reduction.
     StmtList(StmtPtr s1, StmtPtr s2);
@@ -725,7 +734,7 @@ public:
 
     // Note, no need for a NoFlowAfter() method because anything that
     // has "NoFlowAfter" inside the body still gets caught and we
-    // continue afterwards.
+    // continue afterwards.  Same goes for CouldReturn().
 
     StmtPtr Duplicate() override;
 
diff --git a/src/StmtBase.h b/src/StmtBase.h
index 46ff718d07..db47926c6f 100644
--- a/src/StmtBase.h
+++ b/src/StmtBase.h
@@ -138,6 +138,12 @@ public:
     // in that case, they do lead to flow reaching the end.
     virtual bool NoFlowAfter(bool ignore_break) const { return false; }
 
+    // True if the statement could potentially execute a return. This is
+    // used by script optimization to track confluence inside catch-return
+    // blocks. Here, ignore_break is false if we're analyzing a coalesced
+    // hook body.
+    virtual bool CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const { return false; }
+
     // Access to the original statement from which this one is derived,
     // or this one if we don't have an original.  Returns a bare pointer
     // rather than a StmtPtr to emphasize that the access is read-only.
diff --git a/src/script_opt/Stmt.cc b/src/script_opt/Stmt.cc
index 73f14649f9..9753943998 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/Stmt.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/Stmt.cc
@@ -273,6 +273,10 @@ bool IfStmt::NoFlowAfter(bool ignore_break) const {
     return false;
 }
 
+bool IfStmt::CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const {
+    return (s1 && s1->CouldReturn(ignore_break)) || (s2 && s2->CouldReturn(ignore_break));
+}
+
 IntrusivePtr<Case> Case::Duplicate() {
     if ( expr_cases ) {
         auto new_exprs = expr_cases->Duplicate()->AsListExprPtr();
@@ -404,6 +408,14 @@ bool SwitchStmt::NoFlowAfter(bool ignore_break) const {
     return default_seen_with_no_flow_after;
 }
 
+bool SwitchStmt::CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const {
+    for ( const auto& c : *Cases() )
+        if ( c->Body()->CouldReturn(true) )
+            return true;
+
+    return false;
+}
+
 bool AddDelStmt::IsReduced(Reducer* c) const { return e->HasReducedOps(c); }
 
 StmtPtr AddDelStmt::DoReduce(Reducer* c) {
@@ -499,6 +511,8 @@ StmtPtr WhileStmt::DoReduce(Reducer* c) {
     return ThisPtr();
 }
 
+bool WhileStmt::CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const { return body->CouldReturn(false); }
+
 StmtPtr ForStmt::Duplicate() {
     auto expr_copy = e->Duplicate();
 
@@ -568,6 +582,8 @@ StmtPtr ForStmt::DoReduce(Reducer* c) {
     return ThisPtr();
 }
 
+bool ForStmt::CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const { return body->CouldReturn(false); }
+
 StmtPtr ReturnStmt::Duplicate() { return SetSucc(new ReturnStmt(e ? e->Duplicate() : nullptr, true)); }
 
 ReturnStmt::ReturnStmt(ExprPtr arg_e, bool ignored) : ExprStmt(STMT_RETURN, std::move(arg_e)) {}
@@ -784,6 +800,14 @@ bool StmtList::NoFlowAfter(bool ignore_break) const {
     return false;
 }
 
+bool StmtList::CouldReturn(bool ignore_break) const {
+    for ( auto& s : stmts )
+        if ( s->CouldReturn(ignore_break) )
+            return true;
+
+    return false;
+}
+
 StmtPtr InitStmt::Duplicate() {
     // Need to duplicate the initializer list since later reductions
     // can modify it in place.