diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/bykn/bosatsu/codegen/python/PythonGen.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/bykn/bosatsu/codegen/python/PythonGen.scala
index 0d1673db8..a42513d2c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/bykn/bosatsu/codegen/python/PythonGen.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/bykn/bosatsu/codegen/python/PythonGen.scala
@@ -47,41 +47,53 @@ object PythonGen {
 
     private object Impl {
 
+      case class BindState(binding: Bindable, count: Int, stack: List[Code.Ident]) {
+        def currentOption: Option[Code.Ident] = stack.headOption
+
+        def current: Code.Ident =
+          stack match {
+            case h :: _ => h
+            case Nil => sys.error(s"invariant violation: $binding, count = $count has no bindings.")
+          }
+
+        def next: (BindState, Code.Ident) = {
+          val pname = Code.Ident(Idents.escape("___b", binding.asString + count.toString))
+          (copy(count = count + 1, stack = pname :: stack), pname)
+        }
+
+        def pop: BindState =
+          stack match {
+            case _ :: tail => copy(stack = tail)
+            case Nil => sys.error(s"invariant violation: $binding, count = $count has no bindings to pop")
+          }
+      }
+      object BindState {
+        def empty(b: Bindable): BindState = BindState(b, 0, Nil)
+      }
+
       case class EnvState(
           imports: Map[Module, Code.Ident],
-          bindings: Map[Bindable, (Int, List[Code.Ident])],
+          bindings: Map[Bindable, BindState],
           tops: Set[Bindable],
           nextTmp: Long
       ) {
 
-        private def bindInc(b: Bindable, inc: Int)(
-            fn: Int => Code.Ident
-        ): (EnvState, Code.Ident) = {
-          val (c, s) = bindings.getOrElse(b, (0, Nil))
-          val pname = fn(c)
+        def bind(b: Bindable): (EnvState, Code.Ident) = {
+          val bs = bindings.getOrElse(b, BindState.empty(b))
+          val (bs1, pname) = bs.next
 
           (
             copy(
-              bindings = bindings.updated(b, (c + inc, pname :: s))
+              bindings = bindings.updated(b, bs1)
             ),
             pname
           )
         }
 
-        def bind(b: Bindable): (EnvState, Code.Ident) =
-          bindInc(b, 1) { c =>
-            Code.Ident(Idents.escape("___b", b.asString + c.toString))
-          }
-
-        // in loops we need to substitute
-        // bindings for mutable variables
-        def subs(b: Bindable, c: Code.Ident): EnvState =
-          bindInc(b, 0)(_ => c)._1
-
         def deref(b: Bindable): Code.Ident =
           // see if we are shadowing, or top level
-          bindings.get(b) match {
-            case Some((_, h :: _)) => h
+          bindings.get(b).flatMap(_.currentOption) match {
+            case Some(h)           => h
             case _ if tops(b)      => escape(b)
             case other             =>
               // $COVERAGE-OFF$
@@ -93,8 +105,8 @@ object PythonGen {
 
         def unbind(b: Bindable): EnvState =
           bindings.get(b) match {
-            case Some((cnt, _ :: tail)) =>
-              copy(bindings = bindings.updated(b, (cnt, tail)))
+            case Some(bs) =>
+              copy(bindings = bindings.updated(b, bs.pop))
             case other =>
               // $COVERAGE-OFF$
               throw new IllegalStateException(
@@ -167,10 +179,6 @@ object PythonGen {
     def bind(b: Bindable): Env[Code.Ident] =
       Impl.env(_.bind(b))
 
-    // point this name to the top level name
-    def subs(b: Bindable, i: Code.Ident): Env[Unit] =
-      Impl.update(_.subs(b, i))
-
     // get the mapping for a name in scope
     def deref(b: Bindable): Env[Code.Ident] =
       Impl.read(_.deref(b))
@@ -1567,11 +1575,8 @@ object PythonGen {
       ): Env[Statement] =
         expr match {
           case Lambda(captures, _, args, body) =>
-            // we can ignore name because python already allows recursion
-            // we can use topLevelName on makeDefs since they are already
-            // shadowing in the same rules as bosatsu
             (
-              args.traverse(Env.topLevelName(_)),
+              args.traverse(Env.bind(_)),
               makeSlots(captures, slotName)(loop(body, _))
             )
             .mapN { case (as, (slots, body)) =>
@@ -1580,7 +1585,7 @@ object PythonGen {
                   Env.makeDef(name, as, body) ::
                   Nil
               )
-            }
+            } <* args.traverse_(Env.unbind(_))
         }
 
       def makeSlots[A](captures: List[Expr], slotName: Option[Code.Ident])(
@@ -1621,7 +1626,7 @@ object PythonGen {
               case Some(n) => Env.bind(n)
             }
             (
-              args.traverse(Env.topLevelName(_)),
+              args.traverse(Env.bind(_)),
               defName,
               makeSlots(captures, slotName)(loop(res, _))
             )
@@ -1634,7 +1639,8 @@ object PythonGen {
                     defn = Env.makeDef(defName, args, v)
                     block = Code.blockFromList(prefix.toList ::: defn :: Nil)
                   } yield block.withValue(defName)
-              }
+              } <* args.traverse_(Env.unbind(_))
+
           case WhileExpr(cond, effect, res) =>
             (boolExpr(cond, slotName), loop(effect, slotName), loop(res, slotName), Env.newAssignableVar)
               .mapN { (cond, effect, res, c) =>