diff --git a/src/vm.c b/src/vm.c
index c614409f7..1fd5aa751 100644
--- a/src/vm.c
+++ b/src/vm.c
@@ -334,6 +334,18 @@ init_bytecode_type ()
   scm_set_smob_free (scm_bytecode_tag, free_bytecode);
 }
 
+/* Internal functions */
+
+static SCM
+lookup_variable (SCM sym)
+{
+  SCM closure = scm_standard_eval_closure (scm_selected_module ());
+  SCM var = scm_apply (closure, SCM_LIST2 (sym, SCM_BOOL_F), SCM_EOL);
+  if (SCM_FALSEP (var))
+    var = scm_apply (closure, SCM_LIST2 (sym, SCM_BOOL_T), SCM_EOL);
+  return var;
+}
+
 /* Scheme interface */
 
 SCM_DEFINE (scm_bytecode_p, "bytecode?", 1, 0, 0,
@@ -428,7 +440,7 @@ SCM_DEFINE (scm_make_bytecode, "make-bytecode", 1, 0, 0,
 	case INST_TOP:
 	  /* top-level variable */
 	  SCM_VALIDATE_SYMBOL (1, old[i]);
-	  new[i] = scm_intern0 (SCM_CHARS (old[i]));
+	  new[i] = lookup_variable (old[i]);
 	  break;
 	case INST_EXT:
 	  /* just copy for now */
diff --git a/src/vm_engine.h b/src/vm_engine.h
index c19aef588..82699a9c7 100644
--- a/src/vm_engine.h
+++ b/src/vm_engine.h
@@ -95,17 +95,6 @@
  * Type checking
  */
 
-#define VM_ASSERT_PROGRAM(OBJ)	SCM_VALIDATE_PROGRAM (1, OBJ)
-
-#undef VM_ASSERT_BOUND
-#if VM_CHECK_BINDING
-#define VM_ASSERT_BOUND(CELL)					\
-  if (SCM_UNBNDP (SCM_CDR (CELL)))				\
-    SCM_MISC_ERROR ("Unbound variable: ~S", SCM_LIST1 (SCM_CAR (CELL)))
-#else
-#define VM_ASSERT_BOUND(CELL)
-#endif
-
 #undef VM_ASSERT_LINK
 #if VM_CHECK_LINK
 #define VM_ASSERT_LINK(OBJ)				\
@@ -115,6 +104,23 @@
 #define VM_ASSERT_LINK(OBJ)
 #endif
 
+
+/*
+ * Top-level variable
+ */
+
+#define VM_VARIABLE_REF(VAR)		SCM_CDDR (VAR)
+#define VM_VARIABLE_SET(VAR,VAL)	SCM_SETCDR (SCM_CDR (VAR), VAL)
+
+#undef VM_ASSERT_BOUND
+#if VM_CHECK_BINDING
+#define VM_ASSERT_BOUND(VAR)						\
+  if (SCM_UNBNDP (VM_VARIABLE_REF (VAR)))				\
+    SCM_MISC_ERROR ("Unbound variable: ~S", SCM_LIST1 (SCM_CADR (VAR)))
+#else
+#define VM_ASSERT_BOUND(CELL)
+#endif
+
 
 /*
  * Hooks
diff --git a/src/vm_system.c b/src/vm_system.c
index fe13fcfb6..324c30990 100644
--- a/src/vm_system.c
+++ b/src/vm_system.c
@@ -65,9 +65,6 @@
 #define EXTERNAL_VAR1(OFFSET)	SCM_VM_EXTERNAL_VARIABLE (SCM_VM_EXTERNAL_LINK (ext), OFFSET)
 #define EXTERNAL_VAR2(OFFSET)	SCM_VM_EXTERNAL_VARIABLE (SCM_VM_EXTERNAL_LINK (SCM_VM_EXTERNAL_LINK (ext)), OFFSET)
 
-#define TOPLEVEL_VAR(CELL)		SCM_CDR (CELL)
-#define TOPLEVEL_VAR_SET(CELL,OBJ)	SCM_SETCDR (CELL, OBJ)
-
 
 /*
  * Basic operations
@@ -176,7 +173,7 @@ SCM_DEFINE_INSTRUCTION (pusht, "%pusht", INST_TOP)
 {
   ac = FETCH ();
   VM_ASSERT_BOUND (ac);
-  PUSH (TOPLEVEL_VAR (ac));
+  PUSH (VM_VARIABLE_REF (ac));
   NEXT;
 }
 
@@ -257,7 +254,7 @@ SCM_DEFINE_INSTRUCTION (loadt, "%loadt", INST_TOP)
 {
   ac = FETCH ();
   VM_ASSERT_BOUND (ac);
-  RETURN (TOPLEVEL_VAR (ac));
+  RETURN (VM_VARIABLE_REF (ac));
 }
 
 
@@ -338,7 +335,7 @@ SCM_DEFINE_INSTRUCTION (savet, "%savet", INST_TOP)
 {
   SCM cell = FETCH ();
   scm_set_object_property_x (ac, scm_sym_name, SCM_CAR (cell));
-  TOPLEVEL_VAR_SET (cell, ac);
+  VM_VARIABLE_SET (cell, ac);
   NEXT;
 }