diff --git a/src/AST-Core/ASTCache.class.st b/src/AST-Core/ASTCache.class.st
index 09efb3773bb..9f270b6742c 100644
--- a/src/AST-Core/ASTCache.class.st
+++ b/src/AST-Core/ASTCache.class.st
@@ -75,9 +75,12 @@ ASTCache class >> shutDown [
 
 { #category : #accessing }
 ASTCache >> at: aCompiledMethod [
-	^ self 
-		at: aCompiledMethod
-		ifAbsentPut: [ self class cacheMissStrategy getASTFor: aCompiledMethod ]
+	"for doit methods, the ast is stored in the method propery"
+	^ aCompiledMethod propertyAt: #ast ifAbsent: [ 
+		  self
+			  at: aCompiledMethod
+			  ifAbsentPut: [ 
+			  self class cacheMissStrategy getASTFor: aCompiledMethod ] ]
 ]
 
 { #category : #initialization }
diff --git a/src/OpalCompiler-Core/OpalCompiler.class.st b/src/OpalCompiler-Core/OpalCompiler.class.st
index bebe14eb5d9..da3a91b502b 100644
--- a/src/OpalCompiler-Core/OpalCompiler.class.st
+++ b/src/OpalCompiler-Core/OpalCompiler.class.st
@@ -360,7 +360,8 @@ OpalCompiler >> compileDoit [
 	ast := RBParser parseMethod: ast formattedCode.
 	ast compilationContext: self compilationContext.
 	self doSemanticAnalysis.
-	ASTCache default at: cm  put: ast. 
+	"we store the ast in the doit method so that the debugger can read variables from the requestor"
+	cm propertyAt: #ast put: ast.
 	^cm
 ]