diff --git a/src/parser.rs b/src/parser.rs
index 6913328878..1ed0835c6b 100644
--- a/src/parser.rs
+++ b/src/parser.rs
@@ -2101,6 +2101,12 @@ impl<'a> ParserWorkingSet<'a> {
                 .expect("internal error: expected def name");
 
             self.enter_scope();
+            // FIXME: because parse_signature will update the scope with the variables it sees
+            // we end up parsing the signature twice per def. The first time is during the predecl
+            // so that we can see the types that are part of the signature, which we need for parsing.
+            // The second time is when we actually parse the body itself.
+            // We can't reuse the first time because the variables that are created during parse_signature
+            // are lost when we exit the scope below.
             let (sig, ..) = self.parse_signature(spans[2]);
             let mut signature = sig
                 .as_signature()
diff --git a/src/tests.rs b/src/tests.rs
index 22028ce3e2..665930f049 100644
--- a/src/tests.rs
+++ b/src/tests.rs
@@ -118,3 +118,8 @@ fn simple_var_closing() -> TestResult {
 fn predecl_check() -> TestResult {
     run_test("def bob [] { sam }; def sam [] { 3 }; bob", "3")
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn def_with_no_dollar() -> TestResult {
+    run_test("def bob [x] { $x + 3 }; bob 4", "7")
+}