diff --git a/prism_compile.c b/prism_compile.c
index ae7274f9a3..2370b28982 100644
--- a/prism_compile.c
+++ b/prism_compile.c
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@ pm_interpolated_node_compile(pm_node_list_t *parts, rb_iseq_t *iseq, NODE dummy_
 // It also takes a pointer to depth, and increments depth appropriately
 // according to the depth of the local
 static int
-pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(rb_iseq_t *iseq, pm_scope_node_t *scope_node, pm_constant_id_t constant_id, int *depth)
+pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(rb_iseq_t *iseq, pm_scope_node_t *scope_node, pm_constant_id_t constant_id)
 {
     if (!scope_node) {
         // We have recursed up all scope nodes
@@ -701,8 +701,7 @@ pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(rb_iseq_t *iseq, pm_scope_node_t *scope_node, pm
 
     if (!st_lookup(scope_node->index_lookup_table, constant_id, &local_index)) {
         // Local does not exist at this level, continue recursing up
-        (*depth)++;
-        return pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(iseq, scope_node->previous, constant_id, depth);
+        return pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(iseq, scope_node->previous, constant_id);
     }
 
     return (int)scope_node->index_lookup_table->num_entries - (int)local_index;
@@ -723,14 +722,14 @@ pm_lookup_local_index(rb_iseq_t *iseq, pm_scope_node_t *scope_node, pm_constant_
 }
 
 static int
-pm_lookup_local_index_with_depth(rb_iseq_t *iseq, pm_scope_node_t *scope_node, pm_constant_id_t constant_id, int *depth)
+pm_lookup_local_index_with_depth(rb_iseq_t *iseq, pm_scope_node_t *scope_node, pm_constant_id_t constant_id, uint32_t depth)
 {
-    for(int i = 0; i < *depth; i++) {
+    for(uint32_t i = 0; i < depth; i++) {
         scope_node = scope_node->previous;
         iseq = (rb_iseq_t *)ISEQ_BODY(iseq)->parent_iseq;
     }
 
-    return pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(iseq, scope_node, constant_id, depth);
+    return pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(iseq, scope_node, constant_id);
 }
 
 // This returns the CRuby ID which maps to the pm_constant_id_t
@@ -1337,8 +1336,10 @@ pm_scope_node_init(const pm_node_t *node, pm_scope_node_t *scope, pm_scope_node_
     scope->parameters = NULL;
     scope->body = NULL;
     scope->constants = NULL;
+    scope->local_depth_offset = 0;
     if (previous) {
         scope->constants = previous->constants;
+        scope->local_depth_offset = previous->local_depth_offset;
     }
     scope->index_lookup_table = NULL;
 
@@ -1368,6 +1369,7 @@ pm_scope_node_init(const pm_node_t *node, pm_scope_node_t *scope, pm_scope_node_
         case PM_ENSURE_NODE: {
             pm_ensure_node_t *cast = (pm_ensure_node_t *)node;
             scope->body = (pm_node_t *)cast->statements;
+            scope->local_depth_offset += 1;
             break;
         }
         case PM_FOR_NODE: {
@@ -3049,9 +3051,9 @@ pm_compile_node(rb_iseq_t *iseq, const pm_node_t *node, LINK_ANCHOR *const ret,
         LABEL *end_label = NEW_LABEL(lineno);
 
         pm_constant_id_t constant_id = local_variable_and_write_node->name;
-        int *depth = (int *)&local_variable_and_write_node->depth;
+        int depth = local_variable_and_write_node->depth + scope_node->local_depth_offset;
         int local_index = pm_lookup_local_index_with_depth(iseq, scope_node, constant_id, depth);
-        ADD_GETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, *depth);
+        ADD_GETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, depth);
 
         PM_DUP_UNLESS_POPPED;
 
@@ -3063,7 +3065,7 @@ pm_compile_node(rb_iseq_t *iseq, const pm_node_t *node, LINK_ANCHOR *const ret,
 
         PM_DUP_UNLESS_POPPED;
 
-        ADD_SETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, *depth);
+        ADD_SETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, depth);
         ADD_LABEL(ret, end_label);
 
         return;
@@ -3073,9 +3075,9 @@ pm_compile_node(rb_iseq_t *iseq, const pm_node_t *node, LINK_ANCHOR *const ret,
 
         pm_constant_id_t constant_id = local_variable_operator_write_node->name;
 
-        int *depth = (int *)&local_variable_operator_write_node->depth;
+        int depth = local_variable_operator_write_node->depth + scope_node->local_depth_offset;
         int local_index = pm_lookup_local_index_with_depth(iseq, scope_node, constant_id, depth);
-        ADD_GETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, *depth);
+        ADD_GETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, depth);
 
         PM_COMPILE_NOT_POPPED(local_variable_operator_write_node->value);
         ID method_id = pm_constant_id_lookup(scope_node, local_variable_operator_write_node->operator);
@@ -3085,7 +3087,7 @@ pm_compile_node(rb_iseq_t *iseq, const pm_node_t *node, LINK_ANCHOR *const ret,
 
         PM_DUP_UNLESS_POPPED;
 
-        ADD_SETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, *depth);
+        ADD_SETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, depth);
 
         return;
       }
@@ -3099,9 +3101,9 @@ pm_compile_node(rb_iseq_t *iseq, const pm_node_t *node, LINK_ANCHOR *const ret,
         ADD_INSNL(ret, &dummy_line_node, branchunless, set_label);
 
         pm_constant_id_t constant_id = local_variable_or_write_node->name;
-        int *depth = (int *)&local_variable_or_write_node->depth;
+        int depth = local_variable_or_write_node->depth + scope_node->local_depth_offset;
         int local_index = pm_lookup_local_index_with_depth(iseq, scope_node, constant_id, depth);
-        ADD_GETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, *depth);
+        ADD_GETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, depth);
 
         PM_DUP_UNLESS_POPPED;
 
@@ -3114,7 +3116,7 @@ pm_compile_node(rb_iseq_t *iseq, const pm_node_t *node, LINK_ANCHOR *const ret,
 
         PM_DUP_UNLESS_POPPED;
 
-        ADD_SETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, *depth);
+        ADD_SETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, local_index, depth);
         ADD_LABEL(ret, end_label);
 
         return;
@@ -3123,9 +3125,8 @@ pm_compile_node(rb_iseq_t *iseq, const pm_node_t *node, LINK_ANCHOR *const ret,
         pm_local_variable_read_node_t *local_read_node = (pm_local_variable_read_node_t *) node;
 
         if (!popped) {
-            int *depth = (int *)&local_read_node->depth;
-            int index = pm_lookup_local_index_with_depth(iseq, scope_node, local_read_node->name, depth);
-            ADD_GETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, index, *depth);
+            int index = pm_lookup_local_index_with_depth(iseq, scope_node, local_read_node->name, local_read_node->depth);
+            ADD_GETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, index, local_read_node->depth + scope_node->local_depth_offset);
         }
         return;
       }
@@ -3133,10 +3134,9 @@ pm_compile_node(rb_iseq_t *iseq, const pm_node_t *node, LINK_ANCHOR *const ret,
         pm_local_variable_target_node_t *local_write_node = (pm_local_variable_target_node_t *) node;
 
         pm_constant_id_t constant_id = local_write_node->name;
-        int depth = 0;
-        int index = pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(iseq, scope_node, constant_id, &depth);
+        int index = pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(iseq, scope_node, constant_id);
 
-        ADD_SETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, index, depth);
+        ADD_SETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, index, local_write_node->depth + scope_node->local_depth_offset);
         return;
       }
       case PM_LOCAL_VARIABLE_WRITE_NODE: {
@@ -3147,10 +3147,9 @@ pm_compile_node(rb_iseq_t *iseq, const pm_node_t *node, LINK_ANCHOR *const ret,
 
         pm_constant_id_t constant_id = local_write_node->name;
 
-        int depth = 0;
-        int index = pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(iseq, scope_node, constant_id, &depth);
+        int index = pm_lookup_local_index_any_scope(iseq, scope_node, constant_id);
 
-        ADD_SETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, index, depth);
+        ADD_SETLOCAL(ret, &dummy_line_node, index, local_write_node->depth + scope_node->local_depth_offset);
         return;
       }
       case PM_MATCH_LAST_LINE_NODE: {
diff --git a/prism_compile.h b/prism_compile.h
index d307807b84..2d64811e69 100644
--- a/prism_compile.h
+++ b/prism_compile.h
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ typedef struct pm_scope_node {
 
     ID *constants;
     st_table *index_lookup_table;
+
+    // Some locals are defined at higher scopes than they are used. We can use
+    // this offset to control which parent scopes local table we should be
+    // referencing from the current scope.
+    unsigned int local_depth_offset;
 } pm_scope_node_t;
 
 void pm_scope_node_init(const pm_node_t *node, pm_scope_node_t *scope, pm_scope_node_t *previous, pm_parser_t *parser);
diff --git a/test/ruby/test_compile_prism.rb b/test/ruby/test_compile_prism.rb
index 63b06bc9bd..1f0bce2037 100644
--- a/test/ruby/test_compile_prism.rb
+++ b/test/ruby/test_compile_prism.rb
@@ -737,6 +737,16 @@ module Prism
         end
         a + b + c
       CODE
+      assert_prism_eval(<<~CODE)
+        foo = 1
+        begin
+        ensure
+          begin
+          ensure
+            foo.nil?
+          end
+        end
+      CODE
     end
 
     def test_NextNode