diff --git a/src/core/org/luaj/lib/DebugLib.java b/src/core/org/luaj/lib/DebugLib.java
index 3dc793a4..749077c0 100644
--- a/src/core/org/luaj/lib/DebugLib.java
+++ b/src/core/org/luaj/lib/DebugLib.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.luaj.vm.LClosure;
 import org.luaj.vm.LFunction;
 import org.luaj.vm.LInteger;
 import org.luaj.vm.LNil;
+import org.luaj.vm.LPrototype;
 import org.luaj.vm.LString;
 import org.luaj.vm.LTable;
 import org.luaj.vm.LValue;
@@ -69,6 +70,8 @@ public class DebugLib extends LFunction {
 	private static final int SETUPVALUE    	= 13;
 	private static final int TRACEBACK    	= 14;
 	
+	private static final LString TEMPORARY = new LString("(*temporary)");
+	
 	public static void install( LuaState vm ) {
 		LTable debug = new LTable();
 		for (int i = 1; i < NAMES.length; i++)
@@ -259,6 +262,43 @@ public class DebugLib extends LFunction {
 		}
 	}
 
+	private LString getlocalname (LPrototype f, int local_number, int pc) {
+	  int i;
+	  for (i = 0; i<f.locvars.length && f.locvars[i].startpc <= pc; i++) {
+	    if (pc < f.locvars[i].endpc) {  /* is variable active? */
+	      local_number--;
+	      if (local_number == 0)
+	        return f.locvars[i].varname;
+	    }
+	  }
+	  return null;  /* not found */
+	}
+
+	private LString findlocal(LuaState vm, int cc, int n) {
+		CallInfo ci = vm.calls[cc];
+		LString name;
+		LPrototype fp = ci.closure.p;
+		if ( fp!=null && (name = getlocalname(fp, n, ci.pc-1)) != null)
+			return name;
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	/** pushes the value onto the stack, returns the name or null */
+	private LString getlocal(LuaState vm, int cc, int n) {
+		LString name = findlocal(vm, cc, n);
+		if ( name != null )
+			vm.pushlvalue( vm.stack[vm.calls[cc].base+(n-1)] );
+		return name;
+	}
+
+	/** pops the value onto the stack, sets it to the local, return name or null */
+	private LString setlocal(LuaState vm, int cc, int n) {
+		LString name = findlocal(vm, cc, n);
+		if ( name != null )
+			vm.stack[vm.calls[cc].base+(n-1)] = vm.poplvalue();
+		return name;
+	}
+	
 	private void getlocal(LuaState vm) {
 		LuaState threadVm = vm;
 		if ( vm.gettop() >= 4 ) {
@@ -267,18 +307,16 @@ public class DebugLib extends LFunction {
 		}
 		int level = vm.checkint(2);
 		int local = vm.checkint(3);
-		CallInfo ci = getcallinfo(vm, threadVm, level);
-		LValue value = LNil.NIL;
-		LValue name = LNil.NIL;
-		LocVars[] vars = ci.closure.p.locvars;
-		if ( local > 0 && local <= ci.top-ci.base ) {
-			value = threadVm.stack[ ci.base + local - 1 ];
-			if ( vars != null && local > 0 && local <= vars.length )
-				name = vars[local-1].varname;
+		LString name = getlocal(threadVm, threadVm.cc-(level-1), local);
+		if ( name != null ) {
+			LValue value = vm.poplvalue();
+			vm.resettop();
+			vm.pushlvalue(name);
+			vm.pushlvalue(value);
+		} else {
+			vm.resettop();
+			vm.pushnil();
 		}
-		vm.resettop();
-		vm.pushlvalue( name );
-		vm.pushlvalue( value );
 	}
 
 	private void setlocal(LuaState vm) {
@@ -289,17 +327,14 @@ public class DebugLib extends LFunction {
 		}
 		int level = vm.checkint(2);
 		int local = vm.checkint(3);
-		LValue value = vm.topointer(4);
-		CallInfo ci = getcallinfo(vm, threadVm, level);
-		LValue name = LNil.NIL;
-		LocVars[] vars = ci.closure.p.locvars;
-		if ( local > 0 && local <= ci.top-ci.base ) {
-			threadVm.stack[ ci.base + local - 1 ] = value;
-			if ( vars != null && local > 0 && local <= vars.length )
-				name = vars[local-1].varname;
-		}
+		vm.settop(4);
+		LString name = setlocal(threadVm, threadVm.cc-(level-1), local);
 		vm.resettop();
-		vm.pushlvalue( name );
+		if ( name != null ) {
+			vm.pushlvalue(name);
+		} else {
+			vm.pushnil();
+		}
 	}
 
 	private CallInfo getcallinfo(LuaState vm, LuaState threadVm, int level) {
diff --git a/src/test/res/debuglib.lua b/src/test/res/debuglib.lua
index 239c5b63..f541b680 100644
--- a/src/test/res/debuglib.lua
+++ b/src/test/res/debuglib.lua
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 local print,tostring,_G = print,tostring,_G
 local e,f,g,h,s
 print( 'has debug', debug~=nil )
+if not debug then error( 'no debug' ) end
 
--- debug.getfenv, debug.setfenv
 print( '----- debug.getfenv, debug.setfenv' )
 f = function(a)
 	return 'f:'..tostring(a)..'|'..tostring(b)
@@ -19,11 +19,13 @@ print( s, type(e), type(g), (e==G), pcall( f, 'abc' ) )
 print( '----- debug.getlocal, debug.setlocal' )
 h = function(v,i,n)
 	s = 'h-'..v..'-'..i
-	local x = debug.getlocal(v,i)
-	local y = debug.setlocal(v,i,n)
+	local x1,y1 = debug.getlocal(v,i)
+	local x2,y2 = debug.setlocal(v,i,n)
+	local x3,y3 = debug.getlocal(v,i)
 	return s..' -> '..v..'-'..i..' '.. 
-		'old='..tostring(x)..'('..tostring(y)..')'..' '.. 
-		'new='..tostring(n) 
+		'get='..tostring(x1)..','..tostring(y1)..' '.. 
+		'set='..tostring(x2)..','..tostring(y2)..' '.. 
+		'get='..tostring(x3)..','..tostring(y3)..' ' 
 end
 g = function(...)
 	local p,q,r=7,8,9
@@ -36,7 +38,12 @@ f = function(a,b,c)
 	local t = g(a,b,c)
 	return t..'\tf locals='..','..a..','..b..','..c..','..d..','..e..','..f
 end
-for lvl=1,3 do
+do lvl=1,1
+	for lcl=3,7 do
+		print( pcall( f, lvl, lcl, '#' ) ) 
+	end
+end
+do lvl=2,3
 	for lcl=0,7 do
 		print( pcall( f, lvl, lcl, '#' ) ) 
 	end