diff --git a/base/util.jl b/base/util.jl
index 4022167baf206..23a4e7f2ee870 100644
--- a/base/util.jl
+++ b/base/util.jl
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ macro timed(ex)
         local elapsedtime = time_ns()
         local val = $(esc(ex))
         elapsedtime = time_ns() - elapsedtime
-        diff = GC_Diff(gc_num(), stats)
+        local diff = GC_Diff(gc_num(), stats)
         val, elapsedtime/1e9, diff.total_allocd + diff.allocd, diff.total_time/1e9, diff
     end
 end
diff --git a/src/jlfrontend.scm b/src/jlfrontend.scm
index 6e5187e5d3d6c..dcd5e73380950 100644
--- a/src/jlfrontend.scm
+++ b/src/jlfrontend.scm
@@ -65,9 +65,7 @@
      ;; vars assigned anywhere, if they have been defined as global
      (filter defined-julia-global (find-possible-globals e))))
    (append
-    (if (null? (find-decls 'local e))
-	'()
-	(error "local declaration in global scope"))
+    (find-decls 'local e)
     (find-decls 'local! e))))
 
 ;; return a lambda expression representing a thunk for a top-level expression
diff --git a/test/misc.jl b/test/misc.jl
index 72da0aa902139..04b9ea07e3515 100644
--- a/test/misc.jl
+++ b/test/misc.jl
@@ -142,3 +142,28 @@ let l = ReentrantLock()
     unlock(l)
     @test_throws ErrorException unlock(l)
 end
+
+# timing macros
+
+# test that they don't introduce global vars
+global v11801, t11801, names_before_timing
+names_before_timing = names(current_module(), true)
+
+let t = @elapsed 1+1
+    @test isa(t, Real) && t >= 0
+end
+
+let
+    val, t = @timed sin(1)
+    @test val == sin(1)
+    @test isa(t, Real) && t >= 0
+end
+
+# problem after #11801 - at global scope
+t11801 = @elapsed 1+1
+@test isa(t11801,Real) && t11801 >= 0
+v11801, t11801 = @timed sin(1)
+@test v11801 == sin(1)
+@test isa(t11801,Real) && t11801 >= 0
+
+@test names(current_module(), true) == names_before_timing