diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 8a6718e9ac..2b5c2d27b9 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+Sat Jan 29 10:53:16 2011  Yusuke Endoh  <mame@tsg.ne.jp>
+
+	* vm_insnhelper.c (vm_get_ev_const): no-scope reference to toplevel
+	  private constant has been prohibited incorrectly.
+
+	* test/ruby/test_module.rb (test_toplevel_private_constant): add a
+	  test for above.
+
 Sat Jan 29 08:43:23 2011  Ryan Davis  <ryand-ruby@zenspider.com>
 
 	* lib/rubygems*: Import rubygems 1.5.0 (release candidate @ 09893d9)
diff --git a/test/ruby/test_module.rb b/test/ruby/test_module.rb
index c7acac05f9..ce6e8a66bb 100644
--- a/test/ruby/test_module.rb
+++ b/test/ruby/test_module.rb
@@ -985,4 +985,19 @@ class TestModule < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def test_constants_with_private_constant
     assert(!(::TestModule).constants.include?(:PrivateClass))
   end
+
+  def test_toplevel_private_constant
+    src = <<-INPUT
+      class Object
+        private_constant :Object
+      end
+      p Object
+      begin
+        p ::Object
+      rescue
+        p :ok
+      end
+    INPUT
+    assert_in_out_err([], src, %w(Object :ok), [])
+  end
 end
diff --git a/vm_insnhelper.c b/vm_insnhelper.c
index 94d6a87920..8cd066f532 100644
--- a/vm_insnhelper.c
+++ b/vm_insnhelper.c
@@ -1199,10 +1199,10 @@ vm_get_ev_const(rb_thread_t *th, const rb_iseq_t *iseq,
 	}
 
 	if (is_defined) {
-	    return rb_public_const_defined(klass, id);
+	    return rb_const_defined(klass, id);
 	}
 	else {
-	    return rb_public_const_get(klass, id);
+	    return rb_const_get(klass, id);
 	}
     }
     else {