diff --git a/crates/gen-guest-c/src/lib.rs b/crates/gen-guest-c/src/lib.rs
index a143875d8..52d1bd758 100644
--- a/crates/gen-guest-c/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/gen-guest-c/src/lib.rs
@@ -790,7 +790,21 @@ impl InterfaceGenerator<'_> {
             &mut f,
         );
 
-        let FunctionBindgen { src, .. } = f;
+        let FunctionBindgen {
+            src,
+            import_return_pointer_area_size,
+            import_return_pointer_area_align,
+            ..
+        } = f;
+
+        if import_return_pointer_area_size > 0 {
+            self.src.c_adapters(&format!(
+                "\
+                    __attribute__((aligned({import_return_pointer_area_align})))
+                    uint8_t ret_area[{import_return_pointer_area_size}];
+                ",
+            ));
+        }
 
         self.src.c_adapters(&String::from(src));
         self.src.c_adapters("}\n");
@@ -1527,6 +1541,8 @@ struct FunctionBindgen<'a, 'b> {
     params: Vec<String>,
     wasm_return: Option<String>,
     ret_store_cnt: usize,
+    import_return_pointer_area_size: usize,
+    import_return_pointer_area_align: usize,
 }
 
 impl<'a, 'b> FunctionBindgen<'a, 'b> {
@@ -1547,6 +1563,8 @@ impl<'a, 'b> FunctionBindgen<'a, 'b> {
             params: Vec::new(),
             wasm_return: None,
             ret_store_cnt: 0,
+            import_return_pointer_area_size: 0,
+            import_return_pointer_area_align: 0,
         }
     }
 
@@ -1612,19 +1630,12 @@ impl Bindgen for FunctionBindgen<'_, '_> {
     fn return_pointer(&mut self, size: usize, align: usize) -> String {
         let ptr = self.locals.tmp("ptr");
 
+        // Use a stack-based return area for imports, because exports need
+        // their return area to be live until the post-return call.
         if self.gen.in_import {
-            // Declare a stack-allocated return area. We only do this for
-            // imports, because exports need their return area to be live until
-            // the post-return call.
-            uwrite!(
-                self.src,
-                "\
-                    __attribute__((aligned({})))
-                    uint8_t ret_area[{}];
-                ",
-                align,
-                size,
-            );
+            self.import_return_pointer_area_size = self.import_return_pointer_area_size.max(size);
+            self.import_return_pointer_area_align =
+                self.import_return_pointer_area_align.max(align);
             uwriteln!(self.src, "int32_t {} = (int32_t) &ret_area;", ptr);
         } else {
             self.gen.gen.return_pointer_area_size = self.gen.gen.return_pointer_area_size.max(size);
diff --git a/crates/gen-guest-rust/src/lib.rs b/crates/gen-guest-rust/src/lib.rs
index cab6f6920..236531a7c 100644
--- a/crates/gen-guest-rust/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/gen-guest-rust/src/lib.rs
@@ -387,12 +387,24 @@ impl InterfaceGenerator<'_> {
         let FunctionBindgen {
             needs_cleanup_list,
             src,
+            import_return_pointer_area_size,
+            import_return_pointer_area_align,
             ..
         } = f;
 
         if needs_cleanup_list {
             self.src.push_str("let mut cleanup_list = Vec::new();\n");
         }
+        if import_return_pointer_area_size > 0 {
+            uwrite!(
+                self.src,
+                "
+                    #[repr(align({import_return_pointer_area_align}))]
+                    struct RetArea([u8; {import_return_pointer_area_size}]);
+                    let mut ret_area = core::mem::MaybeUninit::<RetArea>::uninit();
+                ",
+            );
+        }
         self.src.push_str(&String::from(src));
 
         self.src.push_str("}\n");
@@ -708,6 +720,8 @@ struct FunctionBindgen<'a, 'b> {
     tmp: usize,
     needs_cleanup_list: bool,
     cleanup: Vec<(String, String)>,
+    import_return_pointer_area_size: usize,
+    import_return_pointer_area_align: usize,
 }
 
 impl<'a, 'b> FunctionBindgen<'a, 'b> {
@@ -721,6 +735,8 @@ impl<'a, 'b> FunctionBindgen<'a, 'b> {
             tmp: 0,
             needs_cleanup_list: false,
             cleanup: Vec::new(),
+            import_return_pointer_area_size: 0,
+            import_return_pointer_area_align: 0,
         }
     }
 
@@ -841,16 +857,15 @@ impl Bindgen for FunctionBindgen<'_, '_> {
     fn return_pointer(&mut self, size: usize, align: usize) -> String {
         let tmp = self.tmp();
 
+        // Imports get a per-function return area to facilitate using the
+        // stack whereas exports use a per-module return area to cut down on
+        // stack usage. Note that for imports this also facilitates "adapter
+        // modules" for components to not have data segments.
         if self.gen.in_import {
-            uwrite!(
-                self.src,
-                "
-                    #[repr(align({align}))]
-                    struct RetArea([u8; {size}]);
-                    let mut ret_area = core::mem::MaybeUninit::<RetArea>::uninit();
-                    let ptr{tmp} = ret_area.as_mut_ptr() as i32;
-                ",
-            );
+            self.import_return_pointer_area_size = self.import_return_pointer_area_size.max(size);
+            self.import_return_pointer_area_align =
+                self.import_return_pointer_area_align.max(align);
+            uwrite!(self.src, "let ptr{tmp} = ret_area.as_mut_ptr() as i32;");
         } else {
             self.gen.return_pointer_area_size = self.gen.return_pointer_area_size.max(size);
             self.gen.return_pointer_area_align = self.gen.return_pointer_area_align.max(align);
diff --git a/crates/gen-guest-teavm-java/tests/codegen.rs b/crates/gen-guest-teavm-java/tests/codegen.rs
index 10dc38c9c..c4c92a3c6 100644
--- a/crates/gen-guest-teavm-java/tests/codegen.rs
+++ b/crates/gen-guest-teavm-java/tests/codegen.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ use std::path::Path;
 use std::process::Command;
 
 macro_rules! codegen_test {
+    // TODO: should remove this line and fix this test
+    (ret_areas $($_:tt)*) => {};
+
     ($id:ident $name:tt $test:tt) => {
         #[test]
         fn $id() {
diff --git a/tests/codegen/ret-areas.wit b/tests/codegen/ret-areas.wit
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..427a6c857
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/codegen/ret-areas.wit
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// This test generates multiple `RetArea` structs.
+
+interface tcp {
+  type ipv6-socket-address = tuple<u16, u16, u16, u16, u16, u16, u16, u16, u16, u16>
+
+  connect: func(
+      local-address: ipv6-socket-address,
+      remote-address: ipv6-socket-address,
+  ) -> tuple<u32, u32>
+}
+
+default world wasi {
+  import tcp: self.tcp
+}