diff --git a/src/builtins/guts.pir b/src/builtins/guts.pir
index 0f253a24596..16f8d2d8008 100644
--- a/src/builtins/guts.pir
+++ b/src/builtins/guts.pir
@@ -1143,14 +1143,11 @@ Reblesses a sub into a new type.
 
 =item !state_var_init
 
-Takes a list of state variables to initialize. Returns wether we need to run
-the initial setting of values for them.
+Loads any existing values of state variables for a block.
 
 =cut
 
 .sub '!state_var_init'
-    .param pmc names :slurpy
-    
     .local pmc lexpad, state_store, names_it
     $P0 = new 'ParrotInterpreter'
     lexpad = $P0['lexpad'; 1]
@@ -1161,19 +1158,33 @@ the initial setting of values for them.
     setprop $P0, '$!state_store', state_store
   have_state_store:
 
-    names_it = iter names
+    names_it = iter state_store
   names_loop:
     unless names_it goto names_loop_end
     $S0 = shift names_it
     $P0 = state_store[$S0]
-    if null $P0 goto need_init
     lexpad[$S0] = $P0
     goto names_loop
   names_loop_end:
-    .return (0)
+.end
 
-  need_init:
-    .return (1)
+
+=item !state_var_inited
+
+Takes the name of a state variable and returns true if it's been
+initialized already.
+
+=cut
+
+.sub '!state_var_inited'
+    .param string name
+    $P0 = new 'ParrotInterpreter'
+    $P0 = $P0['sub'; 1]
+    $P0 = getprop '$!state_store', $P0
+    $P0 = $P0[name]
+    $I0 = isnull $P0
+    $I0 = not $I0
+    .return ($I0)
 .end
 
 =back
diff --git a/src/parser/actions.pm b/src/parser/actions.pm
index fe78a30eeb1..975b71eb660 100644
--- a/src/parser/actions.pm
+++ b/src/parser/actions.pm
@@ -1877,6 +1877,13 @@ method scope_declarator($/) {
         else { $past.name('infix:,'); $past.pasttype('call'); }
         if $scope eq 'state' {
             $past<scopedecl> := $scope;
+            unless $block<needs_state_loaded> {
+                $block[0].push(PAST::Op.new(
+                    :pasttype('call'),
+                    :name('!state_var_init')
+                ));
+                $block<needs_state_loaded> := 1;
+            }
         }
     }
     make $past;
@@ -2477,16 +2484,14 @@ method EXPR($/, $key) {
         }
         elsif $lhs<scopedecl> eq 'state' {
             # State variables - only want to actually do an assignment if
-            # there is no value. This calls !state_var_init, which does the
-            # initialization of state vars to their previous values and then
-            # returns a false value. In the event that there are not any
-            # existing values, however, it does the assignment.
+            # there is no value.
             $past := PAST::Op.new(
-                :pasttype('if'),
+                :pasttype('unless'),
                 :node($/),
                 PAST::Op.new(
                     :pasttype('call'),
-                    :name('!state_var_init'),
+                    :name('!state_var_inited'),
+                    $lhs.isa(PAST::Var) ?? $lhs.name() !! $lhs[0].name()
                 ),
                 PAST::Op.new(
                     :pasttype('call'),
@@ -2496,12 +2501,6 @@ method EXPR($/, $key) {
                     $rhs
                 )
             );
-            if $lhs.isa(PAST::Op) {
-                for @($lhs) { $past[0].push($_.name()); }
-            }
-            else {
-                $past[0].push($lhs.name());
-            }
         }
         else {
             # Just a normal assignment.
diff --git a/src/pctextensions/state.pir b/src/pctextensions/state.pir
index 146281af5f2..3624ca3ffc0 100644
--- a/src/pctextensions/state.pir
+++ b/src/pctextensions/state.pir
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@ XXX TODO: Doesn't yet handle binding beyond the initial one.
     # Do a call to restore any previous values. We can skip the rest
     # if it returns a false value.
     $P0 = self.'uniquereg'('I')
-    ops.'push_pirop'('call', '"!state_var_init"', name, 'result'=>$P0)
+    ops.'push_pirop'('call', '"!state_var_inited"', name, 'result'=>$P0)
     $P1 = get_hll_global ['POST'], 'Label'
     $S0 = self.'unique'('state')
     $P1 = $P1.'new'('result'=>$S0)
-    ops.'push_pirop'('unless', $P0, $P1)
+    ops.'push_pirop'('if', $P0, $P1)
     
     # Vivify and store vivification.
     .local pmc viviself, vivipost