--- a/src/ov-usr-fcn.cc	Tue Apr 17 13:18:56 2012 -0400
+++ b/src/ov-usr-fcn.cc	Thu Apr 19 16:26:56 2012 -0400
@@ -602,6 +602,9 @@
   if (takes_varargs ())
     symbol_table::varref ("varargin") = va_args.cell_value ();
 
+  // Force .ignored. variable to be undefined by default.
+  symbol_table::varref (".ignored.") = octave_value ();
+
   if (lvalue_list)
     {
       octave_idx_type nbh = 0;
@@ -623,11 +626,11 @@
             }
 
           symbol_table::varref (".ignored.") = bh;
-
-          symbol_table::mark_hidden (".ignored.");
-          symbol_table::mark_automatic (".ignored.");
         }
     }
+
+  symbol_table::mark_hidden (".ignored.");
+  symbol_table::mark_automatic (".ignored.");
 }
 
 DEFUN (nargin, args, ,
@@ -924,3 +927,40 @@
 
   return retval;
 }
+
+/*
+%!function [x, y] = try_isargout ()
+%!  if (isargout (1))
+%!    if (isargout (2))
+%!      x = 1; y = 2;
+%!    else
+%!      x = -1;
+%!    endif
+%!  else
+%!    if (isargout (2))
+%!      y = -2;
+%!    else
+%!      error ("no outputs requested");
+%!    endif
+%!  endif
+%!endfunction
+%!
+%!test
+%! [x, y] = try_isargout ();
+%! assert ([x, y], [1, 2]);
+%!
+%!test
+%! [x, ~] = try_isargout ();
+%! assert (x, -1);
+%!
+%!test
+%! [~, y] = try_isargout ();
+%! assert (y, -2);
+%!
+%!error [~, ~] = try_isargout ();
+%!
+%% Check to see that isargout isn't sticky:
+%!test
+%! [x, y] = try_isargout ();
+%! assert ([x, y], [1, 2]);
+*/