diff --git a/rust/ares_guard/c-src/guard.c b/rust/ares_guard/c-src/guard.c
index ac37c05..8423cec 100644
--- a/rust/ares_guard/c-src/guard.c
+++ b/rust/ares_guard/c-src/guard.c
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@
 static uintptr_t         guard_p = 0;
 static const uintptr_t  *stack_pp = NULL;
 static const uintptr_t  *alloc_pp = NULL;
-static BufListNode      *buffer_list = NULL;
+static GD_buflistnode      *buffer_list = NULL;
 static struct sigaction  prev_sa;
 
-static int32_t
+static guard_result
 _prot_page(void *address, int prot)
 {
   if (mprotect(address, GD_PAGE_SIZE, prot)) {
@@ -33,13 +33,13 @@ _prot_page(void *address, int prot)
   return 0;
 }
 
-static int32_t
+static guard_result
 _mark_page(void *address)
 {
   return _prot_page(address, PROT_NONE);
 }
 
-static int32_t
+static guard_result
 _unmark_page(void *address)
 {
   return _prot_page(address, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE);
@@ -48,14 +48,14 @@ _unmark_page(void *address)
 // Center the guard page.
 // XX: could be a false positive if the new frame results in exact same guard page
 //     solution: we only re-center from the signal handler
-static int32_t
+static guard_result
 _focus_guard()
 {
   uintptr_t stack_p = *stack_pp;
   uintptr_t alloc_p = *alloc_pp;
   uintptr_t old_guard_p = guard_p;
   uintptr_t new_guard_p;
-  int32_t   err = 0;
+  guard_result   err = 0;
 
   fprintf(stderr, "guard: focus: stack pointer at %p\r\n", (void *)stack_p);
   fprintf(stderr, "guard: focus: alloc pointer at %p\r\n", (void *)alloc_p);
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ static void
 _signal_handler(int sig, siginfo_t *si, void *unused)
 {
   uintptr_t sig_addr;
-  int32_t   err = 0;
+  guard_result   err = 0;
 
   assert(guard_p);
 
@@ -112,8 +112,7 @@ _signal_handler(int sig, siginfo_t *si, void *unused)
 
   if (sig != SIGSEGV) {
     fprintf(stderr, "guard: sig_handle: invalid signal\r\n");
-    // XX: do we even want to jump? if this is fatal error, maybe just die now
-    siglongjmp(buffer_list->buffer, guard_signal);
+    assert(0);
   }
 
   sig_addr = (uintptr_t)si->si_addr;
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@ _signal_handler(int sig, siginfo_t *si, void *unused)
   }
 }
 
-static int32_t
+static guard_result
 _register_handler()
 {
   struct sigaction sa;
@@ -169,17 +168,17 @@ _register_handler()
   return 0;
 }
 
-int32_t
+guard_result
 guard(
-  callback f,
+  void *(*f)(void *),
   void *closure,
   const uintptr_t *const s_pp,
   const uintptr_t *const a_pp,
   void ** ret
 ) {
-  BufListNode  *new_buffer;
-  int32_t       err = 0;
-  int32_t       td_err = 0;
+  GD_buflistnode  *new_buffer;
+  guard_result err = 0;
+  guard_result td_err = 0;
 
   fprintf(stderr, "guard: setup: stack pointer at %p\r\n", (void *)(*s_pp));
   fprintf(stderr, "guard: setup: alloc pointer at %p\r\n", (void *)(*a_pp));
@@ -206,7 +205,7 @@ guard(
   }
 
   // Setup new longjmp buffer
-  new_buffer = (BufListNode *)malloc(sizeof(BufListNode));
+  new_buffer = (GD_buflistnode *)malloc(sizeof(GD_buflistnode));
   if (new_buffer == NULL) {
     fprintf(stderr, "guard: malloc error\r\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "%s\r\n", strerror(errno));
diff --git a/rust/ares_guard/c-src/guard.h b/rust/ares_guard/c-src/guard.h
index a2f610f..3cef93c 100644
--- a/rust/ares_guard/c-src/guard.h
+++ b/rust/ares_guard/c-src/guard.h
@@ -5,60 +5,76 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 
 /**
- * 
+ * Linked list stack of jump buffers.
  */
-typedef struct _buf_list_node {
-  jmp_buf                 buffer;
-  struct _buf_list_node  *next;
-} BufListNode;
+typedef struct GD_buflistnode GD_buflistnode;
+struct GD_buflistnode {
+  jmp_buf               buffer;
+  struct GD_buflistnode *next;
+};
 
 /**
- * Error codes and flags.
+ * Return codes and flags.
  *
  * The flags are bitwise added to the errno of their respective errors.
  */
 typedef enum {
+  guard_success   = 0,          // successful return
   guard_null      = 1,          // null stack or alloc pointer
-  guard_signal,                 // invalid signal
-  guard_oom,                    // OOM
+  guard_signal    = 2,          // invalid signal
+  guard_oom       = 3,          // out of memory
   guard_malloc    = 0x10000000, // malloc error flag
   guard_mprotect  = 0x20000000, // mprotect error flag
   guard_sigaction = 0x40000000, // sigaction error flag
-} guard_err;
-
-typedef void *(*callback)(void *);
+} guard_result;
 
 /**
- * Execute the given closure `f` within the memory arena between the
- * `stack` and `alloc` pointers, with guard page protection. Write either
- * `f`'s succesful result or a `guard_err` to the given `ret` pointer.
+ * @brief Executes the given callback function `f` within the memory arena 
+ * between the stack and allocation pointers pointed to by `s_pp` and `a_pp`,
+ * with guard page protection. If `f`'s execution succeeds, its result is 
+ * written to the return pointer `*ret`. If `f`'s execution triggers an
+ * out of memory error or any other `guard_result`, the `guard_result` is
+ * returned and `*ret` is left empty. In either case, cleanup is performed
+ * before returning.
+ * 
+ * Definitions:
+ * - A guard page is marked `PROT_NONE`.
  *
- * Memory
- * ------
- * The free memory arena between the `stack` and `alloc` pointers is part of a
- * NockStack frame, which may either face east or west. If the frame faces
- * east, the `stack` pointer will be greater than the `alloc` pointer. If it
- * faces west, the `stack` pointer will be less than the `alloc` pointer.
+ * Assumptions:
+ * - `NockStack` pages are marked `PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE` by default.
+ * - All memory access patterns are outside-in.
+ * - Callback functions are compatible with the C ABI.
+ * - `NockStack` stack and allocation pointer locations are fixed.
+ * - The caller is responsible for return value memory allocation.
+ * - The caller is responsible for managing any external state the callback
+ *   function may mutate.
+ * - The callback function may be interrupted in the case of memory exhaustion
+ *   or other `guard_result` error (failure to `mprotect`, `malloc`, etc.).
+ * - `SIGSEGV` signals are expected to be raised only on guard page accesses.
  *
- * All the pages in the memory arena are marked clean (`PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE`)
- * by default, with the exception of a single guard page in the middle of the
- * arena, which is marked with `PROT_NONE`.
+ * Invariants:
+ * - A single guard page is installed and maintained in the approximate center
+ *   until `crate::guard::call_with_guard` returns.
+ * - A return value is only written to `*ret` on successful callback execution.
+ * - A `guard_result` is returned, excepting panics or negative assertions.
  *
- * Guard
- * -----
- * This function protects the free memory arena between the `stack` and `alloc`
- * pointers with a guard page. A guard page is simply a single page of memory
- * which is marked with `PROT_NONE`. Since all other pages are marked clean by
- * default, a SIGSEGV will only be raised if the `f` function attempts to write
- * to the guard page. When it does, the signal handler will attempt to re-center
- * the guard page in the remaining free space left in the arena. If there is no
- * more free space, then memory exhaustion has occurred and the `guard_spent`
- * error will be written to the `ret` pointer. The caller is then responsible
- * for handling this error and aborting with a `bail:meme`.
+ * Enhancements:
+ * - Use only a single, static jump buffer variable instead of a linked list.
+ *   We currently use a linked list of jump buffers because we don't have a
+ *   function for preserving stack traces across `crate::interpreter::interpret`
+ *   calls.
+ *
+ * @param f The callback function to execute.
+ * @param closure A pointer to the closure data for the callback function.
+ * @param s_pp A pointer to the stack pointer location.
+ * @param a_pp A pointer to the allocation pointer location.
+ * @param ret A pointer to a location where the callback's result can be stored.
+ * 
+ * @return A `guard_result` return code.
  */
-int32_t
+guard_result
 guard(
-  callback f,
+  void *(*f)(void *),
   void *closure,
   const uintptr_t *const s_pp,
   const uintptr_t *const a_pp,