diff --git a/src/jolt/backend.janet b/src/jolt/backend.janet
index a43c1b5..6625856 100644
--- a/src/jolt/backend.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/backend.janet
@@ -14,12 +14,9 @@
 (use ./evaluator)
 (import ./reader :as r)
 
-# Var late-binding: deref/set through the cell via a memoized closure so compiled
-# code sees redefinition (Janet early-binds plain symbols). Same scheme as the
-# bootstrap compiler.
-(defn- var-getter [cell]
-  (or (get cell :jolt/getter)
-      (let [g (fn [] (var-get cell))] (put cell :jolt/getter g) g)))
+# Var late-binding: reads go through `(var-get cell)` with the cell embedded as a
+# constant, so compiled code sees redefinition (Janet early-binds plain symbols)
+# — var-get reads the cell's root live. Writes go through a memoized setter.
 (defn- var-setter [cell]
   (or (get cell :jolt/setter)
       (let [s (fn [v] (bind-root cell v) cell)] (put cell :jolt/setter s) s)))
@@ -215,7 +212,10 @@
       :var (let [cell (cell-for ctx (node :ns) (node :name))]
              (if (direct-var? ctx cell)
                (cell :root)                          # direct link: embed the fn value
-               (tuple (var-getter cell))))           # indirect: live, redefinable
+               # Indirect: live deref. Quote the cell so it's embedded by
+               # reference (a bare table in arg position would be re-evaluated as
+               # a constructor — deep-copying it, and any atom in :root, each call).
+               (tuple var-get (tuple 'quote cell))))
       :if ['if (emit ctx (node :test)) (emit ctx (node :then)) (emit ctx (node :else))]
       :do (emit-seq ctx node)
       :loop (emit-loop ctx node)
diff --git a/src/jolt/types.janet b/src/jolt/types.janet
index b6d9823..ae56e4e 100644
--- a/src/jolt/types.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/types.janet
@@ -129,19 +129,25 @@
   "Deref the var. If the var is dynamic and has a thread-local binding, return that.
   Otherwise return the root binding."
   [v]
-  # walk binding stack top-down for this var
+  # Fast path: no dynamic bindings are active (the common case — the stack is
+  # only non-empty inside a `binding` block), so the value is just the root. This
+  # is the hot path for every global deref; skip building the walk otherwise.
   (def bs (cur-binding-stack))
-  (var result nil)
-  (var i (dec (length bs)))
-  (while (>= i 0)
-    (let [frame (in bs i)
-          val (get frame v)]
-      (if (not (nil? val))
-        (do
-          (set result (if (var? val) (var-get val) val))
-          (set i -1))
-        (-- i))))
-  (if (not (nil? result)) result (v :root)))
+  (if (= 0 (length bs))
+    (v :root)
+    # walk binding stack top-down for this var
+    (do
+      (var result nil)
+      (var i (dec (length bs)))
+      (while (>= i 0)
+        (let [frame (in bs i)
+              val (get frame v)]
+          (if (not (nil? val))
+            (do
+              (set result (if (var? val) (var-get val) val))
+              (set i -1))
+            (-- i))))
+      (if (not (nil? result)) result (v :root)))))
 
 (defn var-set
   "Set a var's value. If the var has a thread-local binding on the stack, update