diff --git a/el-compiler/src/codegen.el b/el-compiler/src/codegen.el
index f253533..c72dc85 100644
--- a/el-compiler/src/codegen.el
+++ b/el-compiler/src/codegen.el
@@ -175,6 +175,47 @@ fn duration_unit_nanos(unit: String) -> String {
     "1LL"
 }
 
+// c_safe_name mangles El variable names that are C reserved keywords.
+// El allows any identifier; C does not. Append _el to avoid clashes with
+// keywords like `short`, `int`, `long`, `char`, `auto`, `register`, etc.
+fn c_safe_name(name: String) -> String {
+    if str_eq(name, "auto")     { return "auto_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "break")    { return "break_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "case")     { return "case_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "char")     { return "char_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "const")    { return "const_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "continue") { return "continue_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "default")  { return "default_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "do")       { return "do_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "double")   { return "double_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "else")     { return "else_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "enum")     { return "enum_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "extern")   { return "extern_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "float")    { return "float_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "for")      { return "for_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "goto")     { return "goto_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "if")       { return "if_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "inline")   { return "inline_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "int")      { return "int_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "long")     { return "long_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "register") { return "register_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "restrict") { return "restrict_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "return")   { return "return_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "short")    { return "short_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "signed")   { return "signed_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "sizeof")   { return "sizeof_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "static")   { return "static_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "struct")   { return "struct_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "switch")   { return "switch_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "typedef")  { return "typedef_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "union")    { return "union_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "unsigned") { return "unsigned_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "void")     { return "void_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "volatile") { return "volatile_el" }
+    if str_eq(name, "while")    { return "while_el" }
+    return name
+}
+
 fn cg_expr(expr: Map<String, Any>) -> String {
     let kind: String = expr["expr"]
 
@@ -220,7 +261,7 @@ fn cg_expr(expr: Map<String, Any>) -> String {
 
     if kind == "Ident" {
         let name: String = expr["name"]
-        return name
+        return c_safe_name(name)
     }
 
     if kind == "Not" {
@@ -690,10 +731,18 @@ fn cg_expr(expr: Map<String, Any>) -> String {
                     }
                 }
             }
-            // http_serve(port): backward-compat 1-arg form — auto-inject handle_request
+            // http_serve: handler must be cast (el_val_t)(uintptr_t)fn_ptr because
+            // the runtime stores function pointers as tagged el_val_t integers.
+            // 1-arg backward-compat form auto-injects the conventional handle_request name.
             if str_eq(fn_name, "http_serve") {
                 if arity == 1 {
-                    return "http_serve(" + args_c + ", handle_request)"
+                    let port_c: String = cg_expr(native_list_get(args, 0))
+                    return "http_serve(" + port_c + ", (el_val_t)(uintptr_t)handle_request)"
+                }
+                if arity == 2 {
+                    let port_c: String = cg_expr(native_list_get(args, 0))
+                    let handler_c: String = cg_expr(native_list_get(args, 1))
+                    return "http_serve(" + port_c + ", (el_val_t)(uintptr_t)" + handler_c + ")"
                 }
             }
             return fn_name + "(" + args_c + ")"
@@ -1063,11 +1112,14 @@ fn cg_stmt(stmt: Map<String, Any>, indent: String, declared: [String]) -> [Strin
         if str_eq(vk, "Int") {
             add_int_name(name)
         }
+        // Mangle C reserved keywords (e.g. `short`, `int`) so the emitted
+        // variable name is valid C. `declared` tracking uses the El name.
+        let cname: String = c_safe_name(name)
         if list_contains(declared, name) {
-            emit_line(indent + name + " = " + val_c + ";")
+            emit_line(indent + cname + " = " + val_c + ";")
             return declared
         } else {
-            emit_line(indent + "el_val_t " + name + " = " + val_c + ";")
+            emit_line(indent + "el_val_t " + cname + " = " + val_c + ";")
             return native_list_append(declared, name)
         }
     }