diff --git a/core-lib/TestSuite/RegressionTests.ns b/core-lib/TestSuite/RegressionTests.ns
index 72b19cfa9..7775c4a92 100644
--- a/core-lib/TestSuite/RegressionTests.ns
+++ b/core-lib/TestSuite/RegressionTests.ns
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class RegressionTests usingPlatform: platform testFramework: minitest = (
     class B = ()( public foo = ( ^ 2 ) ) : ( public bar = ( ^ 2 ))
 
     make: cls = ( ^ cls new )
-    
+
     bar: cls = ( ^ cls bar )
 
     public testMake = (
@@ -34,11 +34,27 @@ class RegressionTests usingPlatform: platform testFramework: minitest = (
       self assert: (make: B) foo equals: 2.
       self assert: (make: A) foo equals: 1.
     )
-    
+
     public testClassMethod = (
       self assert: (bar: A) equals: 1.
       self assert: (bar: B) equals: 2.
       self assert: (bar: A) equals: 1.
     )
   ) : ( TEST_CONTEXT = () )
+
+  public class VariableAccessInLocalDefinition = TestContext ()(
+    public testSelfInBlock = (
+      | var = [ self ] value. |
+      self assert: var is: self.
+    )
+
+    public returnSelfFromBlock = (
+      | var = [ ^ self ] value. |
+      ^ #error
+    )
+
+    public testReturnSelfFromBlock = (
+      self assert: returnSelfFromBlock is: self
+    )
+  ) : ( TEST_CONTEXT = () )
 )
diff --git a/src/som/interpreter/LexicalScope.java b/src/som/interpreter/LexicalScope.java
index 32948fe2a..981d993f5 100644
--- a/src/som/interpreter/LexicalScope.java
+++ b/src/som/interpreter/LexicalScope.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import som.compiler.MixinBuilder.MixinDefinitionId;
 import som.compiler.MixinDefinition;
 import som.compiler.Variable;
+import som.compiler.Variable.Internal;
 import som.interpreter.nodes.dispatch.Dispatchable;
 import som.vmobjects.SSymbol;
 
@@ -193,8 +194,18 @@ public MethodScope(final FrameDescriptor frameDescriptor, final LexicalScope out
 
     public void setVariables(final Variable[] variables) {
       assert variables != null : "variables are expected to be != null once set";
-      assert this.variables == null;
-      this.variables = variables;
+      assert this.variables == null
+          || (this.variables.length == 1 && this.variables[0] instanceof Internal);
+      if (this.variables == null) {
+        this.variables = variables;
+      } else {
+        Variable internal = this.variables[0];
+        this.variables = new Variable[variables.length + 1];
+        for (int i = 0; i < variables.length; i += 1) {
+          this.variables[i] = variables[i];
+        }
+        this.variables[variables.length] = internal;
+      }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -207,6 +218,11 @@ public boolean hasVariables() {
     }
 
     public void addVariable(final Variable var) {
+      if (variables == null) {
+        variables = new Variable[] {var};
+        return;
+      }
+
       int length = variables.length;
       variables = Arrays.copyOf(variables, length + 1);
       variables[length] = var;