diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/table.v b/vlib/v/ast/table.v
index 1d13cd2763..a305a27ce4 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/table.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/table.v
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ pub mut:
 	auto_str         bool         // auto str fns
 	auto_str_ptr     bool         // auto str fns for ptr type
 	arr_prepend      bool         // arr.prepend()
+	arr_first        bool         // arr.first()
+	arr_last         bool         // arr.last()
+	arr_pop          bool         // arr.pop()
 	option_or_result bool         // has panic call
 	print_types      map[int]bool // print() idx types
 }
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/fn.v b/vlib/v/checker/fn.v
index d73b3c1a80..50127844f2 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/fn.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/fn.v
@@ -3548,6 +3548,17 @@ fn (mut c Checker) array_builtin_method_call(mut node ast.CallExpr, left_type as
 		}
 		node.return_type = ast.int_type
 	} else if method_name in ['first', 'last', 'pop'] {
+		if c.pref.skip_unused {
+			if method_name == 'first' {
+				c.table.used_features.arr_first = true
+			}
+			if method_name == 'last' {
+				c.table.used_features.arr_last = true
+			}
+			if method_name == 'pop' {
+				c.table.used_features.arr_pop = true
+			}
+		}
 		if node.args.len != 0 {
 			c.error('`.${method_name}()` does not have any arguments', node.args[0].pos)
 		}
diff --git a/vlib/v/markused/markused.v b/vlib/v/markused/markused.v
index 83b41f077a..df6bd2847f 100644
--- a/vlib/v/markused/markused.v
+++ b/vlib/v/markused/markused.v
@@ -15,9 +15,10 @@ pub fn mark_used(mut table ast.Table, mut pref_ pref.Preferences, ast_files []&a
 	}
 	mut allow_noscan := true
 	// Functions that must be generated and can't be skipped
-	mut all_fn_root_names := if pref_.backend == .native {
+	mut all_fn_root_names := []string{}
+	if pref_.backend == .native {
 		// Note: this is temporary, until the native backend supports more features!
-		['main.main']
+		all_fn_root_names << 'main.main'
 	} else {
 		byteptr_idx_str := '${ast.byteptr_type_idx}'
 		charptr_idx_str := '${ast.charptr_type_idx}'
@@ -138,7 +139,17 @@ pub fn mark_used(mut table ast.Table, mut pref_ pref.Preferences, ast_files []&a
 			if table.used_features.arr_prepend {
 				core_fns << ref_array_idx_str + '.prepend_many'
 			}
+			if table.used_features.arr_pop {
+				core_fns << ref_array_idx_str + '.pop'
+			}
+			if table.used_features.arr_first {
+				core_fns << array_idx_str + '.first'
+			}
+			if table.used_features.arr_last {
+				core_fns << array_idx_str + '.last'
+			}
 		} else {
+			// TODO: this *should not* depend on the used compiler, which is brittle, but only on info in the AST...
 			// hello world apps
 			if pref_.ccompiler_type == .tinyc {
 				// unused on tcc
@@ -175,7 +186,7 @@ pub fn mark_used(mut table ast.Table, mut pref_ pref.Preferences, ast_files []&a
 		if table.used_features.anon_fn {
 			core_fns << 'memdup_uncollectable'
 		}
-		core_fns
+		all_fn_root_names << core_fns
 	}
 
 	if pref_.is_bare {
@@ -349,9 +360,9 @@ pub fn mark_used(mut table ast.Table, mut pref_ pref.Preferences, ast_files []&a
 		}
 	}
 
+	handle_vweb(mut table, mut all_fn_root_names, 'veb.Result', 'veb.filter', 'veb.Context')
 	handle_vweb(mut table, mut all_fn_root_names, 'vweb.Result', 'vweb.filter', 'vweb.Context')
 	handle_vweb(mut table, mut all_fn_root_names, 'x.vweb.Result', 'x.vweb.filter', 'x.vweb.Context')
-	handle_vweb(mut table, mut all_fn_root_names, 'veb.Result', 'veb.filter', 'veb.Context')
 
 	// handle ORM drivers:
 	orm_connection_implementations := table.iface_types['orm.Connection'] or { []ast.Type{} }