diff --git a/moonscript/compile.lua b/moonscript/compile.lua
index 379c9c9..e5515a5 100644
--- a/moonscript/compile.lua
+++ b/moonscript/compile.lua
@@ -150,38 +150,30 @@ end
 do
   local _base_0 = {
     pos = nil,
-    _append_single = function(self, item)
-      if Line == mtype(item) then
-        if not (self.pos) then
-          self.pos = item.pos
-        end
-        for _index_0 = 1, #item do
-          local value = item[_index_0]
-          self:_append_single(value)
-        end
-      else
-        insert(self, item)
-      end
-      return nil
-    end,
     append_list = function(self, items, delim)
       for i = 1, #items do
-        self:_append_single(items[i])
+        self:append(items[i])
         if i < #items then
           insert(self, delim)
         end
       end
       return nil
     end,
-    append = function(self, ...)
-      local _list_0 = {
-        ...
-      }
-      for _index_0 = 1, #_list_0 do
-        local item = _list_0[_index_0]
-        self:_append_single(item)
+    append = function(self, first, ...)
+      if Line == mtype(first) then
+        if not (self.pos) then
+          self.pos = first.pos
+        end
+        for _index_0 = 1, #first do
+          local value = first[_index_0]
+          self:append(value)
+        end
+      else
+        insert(self, first)
+      end
+      if ... then
+        return self:append(...)
       end
-      return nil
     end,
     render = function(self, buffer)
       local current = { }
@@ -209,7 +201,7 @@ do
           insert(current, chunk)
         end
       end
-      if #current > 0 then
+      if current[1] then
         add_current()
       end
       return buffer
diff --git a/moonscript/compile.moon b/moonscript/compile.moon
index af7242e..c8b3a54 100644
--- a/moonscript/compile.moon
+++ b/moonscript/compile.moon
@@ -97,24 +97,22 @@ class Lines
 class Line
   pos: nil
 
-  _append_single: (item) =>
-    if Line == mtype item
-      -- print "appending line to line", item.pos, item
-      @pos = item.pos unless @pos -- bubble pos if there isn't one
-      @_append_single value for value in *item
-    else
-      insert self, item
-    nil
-
   append_list: (items, delim) =>
     for i = 1,#items
-      @_append_single items[i]
+      @append items[i]
       if i < #items then insert self, delim
     nil
 
-  append: (...) =>
-    @_append_single item for item in *{...}
-    nil
+  append: (first, ...) =>
+    if Line == mtype first
+      -- print "appending line to line", first.pos, first
+      @pos = first.pos unless @pos -- bubble pos if there isn't one
+      @append value for value in *first
+    else
+      insert self, first
+
+    if ...
+      @append ...
 
   -- todo: try to remove concats from here
   render: (buffer) =>
@@ -137,7 +135,7 @@ class Line
         else
           insert current, chunk
 
-    if #current > 0
+    if current[1]
       add_current!
 
     buffer