diff --git a/cig.h b/cig.h
index 306086b..073e45c 100644
--- a/cig.h
+++ b/cig.h
@@ -293,15 +293,8 @@ typedef union scan_value {
 	char *string_literal;
 } scan_value_t;
 
-typedef enum scan_result_type {
-	scan_result_type_value,
-	scan_result_type_error,
-	scan_result_type_none,
-	count_scan_result_type
-} scan_result_type_t;
-
 typedef struct scan_result {
-	scan_result_type_t type;
+	bool ok;
 	union {
 		scan_value_t value;
 		scan_error_t error;
@@ -317,8 +310,12 @@ typedef struct scanner {
 
 scanner_t make_scanner(char const *name, char const *buffer, allocator_t allocator);
 void scanner_recover(scanner_t *s);
-scan_result_t scanner_error(scanner_t *s, char const *message);
-void scanner_error_and_recover(scanner_t *s, char const *message);
+scan_result_t scan_error(scanner_t *s, char const *message);
+
+scan_result_t scan_value_func(scan_value_t value);
+#define scan_value(arg) scan_value_func((scan_value_t){arg})
+
+scan_result_t scan_error_and_recover(scanner_t *s, char const *message);
 bool scan_eof(scanner_t *s);
 bool scan_literal(scanner_t *s, char const *lit);
 int scan_repeat_literal(scanner_t *s, char const *lit);
diff --git a/scanner.c b/scanner.c
index 953202f..a9b4f95 100644
--- a/scanner.c
+++ b/scanner.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ void scanner_recover(scanner_t *s) {
 		s->cur++;  // move *past* the newline
 }
 
-scan_result_t scanner_error(scanner_t *s, char const * message) {
+scan_result_t scan_error(scanner_t *s, char const * message) {
 	char const *error_pos = s->cur; // use current scanner position
 	// Compute line + column (1-based)
 	int line = 1, column = 1;
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ scan_result_t scanner_error(scanner_t *s, char const * message) {
 	}
 
 	return (scan_result_t) {
-		.type=scan_result_type_error,
+		.ok=false,
 		.error=(scan_error_t) {
 			.message=message,
 			.buffer_name=s->name,
@@ -43,9 +43,17 @@ scan_result_t scanner_error(scanner_t *s, char const * message) {
 
 }
 
-void scanner_error_and_recover(scanner_t *s, char const *message) {
-	scanner_error(s, message);
+scan_result_t scan_value_func(scan_value_t value) {
+	return (scan_result_t) {
+		.ok=true,
+		.value=value,
+	};
+}
+
+scan_result_t scan_error_and_recover(scanner_t *s, char const *message) {
+	scan_result_t result = scan_error(s, message);
 	scanner_recover(s);
+	return result;
 }
 
 bool scan_eof(scanner_t *s) {
@@ -81,16 +89,9 @@ bool scan_whitespace(scanner_t *s) {
 
 scan_result_t scan_digit(scanner_t *s) {
 	if (!isdigit((unsigned char)*s->cur)) {
-		return (scan_result_t){
-			.type=scan_result_type_none,
-		};
+		return scan_error(s, "not a digit");
 	}
-	scan_result_t ret = (scan_result_t){
-		.type=scan_result_type_value,
-		.value=(scan_value_t){
-			.digit=(*s->cur) - '0'
-		}
-	};
+	scan_result_t ret = scan_value(.digit=(*s->cur) - '0');
 	s->cur++;
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -100,10 +101,7 @@ scan_result_t scan_i64(scanner_t *s) {
 	if (*s->cur == '-' || *s->cur == '+') s->cur++;
 	if (!isdigit((unsigned char)*s->cur)) {
 		s->cur = save;
-		return (scan_result_t) {
-			.type=scan_result_type_none,
-		};
-		// TODO: make macros for each of the scan_result_t types.
+		return scan_error(s, "not an i64");
 	}
 	s->cur = save;
 	char *end;
@@ -111,58 +109,52 @@ scan_result_t scan_i64(scanner_t *s) {
 	int64_t val = strtoll(s->cur, &end, 10);
 	if (end == s->cur) {
 		s->cur = save;
-		return (scan_result_t){
-			.type=scan_result_type_none,
-		};
+		return scan_error(s, "not an i64");
 	}
 	if (errno == ERANGE) {
-		return scanner_error(s, "integer does not fit in i64 value");
+		return scan_error(s, "integer does not fit in i64 value");
 	}
 	s->cur = end;
-	s->value.i64 = val;
-	return true;
+	return scan_value(.i64=val);
 }
 
-bool scan_i32(scanner_t *s) {
-	if (!scan_i64(s)) {
-		return false;
+scan_result_t scan_i32(scanner_t *s) {
+	scan_result_t result = scan_i64(s);
+	if (!result.ok) {
+		return result;
 	}
-	int32_t val = (int32_t)s->value.i64;
+	int32_t val = (int32_t)result.value.i64;
 	int64_t back = (int64_t)val;
-	if (back != s->value.i64) {
-		scanner_error(s, "int does not fit in i32 value");
-		return false;
+	if (back != result.value.i64) {
+		return scan_error(s, "int does not fit in i32 value");
 	}
-	s->value.i32 = val;
-	return true;
+	return scan_value(val);
 }
 
-bool scan_i16(scanner_t *s) {
-	if (!scan_i64(s)) {
-		return false;
+scan_result_t scan_i16(scanner_t *s) {
+	scan_result_t result = scan_i64(s);
+	if (!result.ok) {
+		return result;
 	}
-	int16_t val = (int16_t)s->value.i64;
+	int16_t val = (int16_t)result.value.i64;
 	int64_t back = (int64_t)val;
-	if (back != s->value.i64) {
-		scanner_error(s, "int does not fit in i16 value");
-		return false;
+	if (back != result.value.i64) {
+		return scan_error(s, "int does not fit in i16 value");
 	}
-	s->value.i16 = val;
-	return true;
+	return scan_value(val);
 }
 
-bool scan_i8(scanner_t *s) {
-	if (!scan_i64(s)) {
-		return false;
+scan_result_t scan_i8(scanner_t *s) {
+	scan_result_t result = scan_i64(s);
+	if (!result.ok) {
+		return result;
 	}
-	int8_t val = (int8_t)s->value.i64;
+	int8_t val = (int8_t)result.value.i64;
 	int64_t back = (int64_t)val;
-	if (back != s->value.i64) {
-		scanner_error(s, "int does not fit in i8 value");
-		return false;
+	if (back != result.value.i64) {
+		return scan_error(s, "int does not fit in i8 value");
 	}
-	s->value.i8 = val;
-	return true;
+	return scan_value(val);
 }
 
 bool scan_u64(scanner_t *s) {