diff --git a/src/compile/locals.rs b/src/compile/locals.rs
index 7a2b0d7..f04bd5b 100644
--- a/src/compile/locals.rs
+++ b/src/compile/locals.rs
@@ -50,7 +50,3 @@ impl Visit for CollectLocals<'_, '_> {
     fn visit_access_expr(&mut self, expr: &AccessExpr) -> Self::Out { DefaultAccept::default_accept(expr, self); }
     fn visit_atom(&mut self, atom: &Atom) -> Self::Out { DefaultAccept::default_accept(atom, self); }
 }
-
-pub fn collect_locals(compile: &mut Compile, body: &Body) {
-    CollectLocals::new(compile).collect(body);
-}
diff --git a/src/compile/mod.rs b/src/compile/mod.rs
index a309db7..9a51cdb 100644
--- a/src/compile/mod.rs
+++ b/src/compile/mod.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ pub mod error;
 mod locals;
 pub mod thunk;
 
-use crate::{obj::prelude::*, vm::consts::*};
+use crate::{syn::ast::Body, obj::prelude::*, vm::consts::*};
 use std::collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap};
 
 pub struct Compile<'t> {
@@ -96,6 +96,11 @@ impl<'t> Compile<'t> {
     pub fn pop_scope_layer(&mut self) -> Option<BTreeMap<Sym, Local>> {
         self.locals.pop()
     }
+
+    /// Collects local variables for the given AST body non-recursively.
+    pub fn collect_locals(&mut self, body: &Body) {
+        locals::CollectLocals::new(self).collect(body);
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default)]
diff --git a/src/compile/thunk.rs b/src/compile/thunk.rs
index 958ae78..f8fae74 100644
--- a/src/compile/thunk.rs
+++ b/src/compile/thunk.rs
@@ -213,7 +213,10 @@ impl<'c, 't> CompileBody<'c, 't> {
     }
 
     pub fn compile(&mut self, body: &'c Body) -> Result<Thunk> {
-        self.visit_body(body)
+        self.compile.push_scope_layer();
+        let thunk = self.visit_body(body)?;
+        self.compile.pop_scope_layer();
+        Ok(thunk)
     }
 }
 
@@ -228,6 +231,7 @@ impl Visit for CompileBody<'_, '_> {
     type Out = Result<Thunk>;
 
     fn visit_body(&mut self, body: &Body) -> Self::Out {
+        self.compile.collect_locals(body);
         let mut thunk = Thunk::Nop;
 
         for stmt in body.body.iter() {
@@ -342,14 +346,10 @@ impl Visit for CompileBody<'_, '_> {
     fn visit_atom(&mut self, atom: &Atom) -> Self::Out {
         let thunk = match atom {
             Atom::Ident(ident) => {
-                // TODO : set up lexical name stack
-                //  - think about how lexical names in function defs need to be captured, so no
-                //   references get prematurely GC'd
-                //  - Python uses LOAD_CLOSURE and CREATE_FUNCTION ops, but is this necessary if we
-                //    know the names being closed over at runtime? Hm.
-
+                let sym = global_sym(ident.to_string());
+                let local = self.compile.lookup_scope(sym).unwrap();
                 // get local
-                Inst::PushLocal(global_sym(ident.to_string())).into()
+                Inst::PushLocal(local).into()
             }
             Atom::Sym(sym) => {
                 // push symbol
diff --git a/src/vm/inst.rs b/src/vm/inst.rs
index 52dae3b..15b9aa2 100644
--- a/src/vm/inst.rs
+++ b/src/vm/inst.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ pub enum Inst {
     PushConst(ConstHandle),
 
     /// Looks up and pushes a local value.
-    PushLocal(Sym),
+    PushLocal(Local),
 
     /// Pop a value from the stack, possibly into a local symbol.
     Pop(Option<Sym>),