diff --git a/lang/src/ast.asm b/lang/src/ast.asm
index 012ceaf..ff0c50a 100644
--- a/lang/src/ast.asm
+++ b/lang/src/ast.asm
@@ -1356,7 +1356,7 @@ ast_build_symtable_for_each:
 
 .arg:
     ; insert variable entry
-    mov byte [rsp + 32], SYM_KEY_ARG ; SymKey.kind
+    mov byte [rsp + 32], SYM_KEY_VAR ; SymKey.kind
 
     mov rdx, [rax + 24]         ; AstNode.span
     mov qword [rsp + 48], rdx   ; SymKey.span
@@ -1606,14 +1606,21 @@ ast_resolve_var_refs_for_each:
     cmp bl, AST_VAR_REF
     jne .epilogue
 
+.var_ref:
     ; lookup variable in symbol table
 
     ; binary search lower bound
     mov byte [rsp + 24 + 0], SYM_KEY_START_LOCALS ; SymKey.kind
-    mov qword [rsp + 24 + 8], 0                   ; SymKey.scope_index
+    mov rax, [rsp + 80]                           ; scope
+    mov [rsp + 24 + 8], rax                       ; SymKey.scope_index
     mov qword [rsp + 24 + 16], 0                  ; SymKey.span
-    mov qword [rsp + 24 + 24], 1                  ; SymKey.name
-    mov qword [rsp + 24 + 32], 0                  ; SymKey.name_len
+    ; name
+    mov rax, [rsp + 16]                  ; *AstNode
+    mov rbx, [rax + 8]                   ; AstNode.data
+    mov rax, [rbx + 8]                   ; AstVarRef.name
+    mov rbx, [rbx + 16]                  ; AstVarRef.name_len
+    mov [rsp + 24 + 24], rax             ; SymKey.ident
+    mov [rsp + 24 + 32], rbx             ; SymKey.ident_len
 
     ; binary search in symbol table
     mov rdi, [rsp + 8]          ; *Ctx
@@ -1630,11 +1637,6 @@ ast_resolve_var_refs_for_each:
     mov rax, [rsp + 16]                  ; *AstNode
     mov rbx, [rax + 24]                  ; AstNode.span
     mov [rsp + 24 + 16], rbx             ; SymKey.span
-    mov rbx, [rax + 8]                   ; AstNode.data
-    mov rax, [rbx + 8]                   ; AstVarRef.name
-    mov rbx, [rbx + 16]                  ; AstVarRef.name_len
-    mov [rsp + 24 + 24], rax             ; SymKey.ident
-    mov [rsp + 24 + 32], rbx             ; SymKey.ident_len
 
     ; binary search in symbol table
     mov rdi, [rsp + 8]          ; *Ctx
@@ -1648,16 +1650,60 @@ ast_resolve_var_refs_for_each:
 
 .fixup:
     cmp rax, [rsp + 88]         ; lower_bound
-    jl .panic
+    jl .parent
 
     mov rdi, [rsp + 8]          ; *Ctx
     mov rsi, rax                ; index
     call vec_get
-    mov rax, [rax + 40]         ; SymEntry.index
+    mov rbx, rax                 ; *SymEntry
+
+    ; compare symbol ident with var_ref ident
+    mov rdi, [rbx + 24]         ; SymEntry.key.ident
+    mov rsi, [rbx + 32]         ; SymEntry.key.ident_len
+
+    mov rax, [rsp + 16]         ; *AstNode
+    mov rax, [rax + 8]          ; AstNode.data
+    mov rdx, [rax + 8]          ; AstVarRef.name
+    mov rcx, [rax + 16]         ; AstVarRef.name_len
+    call strcmp
+    test rax, rax
+    jnz .parent
+
+    ; load SymEntry.index
+    mov rax, [rbx + 40]         ; SymEntry.index
 
     mov rdx, [rsp + 16]         ; *AstNode
     mov rdx, [rdx + 8]          ; AstNode.data
     mov [rdx + 0], rax          ; AstVarRef.resolved_index
+    jmp .epilogue
+
+.parent:
+    ; binary search for parent scope
+    mov byte [rsp + 24 + 0], SYM_KEY_PARENT_SCOPE ; SymKey.kind
+    mov rax, [rsp + 80]                           ; scope
+    mov [rsp + 24 + 8], rax                       ; SymKey.scope_index
+    mov qword [rsp + 24 + 16], 0                  ; SymKey.span
+    mov qword [rsp + 24 + 24], 1                  ; SymKey.ident
+    mov qword [rsp + 24 + 32], 0                  ; SymKey.ident_len
+
+    ; binary search in symbol table
+    mov rdi, [rsp + 8]          ; *Ctx
+    lea rsi, [rsp + 24]         ; &SymKey
+    mov rdx, symkey_cmp         ; cmp
+    mov rcx, 0                  ; cmp_ctx
+    call vec_binary_search_by
+    test rdx, rdx
+    jnz .panic                  ; can't find the symbol entry for this var-ref
+
+    ; load parent scope sym entry
+    mov rdi, [rsp + 8]          ; *Ctx
+    mov rsi, rax                ; index
+    call vec_get
+    mov rbx, rax                 ; *SymEntry
+
+    mov rdx, [rax + 40]         ; SymEntry.index (parent scope)
+    mov [rsp + 80], rdx         ; update scope
+    jmp .var_ref
 
 .epilogue:
     add rsp, 96