diff --git a/Niecza/Actions.pm b/Niecza/Actions.pm
index aec0a5ab..e949573c 100644
--- a/Niecza/Actions.pm
+++ b/Niecza/Actions.pm
@@ -1222,6 +1222,7 @@ sub statement_prefix {}
 sub statement_prefix__S_PREMinusINIT { my ($cl, $M) = @_;
     my $var = $cl->gensym;
 
+    $::CURLEX->{'!slots'}{$var} = 1;
     push @{ $::CURLEX->{'!decls'} //= [] },
         Decl::PreInit->new(var => $var, code => $M->{blast}{_ast}, shared => 1);
 
diff --git a/test.pl b/test.pl
index d8cfdf47..8025ed06 100644
--- a/test.pl
+++ b/test.pl
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ ($num)
     say ("1.." ~ $num);
 }
 
-plan 18;
+plan 19;
 
 ok 1, "one is true";
 ok 2, "two is also true";
@@ -71,8 +71,12 @@ ($num)
     ok $a == 55, "looping works";
 }
 
-my $x;
-PRE-INIT {
-    $x = 1;
+{
+    my $x;
+    PRE-INIT {
+        $x = 1;
+    }
+    ok $x, "changes made in the protolexpad are visible at runtime";
 }
-ok $x, "changes made in the protolexpad are visible at runtime";
+
+ok PRE-INIT { 1 }, "preinit blocks can return values";