diff --git a/src/mapval.hh b/src/mapval.hh
index 0ae6976..7a332de 100644
--- a/src/mapval.hh
+++ b/src/mapval.hh
@@ -21,18 +21,6 @@
         PHP_ARMA_MAPVAL_OPERATOR_EX(cx_double, func)            \
     PHP_ARMA_OPERATOR_END()
 
-#define PHP_ARMA_MAPVAL_OPERATOR_ASSIGN_EX(type, func)          \
-    PHP_ARMA_OPERATOR_ASSIGN_EX(mapval_dense     <type>, func)  \
-    PHP_ARMA_OPERATOR_ASSIGN_EX(mapval_spmat     <type>, func)  \
-    PHP_ARMA_OPERATOR_ASSIGN_EX(mapval_sp_subview<type>, func)
-
-#define PHP_ARMA_MAPVAL_OPERATOR_ASSIGN(func)                   \
-    PHP_ARMA_OPERATOR_BEGIN(scalar_ce)                          \
-        PHP_ARMA_MAPVAL_OPERATOR_ASSIGN_EX(double,    func)     \
-        PHP_ARMA_MAPVAL_OPERATOR_ASSIGN_EX(zend_long, func)     \
-        PHP_ARMA_MAPVAL_OPERATOR_ASSIGN_EX(cx_double, func)     \
-    PHP_ARMA_OPERATOR_END()
-
 // Forward declarations.
 namespace arma
 {
@@ -126,29 +114,24 @@ namespace php_arma
     struct mapval<T, IsSparse, IsSubview>::operators
     {
         zend_always_inline
-        static bool assign(zval *zv1, zval *zv2, zval *retval)
-        {
-            if (!zval_is_scalar<T>(zv2)) {
-                return false;
-            }
-            set_val(Z_OBJ_P(retval), zval_get_scalar<T>(zv2));
-            return true;
-        }
-
-        zend_always_inline
-        static bool mul(zval *zv1, zval *zv2, zval *retval)
-        {
+        static bool mul(
 #if PHP_VERSION_ID < 70300
-            if (Z_TYPE_P(zv1) == IS_LONG && Z_LVAL_P(zv1) == 1) {
-                zval_set_scalar(retval, get_val(Z_OBJ_P(zv2)));
-                return true;
-            }
+            zval *zv1, zval *zv2,
 #else
-            if (Z_TYPE_P(zv2) == IS_LONG && Z_LVAL_P(zv2) == 1) {
-                zval_set_scalar(retval, get_val(Z_OBJ_P(zv1)));
+            zval *zv2, zval *zv1,
+#endif
+            zval *retval)
+        {
+            if (EXPECTED(Z_TYPE_P(zv1) == IS_LONG)) {
+                if (Z_LVAL_P(zv1) == 1) {
+                    zval_set_scalar(retval, get_val(Z_OBJ_P(zv2)));
+                } else if (Z_LVAL_P(zv1) == -1) {
+                    zval_set_scalar(retval, -get_val(Z_OBJ_P(zv2)));
+                } else {
+                    return false;
+                }
                 return true;
             }
-#endif
             return false;
         }
     };
diff --git a/src/operators.cc b/src/operators.cc
index 32624da..5320e69 100644
--- a/src/operators.cc
+++ b/src/operators.cc
@@ -84,15 +84,6 @@ namespace php_arma
         return ZEND_USER_OPCODE_CONTINUE;
     }
 
-    int assign_handler(zend_execute_data *execute_data)
-    {
-        return op_handler(execute_data, PHP_ARMA_OP_HANDLER_FUNC {
-            PHP_ARMA_MAPVAL_OPERATOR_ASSIGN(assign);
-
-            return false;
-        });
-    }
-
     int add_handler(zend_execute_data *execute_data)
     {
         return op_handler(execute_data, PHP_ARMA_OP_HANDLER_FUNC {
@@ -205,7 +196,6 @@ namespace php_arma
     void operators_init()
     {
         set_op_handlers(
-            std::tuple(ZEND_ASSIGN,     assign_handler),
             std::tuple(ZEND_ADD,        add_handler),
             std::tuple(ZEND_ASSIGN_ADD, add_assign_handler),
             std::tuple(ZEND_SUB,        sub_handler),
diff --git a/tests/007-scalar-operators.phpt b/tests/007-scalar-operators.phpt
index 4333144..32f972a 100644
--- a/tests/007-scalar-operators.phpt
+++ b/tests/007-scalar-operators.phpt
@@ -14,15 +14,10 @@ if (is_php_arma_loaded()) {
 require_once 'includes/assert.php';
 
 $mat = Arma\IMat::fromString('1 2; 3 4');
-$mapval = $mat(1, 0);
-$mapval = 5;
-// Unfortunately, the Zend Engine prevents us from writing something like:
-// $mat(1, 0) = 5;
-// because function return values are not supposed to be used in write context.
-// Function `zend_ensure_writable_variable()` does that check in compile time.
 
 batch_assert('operator overloading of `MapVal`',
-    [5, +$mat->at(1, 0)]
+    [3,  +$mat->at(1, 0)],
+    [-2, -$mat(0, 1)]
 );
 
 ?>