diff --git a/centvrion/ast_nodes.py b/centvrion/ast_nodes.py
index 6d90aaa..6c27c26 100644
--- a/centvrion/ast_nodes.py
+++ b/centvrion/ast_nodes.py
@@ -1287,10 +1287,6 @@ class PerStatement(Node):
   def __eq__(self, other):
     return type(self) == type(other) and self.data_list == other.data_list and self.variable_name == other.variable_name and self.statements == other.statements
 
-  @property
-  def destructure(self):
-    return isinstance(self.variable_name, list)
-
   def __repr__(self) -> str:
     test = repr(self.data_list)
     variable_name = repr(self.variable_name)
@@ -1299,25 +1295,21 @@ class PerStatement(Node):
     return f"Per({dum_string})"
 
   def print(self):
-    body = "\n".join(s.print() for s in self.statements)
-    if self.destructure:
-      var_str = ", ".join(v.print() for v in self.variable_name)
+    # Re-sugar the parse-time destructure rewrite back into `PER a, b IN ...`
+    # so the printed source round-trips through the lexer (which rejects `#`).
+    if (isinstance(self.variable_name, ID)
+        and self.variable_name.name == "#per_item"
+        and self.statements
+        and isinstance(self.statements[0], DesignaDestructure)
+        and isinstance(self.statements[0].value, ID)
+        and self.statements[0].value.name == "#per_item"):
+      var_str = ", ".join(i.print() for i in self.statements[0].ids)
+      body = "\n".join(s.print() for s in self.statements[1:])
     else:
       var_str = self.variable_name.print()
+      body = "\n".join(s.print() for s in self.statements)
     return f"PER {var_str} IN {self.data_list.print()} FAC {{\n{body}\n}}"
 
-  def _assign_loop_var(self, vtable, item):
-    if self.destructure:
-      if not isinstance(item, ValList):
-        raise CentvrionError("Cannot destructure non-array value in PER loop")
-      if len(item.value()) != len(self.variable_name):
-        raise CentvrionError(
-          f"Destructuring mismatch: {len(self.variable_name)} targets, {len(item.value())} values")
-      for id_node, val in zip(self.variable_name, item.value()):
-        vtable[id_node.name] = val
-    else:
-      vtable[self.variable_name.name] = item
-
   def _eval(self, vtable):
     vtable, array = self.data_list.eval(vtable)
     if isinstance(array, ValDict):
@@ -1327,7 +1319,7 @@ class PerStatement(Node):
       raise CentvrionError("PER requires an array or dict")
     last_val = ValNul()
     for item in array:
-      self._assign_loop_var(vtable, item)
+      vtable[self.variable_name.name] = item
       for statement in self.statements:
         vtable, val = statement.eval(vtable)
         if vtable["#break"] or vtable["#continue"] or vtable["#return"] is not None:
diff --git a/centvrion/compiler/emit_stmt.py b/centvrion/compiler/emit_stmt.py
index 59e27f0..b03ae81 100644
--- a/centvrion/compiler/emit_stmt.py
+++ b/centvrion/compiler/emit_stmt.py
@@ -90,43 +90,22 @@ def _emit_stmt_body(node, ctx):
     arr_lines, arr_var = emit_expr(node.data_list, ctx)
     i_var = ctx.fresh_tmp()
     body_lines = _emit_body(node.statements, ctx)
-
-    if node.destructure:
-      # Destructuring PER — each element must be a list
-      elem_var = ctx.fresh_tmp()
-      assign_lines = [
-        f"CentValue {elem_var} = {arr_var}.lval.items[{i_var}];",
-        f'if ({elem_var}.type != CENT_LIST) cent_type_error("Cannot destructure non-array value in PER loop");',
-        f'if ({elem_var}.lval.len != {len(node.variable_name)}) cent_runtime_error("Destructuring mismatch");',
-      ]
-      for j, id_node in enumerate(node.variable_name):
-        tmp = ctx.fresh_tmp()
-        assign_lines.append(f"CentValue {tmp} = cent_list_index({elem_var}, cent_int({j + 1}));")
-        assign_lines.append(f'cent_scope_set(&_scope, "{id_node.name}", {tmp});')
-      lines = arr_lines + [
-        f'if ({arr_var}.type != CENT_LIST) cent_type_error("PER requires an array");',
-        f"for (int {i_var} = 0; {i_var} < {arr_var}.lval.len; {i_var}++) {{",
-      ]
-      lines += [f"  {l}" for l in assign_lines]
-      lines += [f"  {l}" for l in body_lines]
-      lines += ["}"]
-    else:
-      var_name = node.variable_name.name
-      lines = arr_lines + [
-        f"if ({arr_var}.type == CENT_DICT) {{",
-        f"  for (int {i_var} = 0; {i_var} < {arr_var}.dval.len; {i_var}++) {{",
-        f'    cent_scope_set(&_scope, "{var_name}", {arr_var}.dval.keys[{i_var}]);',
-      ]
-      lines += [f"    {l}" for l in body_lines]
-      lines += [
-        "  }",
-        "} else {",
-        f'  if ({arr_var}.type != CENT_LIST) cent_type_error("PER requires an array or dict");',
-        f"  for (int {i_var} = 0; {i_var} < {arr_var}.lval.len; {i_var}++) {{",
-        f'    cent_scope_set(&_scope, "{var_name}", {arr_var}.lval.items[{i_var}]);',
-      ]
-      lines += [f"    {l}" for l in body_lines]
-      lines += ["  }", "}"]
+    var_name = node.variable_name.name
+    lines = arr_lines + [
+      f"if ({arr_var}.type == CENT_DICT) {{",
+      f"  for (int {i_var} = 0; {i_var} < {arr_var}.dval.len; {i_var}++) {{",
+      f'    cent_scope_set(&_scope, "{var_name}", {arr_var}.dval.keys[{i_var}]);',
+    ]
+    lines += [f"    {l}" for l in body_lines]
+    lines += [
+      "  }",
+      "} else {",
+      f'  if ({arr_var}.type != CENT_LIST) cent_type_error("PER requires an array or dict");',
+      f"  for (int {i_var} = 0; {i_var} < {arr_var}.lval.len; {i_var}++) {{",
+      f'    cent_scope_set(&_scope, "{var_name}", {arr_var}.lval.items[{i_var}]);',
+    ]
+    lines += [f"    {l}" for l in body_lines]
+    lines += ["  }", "}"]
     return lines
 
   if isinstance(node, Defini):
diff --git a/centvrion/parser.py b/centvrion/parser.py
index 2bb1b02..d2dd094 100644
--- a/centvrion/parser.py
+++ b/centvrion/parser.py
@@ -284,7 +284,11 @@ class Parser():
 
     @self.pg.production('per_statement : KEYWORD_PER id SYMBOL_COMMA id_list_rest KEYWORD_IN expression KEYWORD_FAC SYMBOL_LCURL statements SYMBOL_RCURL')
     def per_destructure(tokens):
-      return _at(ast_nodes.PerStatement(tokens[5], [tokens[1]] + tokens[3], tokens[8]), tokens[0])
+      ids = [tokens[1]] + tokens[3]
+      sentinel = ast_nodes.ID("#per_item")
+      destructure = _at(ast_nodes.DesignaDestructure(ids, sentinel), tokens[0])
+      body = [destructure] + tokens[8]
+      return _at(ast_nodes.PerStatement(tokens[5], sentinel, body), tokens[0])
 
     @self.pg.production('per_statement : KEYWORD_PER id KEYWORD_IN expression KEYWORD_FAC SYMBOL_LCURL statements SYMBOL_RCURL')
     def per(tokens):
diff --git a/tests/02_test_con_flow.py b/tests/02_test_con_flow.py
index 84b890f..7cb2ef8 100644
--- a/tests/02_test_con_flow.py
+++ b/tests/02_test_con_flow.py
@@ -138,15 +138,21 @@ control_tests = [
   ("PER a, b IN [[I, II], [III, IV]] FAC { DIC(a + b) }",
     Program([], [PerStatement(
       DataArray([DataArray([Numeral("I"), Numeral("II")]), DataArray([Numeral("III"), Numeral("IV")])]),
-      [ID("a"), ID("b")],
-      [ExpressionStatement(BuiltIn("DIC", [BinOp(ID("a"), ID("b"), "SYMBOL_PLUS")]))])]),
+      ID("#per_item"),
+      [
+        DesignaDestructure([ID("a"), ID("b")], ID("#per_item")),
+        ExpressionStatement(BuiltIn("DIC", [BinOp(ID("a"), ID("b"), "SYMBOL_PLUS")])),
+      ])]),
     ValStr("VII"), "III\nVII\n"),
   # PER destructuring: three variables
   ("PER a, b, c IN [[I, II, III]] FAC { DIC(a + b + c) }",
     Program([], [PerStatement(
       DataArray([DataArray([Numeral("I"), Numeral("II"), Numeral("III")])]),
-      [ID("a"), ID("b"), ID("c")],
-      [ExpressionStatement(BuiltIn("DIC", [BinOp(BinOp(ID("a"), ID("b"), "SYMBOL_PLUS"), ID("c"), "SYMBOL_PLUS")]))])]),
+      ID("#per_item"),
+      [
+        DesignaDestructure([ID("a"), ID("b"), ID("c")], ID("#per_item")),
+        ExpressionStatement(BuiltIn("DIC", [BinOp(BinOp(ID("a"), ID("b"), "SYMBOL_PLUS"), ID("c"), "SYMBOL_PLUS")])),
+      ])]),
     ValStr("VI"), "VI\n"),
 ]
 
@@ -287,8 +293,9 @@ loop_edge_tests = [
       Designa(ID("r"), Numeral("I")),
       PerStatement(
         DataArray([DataArray([Numeral("I"), Numeral("II")]), DataArray([Numeral("III"), Numeral("IV")]), DataArray([Numeral("V"), Numeral("VI")])]),
-        [ID("a"), ID("b")],
-        [SiStatement(BinOp(ID("a"), Numeral("III"), "KEYWORD_EST"), [Erumpe()], None),
+        ID("#per_item"),
+        [DesignaDestructure([ID("a"), ID("b")], ID("#per_item")),
+         SiStatement(BinOp(ID("a"), Numeral("III"), "KEYWORD_EST"), [Erumpe()], None),
          Designa(ID("r"), BinOp(BinOp(ID("r"), ID("a"), "SYMBOL_PLUS"), ID("b"), "SYMBOL_PLUS"))],
       ),
       ExpressionStatement(ID("r")),
@@ -300,8 +307,9 @@ loop_edge_tests = [
       Defini(ID("f"), [],
         [PerStatement(
           DataArray([DataArray([Numeral("I"), Numeral("II")]), DataArray([Numeral("III"), Numeral("IV")])]),
-          [ID("a"), ID("b")],
-          [SiStatement(BinOp(ID("a"), Numeral("III"), "KEYWORD_EST"), [Redi([ID("b")])], None)],
+          ID("#per_item"),
+          [DesignaDestructure([ID("a"), ID("b")], ID("#per_item")),
+           SiStatement(BinOp(ID("a"), Numeral("III"), "KEYWORD_EST"), [Redi([ID("b")])], None)],
         )]),
       ExpressionStatement(Invoca(ID("f"), [])),
     ]),