diff --git a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/win32/canvas.rkt b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/win32/canvas.rkt
index 6e3b0751..160c71a2 100644
--- a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/win32/canvas.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/win32/canvas.rkt
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@
            canvas-hwnd))
 
      (define hwnd (or panel-hwnd canvas-hwnd))
+     (define dc #f)
 
      (super-new [parent parent]
                 [hwnd hwnd]
@@ -244,7 +245,7 @@
 	   0
 	   (default w msg wParam lParam)))
      
-     (define dc (new dc% [canvas this] [transparent? (memq 'transparent style)]))
+     (set! dc (new dc% [canvas this] [transparent? (memq 'transparent style)]))
      (send dc start-backing-retained)
 
      (define/public (get-dc) dc)
diff --git a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mrlib/syntax-browser.rkt b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mrlib/syntax-browser.rkt
index 4e9681ca..b4017710 100644
--- a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mrlib/syntax-browser.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mrlib/syntax-browser.rkt
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ needed to really make this work:
       (define/override (write stream)
         (send stream put (string->bytes/utf-8 (format "~s" (marshall-syntax main-stx)))))
       
+      (define path '())
+      (define next-push 0)
       (define-values (datum paths-ht) (syntax-object->datum/record-paths main-stx))
       
       (define output-text (new text:hide-caret/selection%))
@@ -88,8 +90,6 @@ needed to really make this work:
               0
               (send text last-position)))
       
-      (define path '())
-      (define next-push 0)
       (define/private (push!)
         (set! path (cons next-push path))
         (set! next-push 0))