diff --git a/lib/coffee-script/cake.js b/lib/coffee-script/cake.js
index a0b643f6..53681288 100644
--- a/lib/coffee-script/cake.js
+++ b/lib/coffee-script/cake.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
   });
 
   exports.run = function() {
-    var arg, args, _i, _len, _ref, _results;
+    var arg, args, e, _i, _len, _ref, _results;
     global.__originalDirname = fs.realpathSync('.');
     process.chdir(cakefileDirectory(__originalDirname));
     args = process.argv.slice(2);
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@
     }
     try {
       options = oparse.parse(args);
-    } catch (e) {
+    } catch (_error) {
+      e = _error;
       return fatalError("" + e);
     }
     _ref = options["arguments"];
diff --git a/lib/coffee-script/coffee-script.js b/lib/coffee-script/coffee-script.js
index 171402a5..03c5e738 100644
--- a/lib/coffee-script/coffee-script.js
+++ b/lib/coffee-script/coffee-script.js
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
   exports.helpers = helpers;
 
   exports.compile = compile = function(code, options) {
-    var answer, coffeeFile, currentColumn, currentLine, fragment, fragments, header, js, jsFile, merge, newLines, sourceMap, _j, _len1;
+    var answer, coffeeFile, currentColumn, currentLine, err, fragment, fragments, header, js, jsFile, merge, newLines, sourceMap, _j, _len1;
     if (options == null) {
       options = {};
     }
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@
         }
         js += fragment.code;
       }
-    } catch (err) {
+    } catch (_error) {
+      err = _error;
       if (options.filename) {
         err.message = "In " + options.filename + ", " + err.message;
       }
diff --git a/lib/coffee-script/command.js b/lib/coffee-script/command.js
index 8f50ef3f..809dffba 100644
--- a/lib/coffee-script/command.js
+++ b/lib/coffee-script/command.js
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
   };
 
   compileScript = function(file, input, base) {
-    var compiled, o, options, t, task;
+    var compiled, err, o, options, t, task;
     o = opts;
     options = compileOptions(file);
     try {
@@ -186,7 +186,8 @@
           return lint(t.file, t.output);
         }
       }
-    } catch (err) {
+    } catch (_error) {
+      err = _error;
       CoffeeScript.emit('failure', err, task);
       if (CoffeeScript.listeners('failure').length) {
         return;
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@
   };
 
   watch = function(source, base) {
-    var compile, compileTimeout, prevStats, rewatch, watchErr, watcher;
+    var compile, compileTimeout, e, prevStats, rewatch, watchErr, watcher;
     prevStats = null;
     compileTimeout = null;
     watchErr = function(e) {
@@ -241,7 +242,8 @@
         try {
           rewatch();
           return compile();
-        } catch (e) {
+        } catch (_error) {
+          e = _error;
           removeSource(source, base, true);
           return compileJoin();
         }
@@ -272,7 +274,8 @@
     };
     try {
       watcher = fs.watch(source, compile);
-    } catch (e) {
+    } catch (_error) {
+      e = _error;
       watchErr(e);
     }
     return rewatch = function() {
@@ -284,7 +287,7 @@
   };
 
   watchDir = function(source, base) {
-    var readdirTimeout, watcher;
+    var e, readdirTimeout, watcher;
     readdirTimeout = null;
     try {
       return watcher = fs.watch(source, function() {
@@ -319,7 +322,8 @@
           });
         });
       });
-    } catch (e) {
+    } catch (_error) {
+      e = _error;
       if (e.code !== 'ENOENT') {
         throw e;
       }
diff --git a/lib/coffee-script/nodes.js b/lib/coffee-script/nodes.js
index 60eda4ef..619b3afc 100644
--- a/lib/coffee-script/nodes.js
+++ b/lib/coffee-script/nodes.js
@@ -2499,19 +2499,14 @@
       o.indent += TAB;
       tryPart = this.attempt.compileToFragments(o, LEVEL_TOP);
       catchPart = (function() {
-        var _base, _ref4;
+        var _ref4;
         if (this.recovery) {
-          if (typeof (_base = this.error).isObject === "function" ? _base.isObject() : void 0) {
-            placeholder = new Literal('_error');
-            this.recovery.unshift(new Assign(this.error, placeholder));
-            this.error = placeholder;
-          }
+          placeholder = new Literal('_error');
+          this.recovery.unshift(new Assign(this.error, placeholder));
+          this.error = placeholder;
           if (_ref4 = this.error.value, __indexOf.call(STRICT_PROSCRIBED, _ref4) >= 0) {
             throw SyntaxError("catch variable may not be \"" + this.error.value + "\"");
           }
-          if (!o.scope.check(this.error.value)) {
-            o.scope.add(this.error.value, 'param');
-          }
           return [].concat(this.makeCode(" catch ("), this.error.compileToFragments(o), this.makeCode(") {\n"), this.recovery.compileToFragments(o, LEVEL_TOP), this.makeCode("\n" + this.tab + "}"));
         } else if (!(this.ensure || this.recovery)) {
           return [this.makeCode(' catch (_error) {}')];
diff --git a/lib/coffee-script/repl.js b/lib/coffee-script/repl.js
index 37894a9b..85763b46 100644
--- a/lib/coffee-script/repl.js
+++ b/lib/coffee-script/repl.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   replDefaults = {
     prompt: 'coffee> ',
     "eval": function(input, context, filename, cb) {
-      var js;
+      var err, js;
       input = input.replace(/\uFF00/g, '\n');
       input = input.replace(/(^|[\r\n]+)(\s*)##?(?:[^#\r\n][^\r\n]*|)($|[\r\n])/, '$1$2$3');
       if (/^(\s*|\(\s*\))$/.test(input)) {
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@
           bare: true
         });
         return cb(null, vm.runInContext(js, context, filename));
-      } catch (err) {
+      } catch (_error) {
+        err = _error;
         return cb(err);
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/nodes.coffee b/src/nodes.coffee
index 20962342..2d0e4060 100644
--- a/src/nodes.coffee
+++ b/src/nodes.coffee
@@ -1739,13 +1739,11 @@ exports.Try = class Try extends Base
     tryPart   = @attempt.compileToFragments o, LEVEL_TOP
 
     catchPart = if @recovery
-      if @error.isObject?()
-        placeholder = new Literal '_error'
-        @recovery.unshift new Assign @error, placeholder
-        @error = placeholder
+      placeholder = new Literal '_error'
+      @recovery.unshift new Assign @error, placeholder
+      @error = placeholder
       if @error.value in STRICT_PROSCRIBED
         throw SyntaxError "catch variable may not be \"#{@error.value}\""
-      o.scope.add @error.value, 'param' unless o.scope.check @error.value
       [].concat @makeCode(" catch ("), @error.compileToFragments(o), @makeCode(") {\n"),
         @recovery.compileToFragments(o, LEVEL_TOP), @makeCode("\n#{@tab}}")
     else unless @ensure or @recovery