Index: generic/xotcl.c
===================================================================
diff -u -rdb7c710aa3b6386c33af9a318876f21a88b8aafd -r594443fc204cdb7338f03998db2ca1c7dd5d102a
--- generic/xotcl.c	(.../xotcl.c)	(revision db7c710aa3b6386c33af9a318876f21a88b8aafd)
+++ generic/xotcl.c	(.../xotcl.c)	(revision 594443fc204cdb7338f03998db2ca1c7dd5d102a)
@@ -1568,9 +1568,15 @@
     INCR_REF_COUNT(key);
     newVar = VarHashCreateVar(Tcl_Namespace_varTable(nsPtr), key, &new);
     DECR_REF_COUNT(key);
-
+    
 #if defined(PRE85)
-    newVar->nsPtr = (Namespace *)nsPtr;
+# if FORWARD_COMPATIBLE
+    if (!forwardCompatibleMode) {
+      newVar->nsPtr = (Namespace *)ns;
+    }
+# else
+    newVar->nsPtr = (Namespace *)ns;
+# endif
 #endif
     *varPtr = (Tcl_Var)newVar;
   }