diff --git a/lib/hyperscript/compiler.sx b/lib/hyperscript/compiler.sx
index 6a47db8e..912ac999 100644
--- a/lib/hyperscript/compiler.sx
+++ b/lib/hyperscript/compiler.sx
@@ -999,7 +999,23 @@
                     (hs-to-sx (nth ast 1))
                     (hs-to-sx (nth ast 2)))))
               ((= head (quote do))
-                (cons (quote do) (map hs-to-sx (rest ast))))
+                (let
+                  ((compiled (map hs-to-sx (rest ast))))
+                  (if
+                    (= (len compiled) 1)
+                    (first compiled)
+                    (let
+                      ((last-cmd (nth compiled (- (len compiled) 1)))
+                        (init-cmds (reverse (rest (reverse compiled)))))
+                      (reduce
+                        (fn
+                          (body cmd)
+                          (list
+                            (quote let)
+                            (list (list (quote it) cmd))
+                            body))
+                        last-cmd
+                        (reverse init-cmds))))))
               ((= head (quote wait)) (list (quote hs-wait) (nth ast 1)))
               ((= head (quote wait-for)) (emit-wait-for ast))
               ((= head (quote log))
diff --git a/lib/hyperscript/parser.sx b/lib/hyperscript/parser.sx
index 23462934..45c695b3 100644
--- a/lib/hyperscript/parser.sx
+++ b/lib/hyperscript/parser.sx
@@ -1270,7 +1270,7 @@
               (let
                 ((url (if (nil? url-atom) url-atom (parse-arith (parse-poss url-atom)))))
                 (let
-                  ((fmt (if (match-kw "as") (let ((f (tp-val))) (adv!) f) "json")))
+                  ((fmt (if (match-kw "as") (let ((f (tp-val))) (adv!) f) "text")))
                   (list (quote fetch) url fmt)))))))
       (define
         parse-call-args
diff --git a/lib/hyperscript/runtime.sx b/lib/hyperscript/runtime.sx
index 7379936e..2b157b2a 100644
--- a/lib/hyperscript/runtime.sx
+++ b/lib/hyperscript/runtime.sx
@@ -285,13 +285,7 @@
   hs-fetch
   (fn
     (url format)
-    (let
-      ((response (perform (list (quote io-fetch) url))))
-      (cond
-        ((= format "json") (perform (list (quote io-parse-json) response)))
-        ((= format "text") (perform (list (quote io-parse-text) response)))
-        ((= format "html") (perform (list (quote io-parse-html) response)))
-        (true response)))))
+    (perform (list "io-fetch" url (if format format "text")))))
 
 (define
   hs-coerce
diff --git a/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-compiler.sx b/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-compiler.sx
index 6a47db8e..912ac999 100644
--- a/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-compiler.sx
+++ b/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-compiler.sx
@@ -999,7 +999,23 @@
                     (hs-to-sx (nth ast 1))
                     (hs-to-sx (nth ast 2)))))
               ((= head (quote do))
-                (cons (quote do) (map hs-to-sx (rest ast))))
+                (let
+                  ((compiled (map hs-to-sx (rest ast))))
+                  (if
+                    (= (len compiled) 1)
+                    (first compiled)
+                    (let
+                      ((last-cmd (nth compiled (- (len compiled) 1)))
+                        (init-cmds (reverse (rest (reverse compiled)))))
+                      (reduce
+                        (fn
+                          (body cmd)
+                          (list
+                            (quote let)
+                            (list (list (quote it) cmd))
+                            body))
+                        last-cmd
+                        (reverse init-cmds))))))
               ((= head (quote wait)) (list (quote hs-wait) (nth ast 1)))
               ((= head (quote wait-for)) (emit-wait-for ast))
               ((= head (quote log))
diff --git a/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-parser.sx b/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-parser.sx
index 23462934..45c695b3 100644
--- a/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-parser.sx
+++ b/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-parser.sx
@@ -1270,7 +1270,7 @@
               (let
                 ((url (if (nil? url-atom) url-atom (parse-arith (parse-poss url-atom)))))
                 (let
-                  ((fmt (if (match-kw "as") (let ((f (tp-val))) (adv!) f) "json")))
+                  ((fmt (if (match-kw "as") (let ((f (tp-val))) (adv!) f) "text")))
                   (list (quote fetch) url fmt)))))))
       (define
         parse-call-args
diff --git a/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-runtime.sx b/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-runtime.sx
index 7379936e..2b157b2a 100644
--- a/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-runtime.sx
+++ b/shared/static/wasm/sx/hs-runtime.sx
@@ -285,13 +285,7 @@
   hs-fetch
   (fn
     (url format)
-    (let
-      ((response (perform (list (quote io-fetch) url))))
-      (cond
-        ((= format "json") (perform (list (quote io-parse-json) response)))
-        ((= format "text") (perform (list (quote io-parse-text) response)))
-        ((= format "html") (perform (list (quote io-parse-html) response)))
-        (true response)))))
+    (perform (list "io-fetch" url (if format format "text")))))
 
 (define
   hs-coerce
diff --git a/tests/hs-run-fast.js b/tests/hs-run-fast.js
index 1c25ffe9..d9f287ae 100644
--- a/tests/hs-run-fast.js
+++ b/tests/hs-run-fast.js
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ const _fetchRoutes = {
   '/test': { status: 200, body: 'yay', json: '{"foo":1}', html: '<div>yay</div>' },
   '/test-json': { status: 200, body: '{"foo":1}', json: '{"foo":1}' },
   '/404': { status: 404, body: 'the body' },
+  '/number': { status: 200, body: '1.2' },
+  '/users/Joe': { status: 200, body: 'Joe', json: '{"name":"Joe"}' },
 };
 function _mockFetch(url) {
   const route = _fetchRoutes[url] || _fetchRoutes['/test'];
@@ -201,10 +203,19 @@ function _mockFetch(url) {
 globalThis._driveAsync=function driveAsync(r,d){d=d||0;if(d>500||!r||!r.suspended)return;if(_testDeadline && Date.now()>_testDeadline)throw new Error('TIMEOUT: wall clock exceeded');const req=r.request;const items=req&&(req.items||req);const op=items&&items[0];const opName=typeof op==='string'?op:(op&&op.name)||String(op);
   function doResume(v){try{const x=r.resume(v);driveAsync(x,d+1);}catch(e){}}
   if(opName==='io-sleep'||opName==='wait')doResume(null);
-  else if(opName==='io-fetch'){const url=items&&items[1];doResume(_mockFetch(typeof url==='string'?url:'/test'));}
-  else if(opName==='io-parse-text'){const resp=items&&items[1];doResume(resp&&resp._body?resp._body:'');}
-  else if(opName==='io-parse-json'){const resp=items&&items[1];try{doResume(JSON.parse(resp&&resp._json?resp._json:'{}'));}catch(e){doResume(null);}}
-  else if(opName==='io-parse-html'){const resp=items&&items[1];const frag=new El('fragment');frag.nodeType=11;frag.innerHTML=resp&&resp._html?resp._html:'';frag.textContent=frag.innerHTML.replace(/<[^>]*>/g,'');doResume(frag);}
+  else if(opName==='io-fetch'){
+    const url=typeof items[1]==='string'?items[1]:'/test';
+    const fmt=typeof items[2]==='string'?items[2]:'text';
+    const route=_fetchRoutes[url]||_fetchRoutes['/test'];
+    if(fmt==='json'){try{doResume(JSON.parse(route.json||route.body||'{}'));}catch(e){doResume(null);}}
+    else if(fmt==='html'){const frag=new El('fragment');frag.nodeType=11;frag.innerHTML=route.html||route.body||'';frag.textContent=frag.innerHTML.replace(/<[^>]*>/g,'');doResume(frag);}
+    else if(fmt==='response')doResume({ok:(route.status||200)<400,status:route.status||200,url});
+    else if(fmt==='Number'||fmt==='number')doResume(parseFloat(route.body||'0'));
+    else doResume(route.body||'');
+  }
+  else if(opName==='io-parse-text'){const resp=items&&items[1];doResume(resp&&resp._body?resp._body:typeof resp==='string'?resp:'');}
+  else if(opName==='io-parse-json'){const resp=items&&items[1];try{doResume(JSON.parse(typeof resp==='string'?resp:resp&&resp._json?resp._json:'{}'));}catch(e){doResume(null);}}
+  else if(opName==='io-parse-html'){const frag=new El('fragment');frag.nodeType=11;doResume(frag);}
   else if(opName==='io-settle')doResume(null);
   else if(opName==='io-wait-event')doResume(null);
   else if(opName==='io-transition')doResume(null);