diff --git a/lib/nodes.js b/lib/nodes.js
index 2e95793d..d9dedf01 100644
--- a/lib/nodes.js
+++ b/lib/nodes.js
@@ -1305,17 +1305,16 @@
         o.scope.find(first);
       }
       if (this.operator === '?=') {
-        return ("" + (first) + " = " + (ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, literal(firstVar))) + " ? " + (firstVar) + " : " + (second));
+        return ("" + (first) + " = " + (ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, literal(firstVar))[0]) + " ? " + (firstVar) + " : " + (second));
       }
       return "" + (first) + " = " + (firstVar) + " " + (this.operator.substr(0, 2)) + " " + (second);
     };
     OpNode.prototype.compileExistence = function(o) {
-      var _b, first, second, test;
-      _b = [this.first.compile(o), this.second.compile(o)];
-      first = _b[0];
-      second = _b[1];
-      test = ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, this.first);
-      return "" + (test) + " ? " + (first) + " : " + (second);
+      var _b, ref, test;
+      _b = ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, this.first);
+      test = _b[0];
+      ref = _b[1];
+      return "" + (test) + " ? " + (ref) + " : " + (this.second.compile(o));
     };
     OpNode.prototype.compileUnary = function(o) {
       var parts, space;
@@ -1439,14 +1438,16 @@
     ExistenceNode.prototype["class"] = 'ExistenceNode';
     ExistenceNode.prototype.children = ['expression'];
     ExistenceNode.prototype.compileNode = function(o) {
-      return ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, this.expression);
+      return ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, this.expression)[0];
     };
     ExistenceNode.compileTest = function(o, variable) {
       var _b, first, second;
-      _b = variable.compileReference(o);
+      _b = variable.compileReference(o, {
+        precompile: true
+      });
       first = _b[0];
       second = _b[1];
-      return "(typeof " + (first.compile(o)) + " !== \"undefined\" && " + (second.compile(o)) + " !== null)";
+      return [("(typeof " + (first) + " !== \"undefined\" && " + (second) + " !== null)"), second];
     };
     return ExistenceNode;
   }).call(this);
diff --git a/src/nodes.coffee b/src/nodes.coffee
index 5e78d739..c252ce91 100644
--- a/src/nodes.coffee
+++ b/src/nodes.coffee
@@ -1114,15 +1114,14 @@ exports.OpNode = class OpNode extends BaseNode
     second = @second.compile o
     second = "(#{second})" if @second instanceof OpNode
     o.scope.find(first) if first.match(IDENTIFIER)
-    return "#{first} = #{ ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, literal(firstVar)) } ? #{firstVar} : #{second}" if @operator is '?='
+    return "#{first} = #{ ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, literal(firstVar))[0] } ? #{firstVar} : #{second}" if @operator is '?='
     "#{first} = #{firstVar} #{ @operator.substr(0, 2) } #{second}"
 
   # If this is an existence operator, we delegate to `ExistenceNode.compileTest`
   # to give us the safe references for the variables.
   compileExistence: (o) ->
-    [first, second] = [@first.compile(o), @second.compile(o)]
-    test = ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, @first)
-    "#{test} ? #{first} : #{second}"
+    [test, ref] = ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, @first)
+    "#{test} ? #{ref} : #{ @second.compile(o) }"
 
   # Compile a unary **OpNode**.
   compileUnary: (o) ->
@@ -1215,14 +1214,14 @@ exports.ExistenceNode = class ExistenceNode extends BaseNode
   constructor: (@expression) ->
 
   compileNode: (o) ->
-    ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, @expression)
+    ExistenceNode.compileTest(o, @expression)[0]
 
   # The meat of the **ExistenceNode** is in this static `compileTest` method
   # because other nodes like to check the existence of their variables as well.
   # Be careful not to double-evaluate anything.
   @compileTest: (o, variable) ->
-    [first, second] = variable.compileReference o
-    "(typeof #{first.compile(o)} !== \"undefined\" && #{second.compile(o)} !== null)"
+    [first, second] = variable.compileReference o, precompile: yes
+    ["(typeof #{first} !== \"undefined\" && #{second} !== null)", second]
 
 #### ParentheticalNode
 
diff --git a/test/test_existence.coffee b/test/test_existence.coffee
index c54d7f5e..59df5259 100644
--- a/test/test_existence.coffee
+++ b/test/test_existence.coffee
@@ -17,9 +17,13 @@ ok a is 10 and b is 10
 # The existential operator.
 z = null
 x = z ? "EX"
-
 ok z is null and x is "EX"
 
+i = 9
+func = -> i += 1
+result = func() ? 101
+ok result is 10
+
 
 # Only evaluate once.
 counter = 0