diff --git a/artifacts/after-binaryop-assignment.png b/artifacts/after-binaryop-assignment.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8ae717a3
Binary files /dev/null and b/artifacts/after-binaryop-assignment.png differ
diff --git a/artifacts/before-binaryop-assignment.png b/artifacts/before-binaryop-assignment.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1c04b220
Binary files /dev/null and b/artifacts/before-binaryop-assignment.png differ
diff --git a/src/irx/builders/llvmliteir.py b/src/irx/builders/llvmliteir.py
index 4495f8f7..5beaddf8 100644
--- a/src/irx/builders/llvmliteir.py
+++ b/src/irx/builders/llvmliteir.py
@@ -908,39 +908,10 @@ def visit(self, node: astx.BinaryOp) -> None:
             type: astx.BinaryOp
         """
         if node.op_code == "=":
-            # Special case '=' because we don't want to emit the lhs as an
-            # expression.
-            # Assignment requires the lhs to be an identifier.
-            # This assumes we're building without RTTI because LLVM builds
-            # that way by default.
-            # If you build LLVM with RTTI, this can be changed to a
-            # dynamic_cast for automatic error checking.
-            var_lhs = node.lhs
-
-            if not isinstance(var_lhs, astx.VariableExprAST):
-                raise Exception("destination of '=' must be a variable")
-
-            lhs_name = var_lhs.get_name()
-            if lhs_name in self.const_vars:
-                raise Exception(
-                    f"Cannot assign to '{lhs_name}': declared as constant"
-                )
-            # Codegen the rhs.
-            self.visit(node.rhs)
-            llvm_rhs = safe_pop(self.result_stack)
-
-            if not llvm_rhs:
-                raise Exception("codegen: Invalid rhs expression.")
-
-            llvm_lhs = self.named_values.get(var_lhs.get_name())
-
-            if not llvm_lhs:
-                raise Exception("codegen: Invalid lhs variable name")
-
-            self._llvm.ir_builder.store(llvm_rhs, llvm_lhs)
-            result = llvm_rhs
-            self.result_stack.append(result)
-            return
+            raise Exception(
+                "Assignment '=' should not be handled in BinaryOp. "
+                "Use VariableAssignment instead."
+            )
 
         self.visit(node.lhs)
         llvm_lhs = safe_pop(self.result_stack)
diff --git a/tests/test_binary_op.py b/tests/test_binary_op.py
index ec11a03f..de99fcbf 100644
--- a/tests/test_binary_op.py
+++ b/tests/test_binary_op.py
@@ -255,3 +255,44 @@ def test_binary_op_logical_and_or(
     module.block.append(main_fn)
 
     check_result("build", builder, module, expected_output=expect)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("builder_class", [LLVMLiteIR])
+def test_binary_op_rejects_assignment_operator(
+    builder_class: type[Builder],
+) -> None:
+    """
+    title: Verify BinaryOp does not handle assignment.
+    parameters:
+      builder_class:
+        type: type[Builder]
+    """
+    builder = builder_class()
+    module = builder.module()
+
+    decl = astx.InlineVariableDeclaration(
+        name="x",
+        type_=astx.Int32(),
+        value=astx.LiteralInt32(0),
+        mutability=astx.MutabilityKind.mutable,
+    )
+    invalid_assign = astx.BinaryOp(
+        op_code="=", lhs=astx.Identifier("x"), rhs=astx.LiteralInt32(5)
+    )
+
+    proto = astx.FunctionPrototype(
+        name="main", args=astx.Arguments(), return_type=astx.Int32()
+    )
+    fn_block = astx.Block()
+    fn_block.append(decl)
+    fn_block.append(invalid_assign)
+    fn_block.append(astx.FunctionReturn(astx.LiteralInt32(0)))
+    fn_main = astx.FunctionDef(prototype=proto, body=fn_block)
+
+    module.block.append(fn_main)
+
+    with pytest.raises(
+        Exception,
+        match="Assignment '=' should not be handled in BinaryOp",
+    ):
+        builder.translate(module)
diff --git a/tests/test_variable_assignment.py b/tests/test_variable_assignment.py
index bf0b28b2..d57535b1 100644
--- a/tests/test_variable_assignment.py
+++ b/tests/test_variable_assignment.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 from irx.builders.base import Builder
 from irx.builders.llvmliteir import LLVMLiteIR
+from irx.system import PrintExpr
 
 from .conftest import check_result
 
@@ -66,3 +67,39 @@ def test_variable_assignment(
 
     expected_output = "42"
     check_result("build", builder, module, expected_output=expected_output)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("builder_class", [LLVMLiteIR])
+def test_variable_assignment_prints_updated_value(
+    builder_class: type[Builder],
+) -> None:
+    """
+    title: Verify VariableAssignment remains the valid assignment path.
+    parameters:
+      builder_class:
+        type: type[Builder]
+    """
+    builder = builder_class()
+    module = builder.module()
+
+    decl = astx.InlineVariableDeclaration(
+        name="x",
+        type_=astx.Int32(),
+        value=astx.LiteralInt32(0),
+        mutability=astx.MutabilityKind.mutable,
+    )
+    assignment = astx.VariableAssignment(name="x", value=astx.LiteralInt32(5))
+
+    proto = astx.FunctionPrototype(
+        name="main", args=astx.Arguments(), return_type=astx.Int32()
+    )
+    fn_block = astx.Block()
+    fn_block.append(decl)
+    fn_block.append(assignment)
+    fn_block.append(PrintExpr(astx.Identifier("x")))
+    fn_block.append(astx.FunctionReturn(astx.LiteralInt32(0)))
+    fn_main = astx.FunctionDef(prototype=proto, body=fn_block)
+
+    module.block.append(fn_main)
+
+    check_result("build", builder, module, expected_output="5")