diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/return.v b/vlib/v/checker/return.v
index dcc9431961..592d62a6ac 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/return.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/return.v
@@ -171,8 +171,8 @@ fn (mut c Checker) return_stmt(mut node ast.Return) {
 			}
 		}
 		got_type := c.unwrap_generic(got_types[i])
-		if got_type.has_flag(.option)
-			&& got_type.clear_flag(.option) != exp_type.clear_flag(.option) {
+		if got_type.has_flag(.option) && (!exp_type.has_flag(.option)
+			|| got_type.clear_flag(.option) != exp_type.clear_flag(.option)) {
 			pos := node.exprs[expr_idxs[i]].pos()
 			c.error('cannot use `${c.table.type_to_str(got_type)}` as ${c.error_type_name(exp_type)} in return argument',
 				pos)
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/fn_mismatch_option_return_err.out b/vlib/v/checker/tests/fn_mismatch_option_return_err.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2845ea5423
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/fn_mismatch_option_return_err.out
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+vlib/v/checker/tests/fn_mismatch_option_return_err.vv:4:15: error: cannot use `?time.Duration` as type `time.Duration` in return argument
+    2 | 
+    3 | fn foo() time.Duration {
+    4 |     return ?time.Duration(0)
+      |                  ~~~~~~~~~~~
+    5 | }
+    6 |
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/fn_mismatch_option_return_err.vv b/vlib/v/checker/tests/fn_mismatch_option_return_err.vv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1217d6d449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/fn_mismatch_option_return_err.vv
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import time
+
+fn foo() time.Duration {
+	return ?time.Duration(0)
+}
+
+println(foo())
\ No newline at end of file