diff --git a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler.dart b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler.dart
index 721f433a732..ca43d5a9dbf 100644
--- a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler.dart
+++ b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler.dart
@@ -8065,6 +8065,12 @@ class ProgramCompiler extends ComputeOnceConstantVisitor<js_ast.Expression>
     var init = _visitExpression(v.initializer!);
     var body = _visitExpression(node.body);
     var temp = _tempVariables.remove(v);
+    // TODO(eernst): Remove the following `if` if anonymous-methods is rejected.
+    // Otherwise, revise this method to be more readable.
+    // See https://github.com/dart-lang/language/issues/260.
+    if (temp == null && !_isTemporaryVariable(v)) {
+      temp = _emitVariableRef(v);
+    }
     if (temp != null) {
       if (_letVariables != null) {
         init = js_ast.Assignment(temp, init);
diff --git a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler_new.dart b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler_new.dart
index a19b2c5c526..922e363bfbe 100644
--- a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler_new.dart
+++ b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/kernel/compiler_new.dart
@@ -8938,6 +8938,12 @@ class LibraryCompiler extends ComputeOnceConstantVisitor<js_ast.Expression>
     var init = _visitExpression(v.initializer!);
     var body = _visitExpression(node.body);
     var temp = _tempVariables.remove(v);
+    // TODO(eernst): Remove the following `if` if anonymous-methods is rejected.
+    // Otherwise, revise this method to be more readable.
+    // See https://github.com/dart-lang/language/issues/260.
+    if (temp == null && !_isTemporaryVariable(v)) {
+      temp = _emitVariableRef(v);
+    }
     if (temp != null) {
       if (_letVariables != null) {
         init = js_ast.Assignment(temp, init);