diff --git a/libc/tools/gensyscalls.py b/libc/tools/gensyscalls.py
index aa4f1cb..6eb0d5e 100755
--- a/libc/tools/gensyscalls.py
+++ b/libc/tools/gensyscalls.py
@@ -338,11 +338,8 @@
     def parse_line(self, line):
         """ parse a syscall spec line.
 
-        format is one syscall per line:
-
-           func_name[|alias_list][:syscall_name[:socketcall_id]] ( [paramlist] ) architecture_list
-
-        with no line breaking/continuation allowed.
+        line processing, format is
+           return type    func_name[|alias_list][:syscall_name[:socketcall_id]] ( [paramlist] ) architecture_list
         """
         pos_lparen = line.find('(')
         E          = self.E
@@ -355,7 +352,12 @@
             E("missing or misplaced right parenthesis in '%s'" % line)
             return
 
-        syscall_func = line[:pos_lparen]
+        return_type = line[:pos_lparen].strip().split()
+        if len(return_type) < 2:
+            E("missing return type in '%s'" % line)
+            return
+
+        syscall_func = return_type[-1]
         socketcall_id = -1
 
         pos_colon = syscall_func.find(':')