diff --git a/scripts/v4-testclaim-corpus-eval.sh b/scripts/v4-testclaim-corpus-eval.sh
index e2abbfebdcf..71b70a47b59 100755
--- a/scripts/v4-testclaim-corpus-eval.sh
+++ b/scripts/v4-testclaim-corpus-eval.sh
@@ -409,10 +409,25 @@ def check_generated_corpus_eval(corpus_eval_rs: Path) -> None:
         corpus_eval_rs,
         "generated tally source for zero Fail/Deferred predicate",
     )
+    explicit_return = re.compile(r"\breturn\b")
+    if explicit_return.search(all_pass_body):
+        raise ReceiptError(
+            f"{corpus_eval_rs}: manual_corpus_all_pass must return "
+            "the zero Fail and zero Deferred check as its final expression"
+        )
     normalized_all_pass = "".join(all_pass_body.split())
+    inverted_zero_comparison = re.compile(
+        r"(?<![A-Za-z0-9_:])(?:!\(*|\(*false\)*={2}\(*|\(*true\)*!=\(*)"
+        r"tally\.(?:fail|deferred)={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\b\)*"
+    )
+    if inverted_zero_comparison.search(normalized_all_pass):
+        raise ReceiptError(
+            f"{corpus_eval_rs}: manual_corpus_all_pass must not negate "
+            "the zero Fail or zero Deferred check"
+        )
     fail_deferred_conjunction = re.compile(
-        r"tally\.fail={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\b[^&|;=]*&&"
-        r"[^&|;]*tally\.deferred={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\b[^&|;=]*(?:;|\})"
+        r"(?:^|;)\(*tally\.fail={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\b\)*&&"
+        r"\(*tally\.deferred={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\b\)*\}$"
     )
     if not fail_deferred_conjunction.search(normalized_all_pass):
         raise ReceiptError(
diff --git a/src/v3/compiler/tests/integration/v4_workflow_ci_runner_dag_smoke_test.rs b/src/v3/compiler/tests/integration/v4_workflow_ci_runner_dag_smoke_test.rs
index 10dbb85886f..403c7ad045c 100644
--- a/src/v3/compiler/tests/integration/v4_workflow_ci_runner_dag_smoke_test.rs
+++ b/src/v3/compiler/tests/integration/v4_workflow_ci_runner_dag_smoke_test.rs
@@ -1339,12 +1339,16 @@ fn v4_workflow_ci_t38_script_checks_generated_manual_corpus_eval_receipt() {
         "manual_corpus_gate",
         "witness_manual_corpus_gate_closed",
         "corpus_report_tally(report);",
+        "explicit_return",
+        "\\breturn\\b",
+        "inverted_zero_comparison",
+        "(?<![A-Za-z0-9_:])(?:!\\(*|\\(*false\\)*={2}\\(*|\\(*true\\)*!=\\(*)",
         "fail_deferred_conjunction",
-        "tally\\.fail={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\\b",
-        "[^&|;=]*&&",
+        "(?:^|;)\\(*tally\\.fail={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\\b",
+        "\\)*&&",
         "&&",
         "tally\\.deferred={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\\b",
-        "[^&|;=]*(?:;|\\})",
+        "\\)*\\}$",
         "inline_empty_gate",
         "if(?<!!)is_empty\\([^)]*report[^)]*entries",
         "\\{false\\}else\\{manual_corpus_all_pass\\([^)]*report",
@@ -1365,23 +1369,64 @@ fn v4_workflow_ci_t38_script_receipt_rejects_inverted_zero_predicates() {
             r#"
 import re
 
+explicit_return = re.compile(r"\breturn\b")
+inverted_zero_comparison = re.compile(
+    r"(?<![A-Za-z0-9_:])(?:!\(*|\(*false\)*={2}\(*|\(*true\)*!=\(*)"
+    r"tally\.(?:fail|deferred)={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\b\)*"
+)
 fail_deferred_conjunction = re.compile(
-    r"tally\.fail={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\b[^&|;=]*&&"
-    r"[^&|;]*tally\.deferred={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\b[^&|;=]*(?:;|\})"
+    r"(?:^|;)\(*tally\.fail={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\b\)*&&"
+    r"\(*tally\.deferred={2}[^&|;=!A-Za-z0-9_:]*(?:Nat::)?[Zz]ero\b\)*\}$"
 )
 
-assert fail_deferred_conjunction.search(
-    "tally.fail==Nat::Zero&&tally.deferred==Nat::Zero}"
-)
-assert not fail_deferred_conjunction.search(
-    "(tally.fail==Zero)==false&&tally.deferred==Zero}"
+def receipt_accepts(source):
+    normalized_source = "".join(source.split())
+    return (
+        not explicit_return.search(source)
+        and not inverted_zero_comparison.search(normalized_source)
+        and fail_deferred_conjunction.search(normalized_source)
+    )
+
+assert receipt_accepts("lettally=x;tally.fail==Nat::Zero&&tally.deferred==Nat::Zero}")
+assert receipt_accepts("lettally=x;(tally.fail==Zero)&&(tally.deferred==Zero)}")
+assert not receipt_accepts(
+    "lettally=x;(tally.fail==Zero)==false&&tally.deferred==Zero}"
 )
-assert not fail_deferred_conjunction.search(
-    "tally.fail==Zero&&(tally.deferred==Zero)==false}"
+assert not receipt_accepts(
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&(tally.deferred==Zero)==false}"
 )
-assert not fail_deferred_conjunction.search(
-    "tally.fail==NotZero&&tally.deferred==NotZero}"
+assert not receipt_accepts(
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==NotZero&&tally.deferred==NotZero}"
 )
+for non_returned in [
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&tally.deferred==Zero;false}",
+    "lettally=x;letok=tally.fail==Zero&&tally.deferred==Zero;false}",
+    "lettally=x;{letinner=1;tally.fail==Zero&&tally.deferred==Zero};false}",
+    "return (tally.fail == Zero) == false && tally.deferred == Zero; tally.fail == Zero && tally.deferred == Zero}",
+    "let tally = x; return (tally.fail == Zero) == false && tally.deferred == Zero; tally.fail == Zero && tally.deferred == Zero}",
+]:
+    assert not receipt_accepts(non_returned)
+for inverted in [
+    "lettally=x;!tally.fail==Zero&&tally.deferred==Zero}",
+    "lettally=x;!(tally.fail==Zero)&&tally.deferred==Zero}",
+    "lettally=x;!((tally.fail==Zero))&&tally.deferred==Zero}",
+    "lettally=x;false==(tally.fail==Zero)&&tally.deferred==Zero}",
+    "lettally=x;(false)==(tally.fail==Zero)&&tally.deferred==Zero}",
+    "lettally=x;false==((tally.fail==Zero))&&tally.deferred==Zero}",
+    "lettally=x;true!=(tally.fail==Zero)&&tally.deferred==Zero}",
+    "lettally=x;(true)!=(tally.fail==Zero)&&tally.deferred==Zero}",
+    "lettally=x;true!=((tally.fail==Zero))&&tally.deferred==Zero}",
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&!tally.deferred==Zero}",
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&!(tally.deferred==Zero)}",
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&!((tally.deferred==Zero))}",
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&false==(tally.deferred==Zero)}",
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&(false)==(tally.deferred==Zero)}",
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&false==((tally.deferred==Zero))}",
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&true!=(tally.deferred==Zero)}",
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&(true)!=(tally.deferred==Zero)}",
+    "lettally=x;tally.fail==Zero&&true!=((tally.deferred==Zero))}",
+]:
+    assert not receipt_accepts(inverted)
 "#,
         )
         .output()