diff --git a/include/chaiscript/language/chaiscript_parser.hpp b/include/chaiscript/language/chaiscript_parser.hpp
index edfc0e06..be2a7525 100644
--- a/include/chaiscript/language/chaiscript_parser.hpp
+++ b/include/chaiscript/language/chaiscript_parser.hpp
@@ -2282,7 +2282,7 @@ namespace chaiscript {
         const auto prev_stack_top = m_match_stack.size();
 
         if (Keyword("return")) {
-          Operator();
+          Equation();
           build_match<eval::Return_AST_Node<Tracer>>(prev_stack_top);
           return true;
         } else {
diff --git a/unittests/return_assignment.chai b/unittests/return_assignment.chai
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..02a008d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unittests/return_assignment.chai
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// Test that assignment expressions work inside return statements
+// Issue #473: `return foo = 5` should work
+
+def return_assign() {
+  var x = 0
+  return x = 5
+}
+
+assert_equal(5, return_assign())
+
+def return_member_assign() {
+  var o = Dynamic_Object()
+  return o.value = 42
+}
+
+assert_equal(42, return_member_assign())