diff --git a/compiler/parse.c b/compiler/parse.c
index 1bd8a36..e50528f 100644
--- a/compiler/parse.c
+++ b/compiler/parse.c
@@ -422,29 +422,28 @@ while_stmt(ParserState *ps)
 static Ast *
 atom(ParserState *ps)
 {
-	Ast *tree = make_tree(AST_INVALID, ps->lexer->cur_loc);
+	Ast *tree = nil;
 	LexToken t = lex_scan(ps->lexer);
 	LexToken next;
 
 	switch (t.id) {
 	case T_NUMBER:
-		tree->type = AST_NUMBER;
+		tree = make_tree(AST_NUMBER, ps->lexer->cur_loc);
 		tree->number.n = t.inumber;
 		trace("number in atom: %lu\n", t.inumber);
 		return tree;
 	case T_STRING:
-		tree->type = AST_STRLIT;
+		tree = make_tree(AST_STRLIT, ps->lexer->cur_loc);
 		tree->strlit = t.str;
 		return tree;
 	case T_IDENT:
 		next = lex_scan(ps->lexer);
 		/* It is a plain symbol or a function call? */
 		if (next.id == T_LPAREN) {
-			free(tree);
 			tree = function_call(ps, t.ident, true);
 		} else {
 			lex_backup(ps->lexer, next);
-			tree->type = AST_IDENT;
+			tree = make_tree(AST_IDENT, ps->lexer->cur_loc);
 			tree->ident = t.ident;
 		}
 		return tree;
@@ -454,7 +453,6 @@ atom(ParserState *ps)
 		return tree;
 	default:
 		parse_error(ps, "expected a number, identifier or expression, not '%s'", TokenIdStr[t.id]);
-		free(tree);
 	}
 	return nil;
 }