diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index 632b023b7..5a9ce1daf 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ Release History
 1.2.1 (unreleased)
 ------------------
 
+**Fixed**
+
+- Fixed an error that was thrown when calling ``get_tensor`` on a ``Signal``
+  that was first initialized inside the Simulation while loop
+  (`#56 <https://github.com/nengo/nengo-dl/issues/56>`_)
 
 1.2.0 (September 5, 2018)
 -------------------------
diff --git a/nengo_dl/tensor_graph.py b/nengo_dl/tensor_graph.py
index 8ec0beeae..6b0ded442 100644
--- a/nengo_dl/tensor_graph.py
+++ b/nengo_dl/tensor_graph.py
@@ -709,6 +709,11 @@ def get_tensor(self, sig):
         tensor_sig = self.signals[sig]
 
         base = self.base_vars[tensor_sig.key][0]
+
+        if "while/" in tensor_sig.tf_indices.name:
+            # rebuild tf indices outside the while loop
+            tensor_sig._tf_indices = None
+
         return tf.gather(base, tensor_sig.tf_indices)
 
     def mark_signals(self):
diff --git a/nengo_dl/tests/test_tensor_graph.py b/nengo_dl/tests/test_tensor_graph.py
index 2a912ee69..8e59d98f2 100644
--- a/nengo_dl/tests/test_tensor_graph.py
+++ b/nengo_dl/tests/test_tensor_graph.py
@@ -395,3 +395,24 @@ def test_create_signals_partition():
     graph = dummies.TensorGraph(plan, tf.float32, 10)
     graph.create_signals(sigs)
     assert len(graph.base_arrays_init) == 4
+
+
+def test_get_tensor(Simulator):
+    with nengo.Network() as net:
+        a = nengo.Node([1])
+        b = nengo.Ensemble(10, 1)
+        c = nengo.Connection(a, b.neurons, transform=np.arange(10)[:, None],
+                             synapse=None)
+        p = nengo.Probe(c)
+
+        # build a signal probe so that the indices get loaded into the sim
+        # (checks that the indices reloading works properly)
+        nengo.Probe(c, "weights")
+
+    with Simulator(net) as sim:
+        tensor = sim.tensor_graph.get_tensor(sim.model.sig[c]["weights"])
+
+        assert np.allclose(sim.sess.run(tensor), np.arange(10)[:, None])
+
+        sim.run_steps(10)
+        assert np.allclose(sim.data[p], np.arange(10)[None, :])