diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e91fc4bf..713ac441 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ The children of our trees are strictly in source order. This has many
 consequences in places where `Expr` reorders child expressions.
 
 * Infix and postfix operator calls have the operator name in the *second* child position. `a + b` is parsed as `(call-i a + b)` - where the infix `-i` flag indicates infix child position - rather than `Expr(:call, :+, :a, :b)`.
-* Flattened generators are represented in source order
+* Generators are represented in source order as a single node rather than multiple nested flatten and generator expressions.
 
 ### No `LineNumberNode`s
 
@@ -434,15 +434,16 @@ class of tokenization errors and lets the parser deal with them.
 * Using `try catch else finally end` is parsed with `K"catch"` `K"else"` and `K"finally"` children to avoid the awkwardness of the optional child nodes in the `Expr` representation (#234)
 * The dotted import path syntax as in `import A.b.c` is parsed with a `K"importpath"` kind rather than `K"."`, because a bare `A.b.c` has a very different nested/quoted expression representation (#244)
 * We use flags rather than child nodes to represent the difference between `struct` and `mutable struct`, `module` and `baremodule` (#220)
+* Multiple iterations within the header of a `for`, as in `for a=as, b=bs body end` are represented with a `cartesian_iterator` head rather than a `block`, as these lists of iterators are neither semantically nor syntactically a sequence of statements. Unlike other uses of `block` (see also generators).
 
 
 ## More detail on tree differences
 
-### Flattened generators
+### Generators
 
 Flattened generators are uniquely problematic because the Julia AST doesn't
 respect a key rule we normally expect: that the children of an AST node are a
-*contiguous* range in the source text. This is because the `for`s in
+*contiguous* range in the source text. For example, the `for`s in
 `[xy for x in xs for y in ys]` are parsed in the normal order of a for loop to
 mean
 
@@ -469,16 +470,30 @@ however, note that if this tree were flattened, the order would be
 source order.
 
 However, our green tree is strictly source-ordered, so we must deviate from the
-Julia AST. The natural representation seems to be to remove the generators and
-use a flattened structure:
+Julia AST. We deal with this by grouping cartesian products of iterators
+(separated by commas) within `cartesian_iterator` blocks as in `for` loops, and
+use the presence of multiple iterator blocks rather than the `flatten` head to
+distinguish flattened iterators. The nested flattens and generators of `Expr`
+forms are reconstructed later. In this form the tree structure resembles the
+source much more closely. For example, `(xy for x in xs for y in ys)` is parsed as
 
 ```
-(flatten
+(generator
   xy
   (= x xs)
   (= y ys))
 ```
 
+And the cartesian iteration `(xy for x in xs, y in ys)` is parsed as
+
+```
+(generator
+  xy
+  (cartesian_iterator
+    (= x xs)
+    (= y ys)))
+```
+
 ### Whitespace trivia inside strings
 
 For triple quoted strings, the indentation isn't part of the string data so
diff --git a/src/expr.jl b/src/expr.jl
index 8978eb3e..632266dc 100644
--- a/src/expr.jl
+++ b/src/expr.jl
@@ -126,41 +126,34 @@ function _to_expr(node::SyntaxNode; iteration_spec=false, need_linenodes=true,
     # Convert children
     insert_linenums = (headsym === :block || headsym === :toplevel) && need_linenodes
     args = Vector{Any}(undef, length(node_args)*(insert_linenums ? 2 : 1))
-    if headsym === :for && length(node_args) == 2
-        # No line numbers in for loop iteration spec
-        args[1] = _to_expr(node_args[1], iteration_spec=true, need_linenodes=false)
-        args[2] = _to_expr(node_args[2])
-    elseif headsym === :let && length(node_args) == 2
-        # No line numbers in let statement binding list
-        args[1] = _to_expr(node_args[1], need_linenodes=false)
-        args[2] = _to_expr(node_args[2])
+    eq_to_kw_in_call =
+        ((headsym === :call || headsym === :dotcall) && is_prefix_call(node)) ||
+        headsym === :ref
+    eq_to_kw_all = (headsym === :parameters && !map_kw_in_params) ||
+                   (headsym === :parens && eq_to_kw)
+    in_vcbr = headsym === :vect || headsym === :curly || headsym === :braces || headsym === :ref
+    if insert_linenums && isempty(node_args)
+        push!(args, source_location(LineNumberNode, node.source, node.position))
     else
-        eq_to_kw_in_call =
-            ((headsym === :call || headsym === :dotcall) && is_prefix_call(node)) ||
-            headsym === :ref
-        eq_to_kw_all = (headsym === :parameters && !map_kw_in_params) ||
-                       (headsym === :parens && eq_to_kw)
-        in_vcbr = headsym === :vect || headsym === :curly || headsym === :braces || headsym === :ref
-        if insert_linenums && isempty(node_args)
-            push!(args, source_location(LineNumberNode, node.source, node.position))
-        else
-            for i in 1:length(node_args)
-                n = node_args[i]
-                if insert_linenums
-                    args[2*i-1] = source_location(LineNumberNode, n.source, n.position)
-                end
-                eq_to_kw = eq_to_kw_in_call && i > 1 || eq_to_kw_all
-                coalesce_dot_with_ops = i==1 &&
-                    (nodekind in KSet"call dotcall curly" ||
-                     nodekind == K"quote" && flags(node) == COLON_QUOTE)
-                args[insert_linenums ? 2*i : i] =
-                    _to_expr(n, eq_to_kw=eq_to_kw,
-                             map_kw_in_params=in_vcbr,
-                             coalesce_dot=coalesce_dot_with_ops)
-            end
-            if nodekind == K"block" && has_flags(node, PARENS_FLAG)
-                popfirst!(args)
+        for i in 1:length(node_args)
+            n = node_args[i]
+            if insert_linenums
+                args[2*i-1] = source_location(LineNumberNode, n.source, n.position)
             end
+            eq_to_kw = eq_to_kw_in_call && i > 1 || eq_to_kw_all
+            coalesce_dot_with_ops = i==1 &&
+                (nodekind in KSet"call dotcall curly" ||
+                 nodekind == K"quote" && flags(node) == COLON_QUOTE)
+            args[insert_linenums ? 2*i : i] =
+                _to_expr(n, eq_to_kw=eq_to_kw,
+                         map_kw_in_params=in_vcbr,
+                         coalesce_dot=coalesce_dot_with_ops,
+                         iteration_spec=(headsym == :for && i == 1),
+                         need_linenodes=!(headsym == :let && i == 1)
+                        )
+        end
+        if nodekind == K"block" && has_flags(node, PARENS_FLAG)
+            popfirst!(args)
         end
     end
 
@@ -202,6 +195,10 @@ function _to_expr(node::SyntaxNode; iteration_spec=false, need_linenodes=true,
     elseif headsym in (:ref, :curly)
         # Move parameters blocks to args[2]
         reorder_parameters!(args, 2)
+    elseif headsym === :for
+        if Meta.isexpr(args[1], :cartesian_iterator)
+            args[1] = Expr(:block, args[1].args...)
+        end
     elseif headsym in (:tuple, :vect, :braces)
         # Move parameters blocks to args[1]
         reorder_parameters!(args, 1)
@@ -258,18 +255,32 @@ function _to_expr(node::SyntaxNode; iteration_spec=false, need_linenodes=true,
                 push!(args, else_)
             end
         end
-    elseif headsym === :filter
-        pushfirst!(args, last(args))
-        pop!(args)
-    elseif headsym === :flatten
-        # The order of nodes inside the generators in Julia's flatten AST
-        # is noncontiguous in the source text, so need to reconstruct
-        # Julia's AST here from our alternative `flatten` expression.
-        gen = Expr(:generator, args[1], args[end])
-        for i in length(args)-1:-1:2
-            gen = Expr(:flatten, Expr(:generator, gen, args[i]))
+    elseif headsym === :generator
+        # Reconstruct the nested Expr form for generator from our flatter
+        # source-ordered `generator` format.
+        gen = args[1]
+        for j = length(args):-1:2
+            if Meta.isexpr(args[j], :cartesian_iterator)
+                gen = Expr(:generator, gen, args[j].args...)
+            else
+                gen = Expr(:generator, gen, args[j])
+            end
+            if j < length(args)
+                # Additional `for`s flatten the inner generator
+                gen = Expr(:flatten, gen)
+            end
         end
         return gen
+    elseif headsym == :filter
+        @assert length(args) == 2
+        iterspec = args[1]
+        outargs = Any[args[2]]
+        if Meta.isexpr(iterspec, :cartesian_iterator)
+            append!(outargs, iterspec.args)
+        else
+            push!(outargs, iterspec)
+        end
+        args = outargs
     elseif headsym in (:nrow, :ncat)
         # For lack of a better place, the dimension argument to nrow/ncat
         # is stored in the flags
diff --git a/src/kinds.jl b/src/kinds.jl
index 60e2979f..f32ccf56 100644
--- a/src/kinds.jl
+++ b/src/kinds.jl
@@ -905,7 +905,7 @@ const _kind_names =
         # Comprehensions
         "generator"
         "filter"
-        "flatten"
+        "cartesian_iterator"
         "comprehension"
         "typed_comprehension"
     "END_SYNTAX_KINDS"
diff --git a/src/parser.jl b/src/parser.jl
index 8abb272c..f013934c 100644
--- a/src/parser.jl
+++ b/src/parser.jl
@@ -1785,13 +1785,9 @@ function parse_resword(ps::ParseState)
         emit(ps, mark, K"while")
     elseif word == K"for"
         # for x in xs end  ==>  (for (= x xs) (block))
-        # for x in xs, y in ys \n a \n end ==> (for (block (= x xs) (= y ys)) (block a))
+        # for x in xs, y in ys \n a \n end ==> (for (cartesian_iterator (= x xs) (= y ys)) (block a))
         bump(ps, TRIVIA_FLAG)
-        m = position(ps)
-        n_subexprs = parse_comma_separated(ps, parse_iteration_spec)
-        if n_subexprs > 1
-            emit(ps, m, K"block")
-        end
+        parse_iteration_specs(ps)
         parse_block(ps)
         bump_closing_token(ps, K"end")
         emit(ps, mark, K"for")
@@ -2627,6 +2623,16 @@ function parse_iteration_spec(ps::ParseState)
     emit(ps, mark, K"=")
 end
 
+# Parse an iteration spec, or a comma separate list of such for for loops and
+# generators
+function parse_iteration_specs(ps::ParseState)
+    mark = position(ps)
+    n_iters = parse_comma_separated(ps, parse_iteration_spec)
+    if n_iters > 1
+        emit(ps, mark, K"cartesian_iterator")
+    end
+end
+
 # flisp: parse-space-separated-exprs
 function parse_space_separated_exprs(ps::ParseState)
     ps = with_space_sensitive(ps)
@@ -2671,61 +2677,41 @@ function parse_vect(ps::ParseState, closer)
     return (K"vect", EMPTY_FLAGS)
 end
 
-# Flattened generators are hard because the Julia AST doesn't respect a key
-# rule we normally expect: that the children of an AST node are a contiguous
-# range in the source text. This is because the `for`s in
-# `[xy for x in xs for y in ys]` are parsed in the normal order of a for as
+# Parse generators
 #
-# (flatten
-#  (generator
-#   (generator
-#    xy
-#    y in ys)
-#   x in xs))
+# We represent generators quite differently from `Expr`:
+# * Cartesian products of iterators are grouped within cartesian_iterator
+#   nodes, as in the short form of `for` loops.
+# * The `generator` kind is used for both cartesian and flattened generators
 #
-# We deal with this by only emitting the flatten:
-#
-# (flatten xy (= x xs) (= y ys))
-#
-# then reconstructing the nested flattens and generators when converting to Expr.
-#
-# [x for a = as for b = bs if cond1 for c = cs if cond2] ==> (comprehension (flatten x (= a as) (filter (= b bs) cond1) (filter (= c cs) cond2)))
-# [x for a = as if begin cond2 end]  =>  (comprehension (generator x (filter (= a as) (block cond2))))
+# (x for a in as for b in bs) ==> (parens (generator x (= a as) (= b bs)))
+# (x for a in as, b in bs) ==> (parens (generator x (cartesian_iterator (= a as) (= b bs))))
+# (x for a in as, b in bs if z)  ==> (parens (generator x (filter (cartesian_iterator (= a as) (= b bs)) z)))
 #
 # flisp: parse-generator
-function parse_generator(ps::ParseState, mark, flatten=false)
-    t = peek_token(ps)
-    if !preceding_whitespace(t)
-        # [(x)for x in xs]  ==>  (comprehension (generator (parens x) (error) (= x xs)))
-        bump_invisible(ps, K"error", TRIVIA_FLAG,
-                       error="Expected space before `for` in generator")
-    end
-    @check kind(t) == K"for"
-    bump(ps, TRIVIA_FLAG)
-    filter_mark = position(ps)
-    parse_comma_separated(ps, parse_iteration_spec)
-    if peek(ps) == K"if"
-        # (a for x in xs if cond) ==> (parens (generator a (filter (= x xs) cond)))
+function parse_generator(ps::ParseState, mark)
+    while (t = peek_token(ps); kind(t) == K"for")
+        if !preceding_whitespace(t)
+            # ((x)for x in xs)  ==>  (parens (generator (parens x) (error) (= x xs)))
+            bump_invisible(ps, K"error", TRIVIA_FLAG,
+                           error="Expected space before `for` in generator")
+        end
         bump(ps, TRIVIA_FLAG)
-        parse_cond(ps)
-        emit(ps, filter_mark, K"filter")
-    end
-    t = peek_token(ps)
-    if kind(t) == K"for"
-        # (xy for x in xs for y in ys)  ==> (parens (flatten xy (= x xs) (= y ys)))
-        # (xy for x in xs for y in ys for z in zs)  ==> (parens (flatten xy (= x xs) (= y ys) (= z zs)))
-        parse_generator(ps, mark, true)
-        if !flatten
-            emit(ps, mark, K"flatten")
+        iter_mark = position(ps)
+        parse_iteration_specs(ps)
+        if peek(ps) == K"if"
+            # (x for a in as if z) ==> (parens (generator x (filter (= a as) z)))
+            bump(ps, TRIVIA_FLAG)
+            parse_cond(ps)
+            emit(ps, iter_mark, K"filter")
         end
-    elseif !flatten
-        # (x for a in as)  ==>  (parens (generator x (= a as)))
-        emit(ps, mark, K"generator")
     end
+    emit(ps, mark, K"generator")
 end
 
 # flisp: parse-comprehension
 function parse_comprehension(ps::ParseState, mark, closer)
+    # [x for a in as] ==> (comprehension (generator x a in as))
     ps = ParseState(ps, whitespace_newline=true,
                     space_sensitive=false,
                     end_symbol=false)
diff --git a/test/expr.jl b/test/expr.jl
index 47043253..afa03b20 100644
--- a/test/expr.jl
+++ b/test/expr.jl
@@ -98,18 +98,7 @@
                 )
         end
 
-        @testset "No line numbers in for/let bindings" begin
-            @test parsestmt(Expr, "for i=is, j=js\nbody\nend") ==
-                Expr(:for,
-                     Expr(:block,
-                         Expr(:(=), :i, :is),
-                         Expr(:(=), :j, :js),
-                     ),
-                     Expr(:block,
-                         LineNumberNode(2),
-                         :body
-                     )
-                )
+        @testset "No line numbers in let bindings" begin
             @test parsestmt(Expr, "let i=is, j=js\nbody\nend") ==
                 Expr(:let,
                      Expr(:block,
@@ -142,6 +131,28 @@
                      ))
     end
 
+    @testset "for" begin
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "for i=is body end") ==
+            Expr(:for,
+                 Expr(:(=), :i, :is),
+                 Expr(:block,
+                     LineNumberNode(1),
+                     :body
+                 )
+            )
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "for i=is, j=js\nbody\nend") ==
+            Expr(:for,
+                 Expr(:block,
+                     Expr(:(=), :i, :is),
+                     Expr(:(=), :j, :js),
+                 ),
+                 Expr(:block,
+                     LineNumberNode(2),
+                     :body
+                 )
+            )
+    end
+
     @testset "Long form anonymous functions" begin
         @test parsestmt(Expr, "function (xs...)\nbody end") ==
             Expr(:function,
@@ -352,6 +363,53 @@
         @test parsestmt(Expr, "[x,y ; z]") == Expr(:vect, Expr(:parameters, :z), :x, :y)
     end
 
+    @testset "generators" begin
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "(x for a in as for b in bs)") ==
+            Expr(:flatten, Expr(:generator,
+                                Expr(:generator, :x, Expr(:(=), :b, :bs)),
+                                Expr(:(=), :a, :as)))
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "(x for a in as, b in bs)") ==
+            Expr(:generator, :x, Expr(:(=), :a, :as), Expr(:(=), :b, :bs))
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "(x for a in as, b in bs if z)") ==
+            Expr(:generator, :x,
+                 Expr(:filter, :z, Expr(:(=), :a, :as), Expr(:(=), :b, :bs)))
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "(x for a in as, b in bs for c in cs, d in ds)") ==
+            Expr(:flatten, 
+                Expr(:generator, 
+                     Expr(:generator, :x, Expr(:(=), :c, :cs), Expr(:(=), :d, :ds)),
+                     Expr(:(=), :a, :as), Expr(:(=), :b, :bs)))
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "(x for a in as for b in bs if z)") ==
+            Expr(:flatten, Expr(:generator,
+                                Expr(:generator, :x, Expr(:filter, :z, Expr(:(=), :b, :bs))),
+                                Expr(:(=), :a, :as)))
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "(x for a in as if z for b in bs)") ==
+            Expr(:flatten, Expr(:generator,
+                                Expr(:generator, :x, Expr(:(=), :b, :bs)),
+                                Expr(:filter, :z, Expr(:(=), :a, :as))))
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "[x for a = as for b = bs if cond1 for c = cs if cond2]" ) ==
+            Expr(:comprehension,
+                 Expr(:flatten,
+                      Expr(:generator,
+                           Expr(:flatten,
+                                Expr(:generator,
+                                     Expr(:generator,
+                                          :x,
+                                          Expr(:filter,
+                                               :cond2,
+                                               Expr(:(=), :c, :cs))),
+                                     Expr(:filter,
+                                          :cond1,
+                                          Expr(:(=), :b, :bs)))),
+                           Expr(:(=), :a, :as))))
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "[x for a = as if begin cond2 end]" ) ==
+            Expr(:comprehension, Expr(:generator, :x,
+                                      Expr(:filter,
+                                           Expr(:block, LineNumberNode(1), :cond2),
+                                           Expr(:(=), :a, :as))))
+        @test parsestmt(Expr, "(x for a in as if z)") ==
+            Expr(:generator, :x, Expr(:filter, :z, Expr(:(=), :a, :as)))
+    end
+
     @testset "try" begin
         @test parsestmt(Expr, "try x catch e; y end") ==
             Expr(:try,
diff --git a/test/parser.jl b/test/parser.jl
index e4d6604c..b0550595 100644
--- a/test/parser.jl
+++ b/test/parser.jl
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ tests = [
         "while x < y \n a \n b \n end"  =>  "(while (call-i x < y) (block a b))"
         # for
         "for x in xs end" => "(for (= x xs) (block))"
-        "for x in xs, y in ys \n a \n end" => "(for (block (= x xs) (= y ys)) (block a))"
+        "for x in xs, y in ys \n a \n end" => "(for (cartesian_iterator (= x xs) (= y ys)) (block a))"
         # let
         "let x=1\n end"    =>  "(let (block (= x 1)) (block))"
         "let x=1 ; end"    =>  "(let (block (= x 1)) (block))"
@@ -766,13 +766,16 @@ tests = [
         "[x for a in as]"  =>  "(comprehension (generator x (= a as)))"
         "[x \n\n for a in as]"  =>  "(comprehension (generator x (= a as)))"
         # parse_generator
-        "[x for a = as for b = bs if cond1 for c = cs if cond2]"  =>  "(comprehension (flatten x (= a as) (filter (= b bs) cond1) (filter (= c cs) cond2)))"
+        "(x for a in as for b in bs)" => "(parens (generator x (= a as) (= b bs)))"
+        "(x for a in as, b in bs)" => "(parens (generator x (cartesian_iterator (= a as) (= b bs))))"
+        "(x for a in as, b in bs if z)" => "(parens (generator x (filter (cartesian_iterator (= a as) (= b bs)) z)))"
+        "(x for a in as, b in bs for c in cs, d in ds)" => "(parens (generator x (cartesian_iterator (= a as) (= b bs)) (cartesian_iterator (= c cs) (= d ds))))"
+        "(x for a in as for b in bs if z)" => "(parens (generator x (= a as) (filter (= b bs) z)))"
+        "(x for a in as if z for b in bs)" => "(parens (generator x (filter (= a as) z) (= b bs)))"
+        "[x for a = as for b = bs if cond1 for c = cs if cond2]"  =>  "(comprehension (generator x (= a as) (filter (= b bs) cond1) (filter (= c cs) cond2)))"
         "[x for a = as if begin cond2 end]"  =>  "(comprehension (generator x (filter (= a as) (block cond2))))"
         "[(x)for x in xs]"  =>  "(comprehension (generator (parens x) (error-t) (= x xs)))"
-        "(a for x in xs if cond)"  =>  "(parens (generator a (filter (= x xs) cond)))"
-        "(xy for x in xs for y in ys)"  =>  "(parens (flatten xy (= x xs) (= y ys)))"
-        "(xy for x in xs for y in ys for z in zs)"  =>  "(parens (flatten xy (= x xs) (= y ys) (= z zs)))"
-        "(x for a in as)"  =>  "(parens (generator x (= a as)))"
+        "(x for a in as if z)" => "(parens (generator x (filter (= a as) z)))"
         # parse_vect
         "[x, y]"        =>  "(vect x y)"
         "[x, y]"        =>  "(vect x y)"