Not Always That Obvious GAP_TO_RETURN_ADDRESS_ON_STACK and WIDTH_OF_ONE_INSTRUCTION depend on your environment. i386 Linux 2.4 with gcc 2.95: 12, 8 This program prints 0 NOT 1! not on OpenBSD, propolice catches it Might be very interesting, when there is more useful stuff on the overjumped line than the assignment "x = 1". Think about something like a call to an authentication function