diff --git a/convex-core/src/main/cvx/convex/core.cvx b/convex-core/src/main/cvx/convex/core.cvx
index 4daee49e6..36d862e16 100644
--- a/convex-core/src/main/cvx/convex/core.cvx
+++ b/convex-core/src/main/cvx/convex/core.cvx
@@ -201,8 +201,9 @@
     (empty? decl) (fail :ARITY "`defn` requires at least one function definition"))
     (let [fnform (cons 'fn 
 		                decl)
-          name   (syntax name (meta (first decl)))]   ;; Note: merges in metadata on parameter list
-    `(def ~name ~fnform)))
+          nf   (syntax name (meta (first decl)))]   ;; Note: merges in metadata on parameter list
+      (eval `(def ~name))    ;; ensure we have a forward declaration at expand time
+      `(def ~nf ~fnform)))
   
 (defn identity
    ^{:doc {:description "An identity function which returns its first argument unchanged."
diff --git a/convex-core/src/test/java/convex/core/lang/CompilerTest.java b/convex-core/src/test/java/convex/core/lang/CompilerTest.java
index 495e2e301..b93c7616c 100644
--- a/convex-core/src/test/java/convex/core/lang/CompilerTest.java
+++ b/convex-core/src/test/java/convex/core/lang/CompilerTest.java
@@ -193,10 +193,10 @@ public void testConstantCompilation() {
 
 
 	@Test public void testDef() {
-		assertEquals(2L,evalL("(do (def a 2) (def b 3) a)"));
-		assertEquals(7L,evalL("(do (def a 2) (def a 7) a)"));
-		assertEquals(9L,evalL("(do (def a 9) (def a) a)"));
-		assertEquals(9L,evalL("(do (def a) (def a 9) a)"));
+		assertCVMEquals(2L,eval("(do (def a 2) (def b 3) a)"));
+		assertCVMEquals(7L,eval("(do (def a 2) (def a 7) a)"));
+		assertCVMEquals(9L,eval("(do (def a 9) (def a) a)"));
+		assertCVMEquals(9L,eval("(do (def a) (def a 9) a)"));
 		assertNull(eval("(do (def a 9) (def a nil) a)"));
 
 		// TODO: check if these are most logical error types?
@@ -205,11 +205,11 @@ public void testConstantCompilation() {
 	}
 	
 	@Test public void testDefOverCore() {
-		// TODO consider better compilation unit handling in static case
-		if (!Constants.OPT_STATIC) {
-			assertEquals(13L,evalL("(do (def count 13) count)"));
+		// TODO: This might not be sane?
+		if (Constants.OPT_STATIC) {
+			assertCVMEquals(Core.COUNT,eval("(do (def count 13) count)"));
 		} else {
-			assertEquals(Core.COUNT,eval("(do (def count 13) count)"));
+			assertCVMEquals(13L,eval("(do (def count 13) count)"));
 		}
 	}