diff --git a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/misc.go b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/misc.go
index a05de8c74aa..7f7ce0b3a87 100644
--- a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/misc.go
+++ b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/misc.go
@@ -150,6 +150,10 @@ func isReservedName(n Name) bool {
 
 // scans uverse static node for blocknames. (slow)
 func isUverseName(n Name) bool {
+	if n == "panic" {
+		// panic is not in uverse, as it is parsed as its own statement (PanicStmt)
+		return true
+	}
 	uverseNames := UverseNode().GetBlockNames()
 	for _, name := range uverseNames {
 		if name == n {
diff --git a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/uverse.go b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/uverse.go
index 880a75396ca..38ccdddea85 100644
--- a/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/uverse.go
+++ b/gnovm/pkg/gnolang/uverse.go
@@ -928,17 +928,7 @@ func UverseNode() *PackageNode {
 			return
 		},
 	)
-	defNative("panic",
-		Flds( // params
-			"err", AnyT(), // args[0]
-		),
-		nil, // results
-		func(m *Machine) {
-			arg0 := m.LastBlock().GetParams1()
-			xv := arg0.Deref()
-			panic(xv.Sprint(m))
-		},
-	)
+	// NOTE: panic is its own statement type, and is not defined as a function.
 	defNative("print",
 		Flds( // params
 			"xs", Vrd(AnyT()), // args[0]