--- a/src/ov-struct.cc
+++ b/src/ov-struct.cc
@@ -97,11 +97,12 @@
   error ("assignment to structure element failed");
 }
 
-octave_value
+octave_value_list
 octave_struct::subsref (const std::string& type,
-			const std::list<octave_value_list>& idx)
+			const std::list<octave_value_list>& idx,
+			int nargout)
 {
-  octave_value retval;
+  octave_value_list retval;
 
   int skip = 1;
 
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@
 	      {
 		Cell t = tmp.index (idx.front ());
 
-		retval = (t.length () == 1) ? t(0) : octave_value (t, true);
+		retval(0) = (t.length () == 1) ? t(0) : octave_value (t, true);
 
 		// We handled two index elements, so tell
 		// next_subsref to skip both of them.
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@
 	      }
 	  }
 	else
-	  retval = map.index (idx.front ());
+	  retval(0) = map.index (idx.front ());
       }
       break;
 
@@ -137,7 +138,7 @@
       {
 	Cell t = dotref (idx.front ());
 
-	retval = (t.length () == 1) ? t(0) : octave_value (t, true);
+	retval(0) = (t.length () == 1) ? t(0) : octave_value (t, true);
       }
       break;
 
@@ -149,8 +150,12 @@
       panic_impossible ();
     }
 
-  if (! error_state)
-    retval = retval.next_subsref (type, idx, skip);
+  // XXX FIXME XXX -- perhaps there should be an
+  // octave_value_list::next_subsref member function?  See also
+  // octave_user_function::subsref.
+
+  if (idx.size () > 1)
+    retval = retval(0).next_subsref (nargout, type, idx);
 
   return retval;
 }