diff --git a/source/blender/editors/space_script/script_edit.c b/source/blender/editors/space_script/script_edit.c
index f9d7e8371b2..f739bfe367e 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/space_script/script_edit.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/space_script/script_edit.c
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ static int script_reload_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
   /* TODO, this crashes on netrender and keying sets, need to look into why
    * disable for now unless running in debug mode */
   WM_cursor_wait(1);
-  BPY_run_string(C, (const char *[]){"bpy", NULL}, "bpy.utils.load_scripts(reload_scripts=True)");
+  BPY_run_string_eval(
+      C, (const char *[]){"bpy", NULL}, "bpy.utils.load_scripts(reload_scripts=True)");
   WM_cursor_wait(0);
   WM_event_add_notifier(C, NC_WINDOW, NULL);
   return OPERATOR_FINISHED;
diff --git a/source/blender/freestyle/intern/system/PythonInterpreter.h b/source/blender/freestyle/intern/system/PythonInterpreter.h
index e2022c1de85..50ebacbd6e8 100644
--- a/source/blender/freestyle/intern/system/PythonInterpreter.h
+++ b/source/blender/freestyle/intern/system/PythonInterpreter.h
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class PythonInterpreter : public Interpreter {
 
     BKE_reports_clear(reports);
 
-    if (!BPY_run_string(_context, NULL, str.c_str())) {
+    if (!BPY_run_string_eval(_context, NULL, str.c_str())) {
       BPy_errors_to_report(reports);
       cerr << "\nError executing Python script from PythonInterpreter::interpretString" << endl;
       cerr << "Name: " << name << endl;
diff --git a/source/blender/python/BPY_extern_run.h b/source/blender/python/BPY_extern_run.h
index 67ac56f2798..5f12ada4ff2 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/BPY_extern_run.h
+++ b/source/blender/python/BPY_extern_run.h
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ bool BPY_run_text(struct bContext *C,
                   struct ReportList *reports,
                   const bool do_jump);
 
+/* Use the 'eval' for simple single-line expressions,
+ * otherwise 'exec' for full multi-line scripts. */
+bool BPY_run_string_exec(struct bContext *C, const char *imports[], const char *expr);
+bool BPY_run_string_eval(struct bContext *C, const char *imports[], const char *expr);
+
+/* Run, evaluating to fixed type result. */
 bool BPY_run_string_as_number(struct bContext *C,
                               const char *imports[],
                               const char *expr,
@@ -59,10 +65,6 @@ bool BPY_run_string_as_string(struct bContext *C,
                               const char *report_prefix,
                               char **r_value);
 
-bool BPY_run_string_ex(struct bContext *C, const char *imports[], const char *expr, bool use_eval);
-
-bool BPY_run_string(struct bContext *C, const char *imports[], const char *expr);
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 } /* extern "C" */
 #endif
diff --git a/source/blender/python/intern/bpy_interface_run.c b/source/blender/python/intern/bpy_interface_run.c
index f936be2edbf..9f9382b633c 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/intern/bpy_interface_run.c
+++ b/source/blender/python/intern/bpy_interface_run.c
@@ -208,7 +208,14 @@ bool BPY_run_text(bContext *C, struct Text *text, struct ReportList *reports, co
   return python_script_exec(C, NULL, text, reports, do_jump);
 }
 
-bool BPY_run_string_ex(bContext *C, const char *imports[], const char *expr, bool use_eval)
+/**
+ * \param mode: Passed to #PyRun_String, matches Python's `compile` functions mode argument.
+ * #Py_eval_input for `eval`, #Py_file_input for `exec`.
+ */
+static bool bpy_run_string_impl(bContext *C,
+                                const char *imports[],
+                                const char *expr,
+                                const int mode)
 {
   BLI_assert(expr);
   PyGILState_STATE gilstate;
@@ -231,7 +238,7 @@ bool BPY_run_string_ex(bContext *C, const char *imports[], const char *expr, boo
     retval = NULL;
   }
   else {
-    retval = PyRun_String(expr, use_eval ? Py_eval_input : Py_file_input, py_dict, py_dict);
+    retval = PyRun_String(expr, mode, py_dict, py_dict);
   }
 
   if (retval == NULL) {
@@ -249,9 +256,20 @@ bool BPY_run_string_ex(bContext *C, const char *imports[], const char *expr, boo
   return ok;
 }
 
-bool BPY_run_string(bContext *C, const char *imports[], const char *expr)
+/**
+ * Run an expression, matches: `exec(compile(..., "eval"))`
+ */
+bool BPY_run_string_eval(bContext *C, const char *imports[], const char *expr)
 {
-  return BPY_run_string_ex(C, imports, expr, true);
+  return bpy_run_string_impl(C, imports, expr, Py_eval_input);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Run an entire script, matches: `exec(compile(..., "exec"))`
+ */
+bool BPY_run_string_exec(bContext *C, const char *imports[], const char *expr)
+{
+  return bpy_run_string_impl(C, imports, expr, Py_file_input);
 }
 
 /** \} */
diff --git a/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm.c b/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm.c
index 22210012bb6..5d0520bb674 100644
--- a/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm.c
+++ b/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm.c
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ void WM_keyconfig_reload(bContext *C)
 {
   if (CTX_py_init_get(C) && !G.background) {
 #ifdef WITH_PYTHON
-    BPY_run_string(C, (const char *[]){"bpy", NULL}, "bpy.utils.keyconfig_init()");
+    BPY_run_string_eval(C, (const char *[]){"bpy", NULL}, "bpy.utils.keyconfig_init()");
 #endif
   }
 }
diff --git a/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_files.c b/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_files.c
index 1be22b2283c..62d9c099cd5 100644
--- a/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_files.c
+++ b/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_files.c
@@ -580,14 +580,14 @@ static void wm_file_read_post(bContext *C,
       if (use_userdef || reset_app_template) {
         /* Only run when we have a template path found. */
         if (BKE_appdir_app_template_any()) {
-          BPY_run_string(
+          BPY_run_string_eval(
               C, (const char *[]){"bl_app_template_utils", NULL}, "bl_app_template_utils.reset()");
           reset_all = true;
         }
       }
       if (reset_all) {
         /* sync addons, these may have changed from the defaults */
-        BPY_run_string(C, (const char *[]){"addon_utils", NULL}, "addon_utils.reset_all()");
+        BPY_run_string_eval(C, (const char *[]){"addon_utils", NULL}, "addon_utils.reset_all()");
       }
       if (use_data) {
         BPY_python_reset(C);
@@ -924,7 +924,7 @@ void wm_homefile_read(bContext *C,
        *
        * Note that this fits into 'wm_file_read_pre' function but gets messy
        * since we need to know if 'reset_app_template' is true. */
-      BPY_run_string(C, (const char *[]){"addon_utils", NULL}, "addon_utils.disable_all()");
+      BPY_run_string_eval(C, (const char *[]){"addon_utils", NULL}, "addon_utils.disable_all()");
     }
 #endif /* WITH_PYTHON */
   }
diff --git a/source/creator/creator_args.c b/source/creator/creator_args.c
index 90c01436520..164e670c444 100644
--- a/source/creator/creator_args.c
+++ b/source/creator/creator_args.c
@@ -1852,7 +1852,7 @@ static int arg_handle_python_expr_run(int argc, const char **argv, void *data)
   /* workaround for scripts not getting a bpy.context.scene, causes internal errors elsewhere */
   if (argc > 1) {
     bool ok;
-    BPY_CTX_SETUP(ok = BPY_run_string_ex(C, NULL, argv[1], false));
+    BPY_CTX_SETUP(ok = BPY_run_string_exec(C, NULL, argv[1]));
     if (!ok && app_state.exit_code_on_error.python) {
       printf("\nError: script failed, expr: '%s', exiting.\n", argv[1]);
       BPY_python_end();
@@ -1879,7 +1879,7 @@ static int arg_handle_python_console_run(int UNUSED(argc), const char **argv, vo
 #  ifdef WITH_PYTHON
   bContext *C = data;
 
-  BPY_CTX_SETUP(BPY_run_string(C, (const char *[]){"code", NULL}, "code.interact()"));
+  BPY_CTX_SETUP(BPY_run_string_eval(C, (const char *[]){"code", NULL}, "code.interact()"));
 
   return 0;
 #  else
@@ -1952,7 +1952,7 @@ static int arg_handle_addons_set(int argc, const char **argv, void *data)
     BLI_snprintf(str, slen, script_str, argv[1]);
 
     BLI_assert(strlen(str) + 1 == slen);
-    BPY_CTX_SETUP(BPY_run_string_ex(C, NULL, str, false));
+    BPY_CTX_SETUP(BPY_run_string_exec(C, NULL, str));
     free(str);
 #  else
     UNUSED_VARS(argv, data);