diff --git a/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/codegen.c b/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/codegen.c
index afe5d9898..b15529770 100644
--- a/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/codegen.c
+++ b/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/codegen.c
@@ -2672,7 +2672,7 @@ gen_hash(codegen_scope *s, node *tree, int val, int limit)
   mrb_bool first = TRUE;
 
   while (tree) {
-    if (node_to_int(tree->car->car->car) == NODE_KW_REST_ARGS) {
+    if (node_to_sym(tree->car->car) == MRB_OPSYM_2(s->mrb, pow)) {
       if (val && first) {
         genop_2(s, OP_HASH, cursp(), 0);
         push();
@@ -3208,7 +3208,7 @@ gen_hash_var(codegen_scope *s, node *varnode, int val)
     struct mrb_ast_node *value = pairs[i * 2 + 1];
 
     /* Check if this is a double-splat (**kwargs) */
-    if (node_to_int(key->car) == NODE_KW_REST_ARGS) {
+    if (node_to_sym(key) == MRB_OPSYM_2(s->mrb, pow)) {
       /* Flush any accumulated regular pairs first */
       if (val && first && regular_pairs == 0) {
         /* First element is splat - create empty hash */
diff --git a/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/node.h b/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/node.h
index 7c2ff3ea6..fb42c6ece 100644
--- a/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/node.h
+++ b/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/node.h
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ enum node_type {
   NODE_REGX,
   NODE_DREGX,
   NODE_CALLARGS,
-  NODE_KW_REST_ARGS,
   NODE_SPLAT,
   NODE_TO_ARY,
   NODE_SVALUE,
diff --git a/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/parse.y b/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/parse.y
index f7ae7afd9..91fdbf8f3 100644
--- a/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/parse.y
+++ b/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/parse.y
@@ -1429,7 +1429,7 @@ new_kw_arg(parser_state *p, mrb_sym kw, node *def_arg)
 static node*
 new_kw_rest_args(parser_state *p, mrb_sym sym)
 {
-  return cons_head((node*)NODE_KW_REST_ARGS, sym_to_node(sym));
+  return sym_to_node(intern_op(pow));  /* Use ** symbol as direct marker */
 }
 
 static node*
@@ -8583,13 +8583,6 @@ mrb_parser_dump(mrb_state *mrb, node *tree, int offset)
     dump_recur(mrb, ((parser_heredoc_info*)tree)->doc, offset+1);
     break;
 
-  case NODE_KW_REST_ARGS:
-    if (tree)
-      printf("NODE_KW_REST_ARGS %s\n", mrb_sym_name(mrb, node_to_sym(tree)));
-    else
-      printf("NODE_KW_REST_ARGS\n");
-    break;
-
   case NODE_VARIABLE:
     /* Handle variable-sized nodes wrapped in NODE_VARIABLE */
     {
diff --git a/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/y.tab.c b/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/y.tab.c
index 52bafbc5e..6485de98d 100644
--- a/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/y.tab.c
+++ b/mrbgems/mruby-compiler/core/y.tab.c
@@ -1491,7 +1491,7 @@ new_kw_arg(parser_state *p, mrb_sym kw, node *def_arg)
 static node*
 new_kw_rest_args(parser_state *p, mrb_sym sym)
 {
-  return cons_head((node*)NODE_KW_REST_ARGS, sym_to_node(sym));
+  return sym_to_node(intern_op(pow));  /* Use ** symbol as direct marker */
 }
 
 static node*
@@ -15412,13 +15412,6 @@ mrb_parser_dump(mrb_state *mrb, node *tree, int offset)
     dump_recur(mrb, ((parser_heredoc_info*)tree)->doc, offset+1);
     break;
 
-  case NODE_KW_REST_ARGS:
-    if (tree)
-      printf("NODE_KW_REST_ARGS %s\n", mrb_sym_name(mrb, node_to_sym(tree)));
-    else
-      printf("NODE_KW_REST_ARGS\n");
-    break;
-
   case NODE_VARIABLE:
     /* Handle variable-sized nodes wrapped in NODE_VARIABLE */
     {