diff --git a/docs/TODO.txt b/docs/TODO.txt
index 409ceb3..1be5078 100644
--- a/docs/TODO.txt
+++ b/docs/TODO.txt
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ DONE: closures are explicitly supported
 DONE: functions are first-class citizens
 DONE: functions take a set number of parameters
 DONE: functions last argument can be a rest parameter
+DONE: assert needs to kill the whole script, not just functions
 
 
 TODO: functions return a set number of values
-TODO: assert needs to kill the whole script, not just functions
 
 TODO: ternary operator
 TODO: Nullish types
diff --git a/scripts/error-test.toy b/scripts/error-test.toy
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/source/interpreter.c b/source/interpreter.c
index 0166725..cc9ec78 100644
--- a/source/interpreter.c
+++ b/source/interpreter.c
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ void initInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter) {
 
 	setInterpreterPrint(interpreter, stdoutWrapper);
 	setInterpreterAssert(interpreter, stderrWrapper);
+
+	interpreter->panic = false;
 }
 
 void freeInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter) {
@@ -139,6 +141,7 @@ static bool execAssert(Interpreter* interpreter) {
 
 	if (IS_NULL(lhs) || !IS_TRUTHY(lhs)) {
 		(*interpreter->assertOutput)(AS_STRING(rhs));
+		interpreter->panic = true;
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -858,6 +861,9 @@ static bool execFnCall(Interpreter* interpreter) {
 	//execute the interpreter
 	execInterpreter(&inner);
 
+	//adopt the panic state
+	interpreter->panic = inner.panic;
+
 	//accept the stack as the results
 	LiteralArray returns;
 	initLiteralArray(&returns);
@@ -936,7 +942,7 @@ static void execInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter) {
 
 	unsigned char opcode = readByte(interpreter->bytecode, &interpreter->count);
 
-	while(opcode != OP_EOF && opcode != OP_SECTION_END) {
+	while(opcode != OP_EOF && opcode != OP_SECTION_END && !interpreter->panic) {
 		switch(opcode) {
 			case OP_ASSERT:
 				if (!execAssert(interpreter)) {
diff --git a/source/interpreter.h b/source/interpreter.h
index ebdc6cd..020e55b 100644
--- a/source/interpreter.h
+++ b/source/interpreter.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ typedef struct Interpreter {
 	// LiteralDictionary exports; //TODO: read-write - interface with Toy from C
 	PrintFn printOutput;
 	PrintFn assertOutput;
+
+	bool panic;
 } Interpreter;
 
 void initInterpreter(Interpreter* interpreter);
diff --git a/test/panic-within-functions.toy b/test/panic-within-functions.toy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c369df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/panic-within-functions.toy
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+
+
+fn panic() {
+	assert false, "This should only be seen once";
+}
+
+panic();
+panic();