diff --git a/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/src/interpreter/core.rs b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/src/interpreter/core.rs
index 3e20729e3..a1d77719b 100644
--- a/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/src/interpreter/core.rs
+++ b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/src/interpreter/core.rs
@@ -202,6 +202,10 @@ impl Interpreter {
         self.call_stack.clear();
         self.current_func_name = "<module>".to_string();
 
+        if let Err(e) = exec::hoist_functions(self, &stmts) {
+            return Err(self.format_error(input, e));
+        }
+
         for stmt in stmts {
             match &stmt.kind {
                 // Special case: if top-level statement is an expression, return its value
diff --git a/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/src/interpreter/exec.rs b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/src/interpreter/exec.rs
index f3271246b..3a1fe7378 100644
--- a/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/src/interpreter/exec.rs
+++ b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/src/interpreter/exec.rs
@@ -155,6 +155,46 @@ pub fn execute(interp: &mut Interpreter, stmt: &Stmt) -> Result<(), EldritchErro
     Ok(())
 }
 
+pub fn hoist_functions(interp: &mut Interpreter, stmts: &[Stmt]) -> Result<(), EldritchError> {
+    // Collect functions to hoist so we don't hold read locks while evaluating default params
+    // Only hoist the *first* definition of a given name in this block, to allow forward references,
+    // while sequential execution will properly overwrite later definitions.
+    let mut to_hoist = Vec::new();
+    let mut seen = BTreeSet::new();
+
+    for stmt in stmts {
+        if let StmtKind::Def(name, params, _return_annotation, body) = &stmt.kind {
+            if !seen.contains(name) {
+                seen.insert(name.clone());
+                to_hoist.push((name, params, body));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    for (name, params, body) in to_hoist {
+        let mut runtime_params = Vec::new();
+        for param in params {
+            match param {
+                Param::Normal(n, _) => runtime_params.push(RuntimeParam::Normal(n.clone())),
+                Param::Star(n, _) => runtime_params.push(RuntimeParam::Star(n.clone())),
+                Param::StarStar(n, _) => runtime_params.push(RuntimeParam::StarStar(n.clone())),
+                Param::WithDefault(n, _, _) => {
+                    runtime_params.push(RuntimeParam::WithDefault(n.clone(), Value::None));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        let func = Value::Function(Function {
+            name: name.clone(),
+            params: runtime_params,
+            body: body.clone(),
+            closure: interp.env.clone(),
+        });
+        interp.env.write().values.insert(name.clone(), func);
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 pub fn execute_stmts(interp: &mut Interpreter, stmts: &[Stmt]) -> Result<(), EldritchError> {
     for stmt in stmts {
         execute(interp, stmt)?;
diff --git a/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/regression_forward_ref.rs b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/regression_forward_ref.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..17b7a1b0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/regression_forward_ref.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+use eldritch_core::Interpreter;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_forward_reference() {
+    let mut interp = Interpreter::new();
+    let res = interp.interpret(
+        r#"
+def b():
+    a()
+
+def a():
+    print("A")
+
+b()
+"#,
+    );
+    if let Err(e) = res {
+        panic!("Failed with: {}", e);
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_redefine() {
+    let mut interp = Interpreter::new();
+    let res = interp.interpret(
+        r#"
+def b():
+    return a()
+
+def a():
+    return "A"
+
+res1 = b()
+
+def a():
+    return "A2"
+
+res2 = b()
+"#,
+    );
+    if let Err(e) = res {
+        panic!("Failed with: {}", e);
+    }
+    // Verify values
+    let env = interp.env.read();
+    let res1 = env.values.get("res1").unwrap();
+    let res2 = env.values.get("res2").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(res1, &eldritch_core::Value::String("A".to_string()));
+    assert_eq!(res2, &eldritch_core::Value::String("A2".to_string()));
+}
diff --git a/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_eval.rs b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_eval.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..27a215548
--- /dev/null
+++ b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_eval.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+use eldritch_core::Interpreter;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_manual() {
+    let mut interp = Interpreter::new();
+    let res = interp.interpret(
+        "
+def b():
+    a()
+
+def a():
+    print(\"A\")
+
+b()
+",
+    );
+    println!("result is {:?}", res);
+}
diff --git a/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_eval_2.rs b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_eval_2.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..845e841df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_eval_2.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+use eldritch_core::Interpreter;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_manual() {
+    let mut interp = Interpreter::new();
+    let res = interp.interpret(
+        "
+def b():
+    a()
+
+def a():
+    print(\"A\")
+
+b()
+",
+    );
+    println!("result is {:?}", res);
+    assert!(res.is_ok());
+}
diff --git a/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_eval_split.rs b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_eval_split.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..73d10f0d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_eval_split.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+use eldritch_core::Interpreter;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_manual() {
+    let mut interp = Interpreter::new();
+    let res = interp.interpret("def b():\n    a()");
+    println!("def b: {:?}", res);
+
+    let res = interp.interpret("def a():\n    print(\"A\")");
+    println!("def a: {:?}", res);
+
+    let res = interp.interpret("b()");
+    println!("result is {:?}", res);
+}
diff --git a/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_hoist.rs b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_hoist.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..34d268ea3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_hoist.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+use eldritch_core::Interpreter;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_hoist() {
+    let mut interp = Interpreter::new();
+    let res = interp.interpret(
+        "
+def b():
+    a()
+
+b()
+
+def a():
+    print(\"A\")
+",
+    );
+    println!("result is {:?}", res);
+    assert!(res.is_ok());
+}
diff --git a/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_nested.rs b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_nested.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dab6f11f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/implants/lib/eldritch/eldritch-core/tests/test_nested.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+use eldritch_core::Interpreter;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_nested() {
+    let mut interp = Interpreter::new();
+    let res = interp.interpret(
+        "
+def c():
+    def b():
+        a()
+    def a():
+        print(\"A\")
+    b()
+
+c()
+",
+    );
+    if let Err(e) = res {
+        panic!("Failed with: {}", e);
+    }
+}