diff --git a/src/goto-programs/remove_function_pointers.cpp b/src/goto-programs/remove_function_pointers.cpp
index 854a706e5e7..419c6d2f3ba 100644
--- a/src/goto-programs/remove_function_pointers.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-programs/remove_function_pointers.cpp
@@ -233,17 +233,18 @@ void remove_function_pointerst::fix_return_type(
        code_type.return_type(), ns))
     return;
 
+  const symbolt &function_symbol =
+    ns.lookup(to_symbol_expr(function_call.function()).get_identifier());
+
   symbolt &tmp_symbol = get_fresh_aux_symbol(
     code_type.return_type(),
     id2string(function_call.source_location().get_function()),
-    "tmp_return_val",
+    "tmp_return_val_" + id2string(function_symbol.base_name),
     function_call.source_location(),
-    irep_idt(),
+    function_symbol.mode,
     symbol_table);
 
-  symbol_exprt tmp_symbol_expr;
-  tmp_symbol_expr.type()=tmp_symbol.type;
-  tmp_symbol_expr.set_identifier(tmp_symbol.name);
+  const symbol_exprt tmp_symbol_expr = tmp_symbol.symbol_expr();
 
   exprt old_lhs=function_call.lhs();
   function_call.lhs()=tmp_symbol_expr;