diff --git a/src/analyses/flow_insensitive_analysis.cpp b/src/analyses/flow_insensitive_analysis.cpp
index c86c2212227..593a65a8732 100644
--- a/src/analyses/flow_insensitive_analysis.cpp
+++ b/src/analyses/flow_insensitive_analysis.cpp
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ bool flow_insensitive_analysis_baset::do_function_call(
     goto_programt temp;
 
     goto_programt::targett r =
-      temp.add(goto_programt::make_return(code_returnt(side_effect_expr_nondett(
-        l_call->call_lhs().type(), l_call->source_location()))));
+      temp.add(goto_programt::make_set_return_value(side_effect_expr_nondett(
+        l_call->call_lhs().type(), l_call->source_location())));
     r->location_number=0;
 
     goto_programt::targett t = temp.add(goto_programt::make_end_function());
diff --git a/src/goto-instrument/contracts/contracts.cpp b/src/goto-instrument/contracts/contracts.cpp
index ce88275457b..9ce1c1d33d1 100644
--- a/src/goto-instrument/contracts/contracts.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-instrument/contracts/contracts.cpp
@@ -1178,8 +1178,8 @@ void code_contractst::add_contract_check(
 
   if(code_type.return_type() != empty_typet())
   {
-    check.add(
-      goto_programt::make_return(return_stmt.value(), skip->source_location()));
+    check.add(goto_programt::make_set_return_value(
+      return_stmt.value().return_value(), skip->source_location()));
   }
 
   // prepend the new code to dest
diff --git a/src/goto-instrument/generate_function_bodies.cpp b/src/goto-instrument/generate_function_bodies.cpp
index d7deef679c1..2955a2e8232 100644
--- a/src/goto-instrument/generate_function_bodies.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-instrument/generate_function_bodies.cpp
@@ -357,7 +357,8 @@ class havoc_generate_function_bodiest : public generate_function_bodiest
       exprt return_expr =
         typecast_exprt::conditional_cast(aux_symbol.symbol_expr(), return_type);
 
-      add_instruction(goto_programt::make_return(code_returnt(return_expr)));
+      add_instruction(
+        goto_programt::make_set_return_value(std::move(return_expr)));
 
       add_instruction(goto_programt::make_dead(aux_symbol.symbol_expr()));
     }
diff --git a/src/goto-programs/goto_convert.cpp b/src/goto-programs/goto_convert.cpp
index 3ff25835a38..17e9ed098c8 100644
--- a/src/goto-programs/goto_convert.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-programs/goto_convert.cpp
@@ -1296,9 +1296,9 @@ void goto_convertt::convert_return(
       "function must return value",
       new_code.find_source_location());
 
-    // Now add a return node to set the return value.
-    dest.add(goto_programt::make_return(
-      to_code_return(new_code), new_code.source_location()));
+    // Now add a 'set return value' instruction to set the return value.
+    dest.add(goto_programt::make_set_return_value(
+      new_code.return_value(), new_code.source_location()));
   }
   else
   {
diff --git a/src/goto-programs/goto_convert_functions.cpp b/src/goto-programs/goto_convert_functions.cpp
index c91b29d4c03..5048c5ae92b 100644
--- a/src/goto-programs/goto_convert_functions.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-programs/goto_convert_functions.cpp
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ void goto_convert_functionst::add_return(
   side_effect_expr_nondett rhs(return_type, source_location);
 
   f.body.add(
-    goto_programt::make_return(code_returnt(std::move(rhs)), source_location));
+    goto_programt::make_set_return_value(std::move(rhs), source_location));
 }
 
 void goto_convert_functionst::convert_function(
diff --git a/src/goto-programs/goto_program.h b/src/goto-programs/goto_program.h
index 65a8a8e9800..35218ac9175 100644
--- a/src/goto-programs/goto_program.h
+++ b/src/goto-programs/goto_program.h
@@ -822,13 +822,22 @@ class goto_programt
     }
   }
 
-  static instructiont make_return(
-    code_returnt c,
+  static instructiont make_set_return_value(
+    exprt return_value,
     const source_locationt &l = source_locationt::nil())
   {
-    return instructiont(std::move(c), l, SET_RETURN_VALUE, nil_exprt(), {});
+    return instructiont(
+      code_returnt(std::move(return_value)),
+      l,
+      SET_RETURN_VALUE,
+      nil_exprt(),
+      {});
   }
 
+  static instructiont make_set_return_value(
+    const code_returnt &code,
+    const source_locationt &l = source_locationt::nil()) = delete;
+
   static instructiont
   make_skip(const source_locationt &l = source_locationt::nil())
   {
diff --git a/src/goto-programs/remove_returns.cpp b/src/goto-programs/remove_returns.cpp
index 5d9a4fc5185..44d156ed857 100644
--- a/src/goto-programs/remove_returns.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-programs/remove_returns.cpp
@@ -314,8 +314,8 @@ bool remove_returnst::restore_returns(
 
       // replace "fkt#return_value=x;" by "return x;"
       const exprt rhs = instruction.assign_rhs();
-      instruction = goto_programt::make_return(
-        code_returnt(rhs), instruction.source_location());
+      instruction = goto_programt::make_set_return_value(
+        rhs, instruction.source_location());
       did_something = true;
     }
   }