diff --git a/compiler/obc/c/cgen.ml b/compiler/obc/c/cgen.ml
index 8275149..2105e2e 100644
--- a/compiler/obc/c/cgen.ml
+++ b/compiler/obc/c/cgen.ml
@@ -223,8 +223,10 @@ let rec assoc_type_lhs lhs var_env = match lhs with
     | Cty_ptr ty -> ty
     | _ -> Error.message no_location Error.Ederef_not_pointer)
   | CLfield(CLderef (CLvar "self"), { name = x }) -> assoc_type x var_env
+  (* TODO(Arduino): it's probably not necessary, but we could choose to
+     use assoc_type depending on the async state of the node *)
   | CLfield(CLderef (CLvar "_out"), { name = x }) -> assoc_type x var_env
-  (* FIXME(Arduino): do we have to do something here? *)
+  | CLfield(CLvar "_local_out", { name = x }) -> assoc_type x var_env
   | CLfield(x, f) ->
     let ty = assoc_type_lhs x var_env in
     let n = struct_name ty in
@@ -356,7 +358,7 @@ and clhs_of_pattern out out_env var_env l = match l.pat_desc with
       let n = name v in
       let n_lhs =
         if IdentSet.mem v out_env
-        then CLfield (CLderef (CLvar out), local_qn n)
+        then CLfield (clhs_of_cexpr out, local_qn n)
         else CLvar n
       in
 
@@ -385,7 +387,7 @@ and cexpr_of_pattern out out_env var_env l = match l.pat_desc with
       let n = name v in
       let n_lhs =
         if IdentSet.mem v out_env
-        then Cfield (Cderef (Cvar out), local_qn n)
+        then Cfield (out, local_qn n)
         else Cvar n
       in
 
@@ -412,7 +414,7 @@ and cexpr_of_ext_value out out_env var_env w = match w.w_desc with
     let n = name v in
     let n_lhs =
       if IdentSet.mem v out_env
-      then Cfield (Cderef (Cvar out), local_qn n)
+      then Cfield (out, local_qn n)
       else Cvar n
     in
 
@@ -452,7 +454,7 @@ let out_var_name_of_objn o =
 (** Creates the list of arguments to call a node. [targeting] is the targeting
     of the called node, [mem] represents the node context and [args] the
     argument list.*)
-let step_fun_call out_v out_env var_env sig_info objn out args =
+let step_fun_call out_env var_env sig_info objn out args =
   let rec add_targeting l ads = match l, ads with
     | [], [] -> []
     | e::l, ad::ads ->
@@ -471,7 +473,8 @@ let step_fun_call out_v out_env var_env sig_info objn out args =
              let rec mk_idx pl = match pl with
               | [] -> f
               | p::pl ->
-                Carray (mk_idx pl, cexpr_of_pattern out_v out_env var_env p)
+                Carray (mk_idx pl, cexpr_of_pattern (Cderef (Cvar "_out"))
+                  out_env var_env p)
              in
              mk_idx l
       ) in
@@ -496,7 +499,7 @@ let generate_function_call out_env var_env obj_env outvl objn args =
     else
       (* The step function takes scalar arguments and its own internal memory
           holding structure. *)
-      let args = step_fun_call "_out" out_env var_env sig_info objn out args in
+      let args = step_fun_call out_env var_env sig_info objn out args in
       (* Our C expression for the function call. *)
       Cfun_call (classn ^ "_step", args)
   in
@@ -719,7 +722,9 @@ let fun_def_of_step_fun n obj_env mem objs md =
       IdentSet.empty
       md.m_outputs
   in
-  let body = cstm_of_act_list "_out" out_env var_env obj_env md.m_body in
+  let body =
+    cstm_of_act_list (Cderef (Cvar "_out")) out_env var_env obj_env md.m_body
+  in
 
   Cfundef {
     C.f_name = fun_name;
@@ -745,6 +750,13 @@ let async_fun_def_of_step_fun n obj_env mem objs md copy_in_name
                    Cty_id (qn_append obj.o_class "_out"))
          (List.filter (fun obj -> not (is_op obj.o_class)) objs)) in
 
+  let out_vars =
+    List.fold_left
+      (fun out_vars s -> ("_local" ^ s, Cty_id (qn_append n s)) :: out_vars)
+      out_vars
+      ["_in"; "_out"]
+  in
+
   (* TODO(Arduino): Refactor with non-async version *)
   (* The body *)
   let mems = List.map cvar_of_vd (mem@md.m_outputs) in
@@ -756,26 +768,23 @@ let async_fun_def_of_step_fun n obj_env mem objs md copy_in_name
       md.m_outputs
   in
 
-  let local_in = ("_local_in", Cty_id (qn_append n "_in")) in
-  let local_out = ("_local_out", Cty_id (qn_append n "_out")) in
+  let local_in = Cvar "_local_in" in
+  let local_out = Cvar "_local_out" in
 
-  let copy_in = Cfun_call (copy_in_name,
-    [Caddrof (Cvar "_local_in"); Cvar "_in"]) in
 
+  let copy_in = Cfun_call (copy_in_name, [Caddrof local_in; Cvar "_in"]) in
   (* FIXME(Arduino): rename input & output variables *)
   let body =
-    cstm_of_act_list "_out" out_env var_env obj_env md.m_body
+    cstm_of_act_list local_out out_env var_env obj_env md.m_body
   in
-
-  let copy_out = Cfun_call (copy_out_name,
-    [Cvar "_out"; Caddrof (Cvar "_local_out")]) in
+  let copy_out = Cfun_call (copy_out_name, [Cvar "_out"; Caddrof local_out]) in
 
   Cfundef {
     C.f_name = fun_name;
     f_retty = Cty_void;
     f_args = args;
     f_body = {
-      var_decls = local_in :: local_out :: out_vars;
+      var_decls = out_vars;
       block_body = (Csexpr copy_in) :: body @ [Csexpr copy_out]
     }
   }
@@ -828,7 +837,8 @@ let reset_fun_def_of_class_def cd =
     if cd.cd_stateful then
       let var_env = List.map cvar_of_vd cd.cd_mems in
       let reset = find_reset_method cd in
-      cstm_of_act_list "_out" IdentSet.empty var_env cd.cd_objs reset.m_body
+      cstm_of_act_list (Cderef (Cvar "_out")) IdentSet.empty var_env cd.cd_objs
+        reset.m_body
     else
       []
   in