diff --git a/compiler/mir/mirgen.nim b/compiler/mir/mirgen.nim
index 0367f555648..47af1a47368 100644
--- a/compiler/mir/mirgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/mir/mirgen.nim
@@ -2388,16 +2388,18 @@ proc generateAssignment*(graph: ModuleGraph, env: var MirEnv,
   ## `builder`'s currently selected buffer.
   assert n.kind == nkIdentDefs and n.len == 3
   var c = initCtx(graph, config, nil, move env)
-  # treat the code as top-level code so that no 'def' is generated for
-  # assignments to globals
-  c.scopeDepth = 1
 
   template swapState() =
     swap(c.sp.map, source)
     swap(c.builder, builder)
 
   swapState()
-  genLocInit(c, n[0], n[2])
+  # treat the code as top-level code so that no 'def' is generated for
+  # assignments to globals
+  c.scope(true):
+    # a scope is required, otherwise locals/temporaries cannot be registered
+    # for destruction
+    genLocInit(c, n[0], n[2])
   swapState()
   env = move c.env # move back
 
diff --git a/tests/global/twith_local_requiring_destruction.nim b/tests/global/twith_local_requiring_destruction.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..710712f3b2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/global/twith_local_requiring_destruction.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+discard """
+  description: '''
+    Ensure that not explicitly scoped locals/temporaries in `.global`
+    intializer expressions are destroyed.
+  '''
+  targets: c js vm
+  output: "destroy: 1"
+"""
+
+type Object = object
+  val: int
+
+proc `=destroy`(x: var Object) =
+  echo "destroy: ", x.val
+
+proc test() =
+  # the local (`x`) has no explicit scope
+  var g {.global.} = (var x = Object(val: 1); x.val)
+
+test()