diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 7140361..cc19a6b 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ Changes from 0.13.0
      instead of silently ignoring them
    * Multiple expressions are now allowed in the else clause of
      a for loop
+   * Argument destructuring no longer interferes with function docstrings.
 
    [ Misc. Improvements ]
    * `read`, `read_str`, and `eval` are exposed and documented as top-level
diff --git a/hy/compiler.py b/hy/compiler.py
index 29f3f51..953d5d8 100755
--- a/hy/compiler.py
+++ b/hy/compiler.py
@@ -1881,6 +1881,10 @@ class HyASTCompiler(object):
         force_functiondef = expression.pop(0) == "fn*"
 
         arglist = expression.pop(0)
+        docstring = None
+        if len(expression) > 1 and isinstance(expression[0], str_type):
+            docstring = expression.pop(0)
+
         if not isinstance(arglist, HyList):
             raise HyTypeError(expression,
                               "First argument to `fn' must be a list")
@@ -1901,6 +1905,11 @@ class HyASTCompiler(object):
                 ) + expression
                 expression = expression.replace(arg[0])
 
+        # Docstrings must come at the start, so ensure that happens even if we
+        # generate anonymous variables.
+        if docstring is not None:
+            expression.insert(0, docstring)
+
         if PY3:
             # Python 3.4+ requires that args are an ast.arg object, rather
             # than an ast.Name or bare string.
diff --git a/tests/native_tests/language.hy b/tests/native_tests/language.hy
index a77858c..f0ce60b 100644
--- a/tests/native_tests/language.hy
+++ b/tests/native_tests/language.hy
@@ -1660,3 +1660,24 @@
     [_42 6])
   (setv x (XYZ))
   (assert (= (. x _42) 6)))
+
+(defn test-docstrings []
+  "Make sure docstrings in functions work and don't clash with return values"
+  (defn f [] "docstring" 5)
+  (assert (= (. f __doc__) "docstring"))
+
+  ; destructuring and the implicit variables it creates
+  ; shouldn't interfere with docstrings
+  ; (https://github.com/hylang/hy/issues/1409)
+  (defn f2 [[a b]] "docstring" 5)
+  (assert (= (. f2 __doc__) "docstring"))
+
+  ; a single string is the return value, not a docstring
+  ; (https://github.com/hylang/hy/issues/1402)
+  (defn f3 [] "not a docstring")
+  (assert (none? (. f3 __doc__)))
+  (assert (= (f3) "not a docstring"))
+
+  (defn f4 [[a b]] "not a docstring")
+  (assert (none? (. f4 __doc__)))
+  (assert (= (f4 [1 2]) "not a docstring")))