diff -r 0c588a96837c -r 0cde1379b29f src/compiler/BytecodeEmitter.cpp
--- a/src/compiler/BytecodeEmitter.cpp	Mon Nov 19 02:12:13 2012 -0800
+++ b/src/compiler/BytecodeEmitter.cpp	Thu Dec 20 00:59:38 2012 -0800
@@ -282,6 +282,22 @@
     return true;
 }
 
+void
+BytecodeEmitter::newref(VariableSymbol *var)
+{
+    recordOops();
+    if (var->storage() == VariableSymbol::Local) {
+        ensure(OP_VARREF_LIFO_LENGTH);
+        writeOp(OP_VARREF_LIFO);
+    } else {
+        assert(var->storage() == VariableSymbol::Arg);
+        ensure(OP_ARGREF_LIFO_LENGTH);
+        writeOp(OP_ARGREF_LIFO);
+    }
+    writeUint32(var->slot());
+    markOop(1);
+}
+
 Code *
 BytecodeEmitter::finish()
 {