diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 55f23d18..ae5c9c9d 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+  - move function.assign.php to compiler.assign.php (messju)
   - add property $tpl_error_reporting (messju)
   - remove property $undefined. "null" is used literally instead (messju)
 
diff --git a/libs/plugins/compiler.assign.php b/libs/plugins/compiler.assign.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..506083c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/plugins/compiler.assign.php
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * Smarty {assign} compiler function plugin
+ *
+ * Type:     compiler function<br>
+ * Name:     assign<br>
+ * Purpose:  assign a value to a template variable
+ * @link http://smarty.php.net/manual/en/language.custom.functions.php#LANGUAGE.FUNCTION.ASSIGN {assign}
+ *       (Smarty online manual)
+ * @param string containing var-attribute and value-attribute
+ * @param Smarty_Compiler
+ */
+function smarty_compiler_assign($tag_attrs, &$compiler)
+{
+    $_params = $compiler->_parse_attrs($tag_attrs);
+
+    if (!isset($_params['var'])) {
+        $compiler->_syntax_error("assign: missing 'var' parameter", E_USER_WARNING);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (!isset($_params['value'])) {
+        $compiler->_syntax_error("assign: missing 'value' parameter", E_USER_WARNING);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    return "\$this->assign({$_params['var']}, {$_params['value']});";
+}
+
+/* vim: set expandtab: */
+
+?>
diff --git a/libs/plugins/function.assign.php b/libs/plugins/function.assign.php
deleted file mode 100644
index bcc5a7c5..00000000
--- a/libs/plugins/function.assign.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-/**
- * Smarty plugin
- * @package Smarty
- * @subpackage plugins
-
-
-/**
- * Smarty {assign} function plugin
- *
- * Type:     function<br>
- * Name:     assign<br>
- * Purpose:  assign a value to a template variable
- * @link http://smarty.php.net/manual/en/language.custom.functions.php#LANGUAGE.FUNCTION.ASSIGN {assign}
- *       (Smarty online manual)
- * @param array Format: array('var' => variable name, 'value' => value to assign)
- * @param Smarty
- */
-function smarty_function_assign($params, &$smarty)
-{
-    if (empty($params['var'])) {
-        $smarty->trigger_error("assign: missing 'var' parameter");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    if (!in_array('value', array_keys($params))) {
-        $smarty->trigger_error("assign: missing 'value' parameter");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    $smarty->assign($params['var'], $params['value']);
-}
-
-/* vim: set expandtab: */
-
-?>