diff --git a/grails-plugin-controllers/src/main/groovy/org/grails/compiler/web/ControllerActionTransformer.java b/grails-plugin-controllers/src/main/groovy/org/grails/compiler/web/ControllerActionTransformer.java
index 096547ad9e6..7fca974eb45 100644
--- a/grails-plugin-controllers/src/main/groovy/org/grails/compiler/web/ControllerActionTransformer.java
+++ b/grails-plugin-controllers/src/main/groovy/org/grails/compiler/web/ControllerActionTransformer.java
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@ protected void initializeCommandObjectParameter(final BlockStatement wrapper,
         final ArgumentListExpression initializeCommandObjectArguments = args(classX(commandObjectNode), constX(paramName));
         final MethodCallExpression initializeCommandObjectMethodCall = callThisX("initializeCommandObject", initializeCommandObjectArguments);
         applyDefaultMethodTarget(initializeCommandObjectMethodCall, commandObjectNode);
-        final Expression assignCommandObjectToParameter = declX(localVarX(paramName), initializeCommandObjectMethodCall);
+        final Expression assignCommandObjectToParameter = assignX(varX(paramName, commandObjectNode), initializeCommandObjectMethodCall);
         wrapper.addStatement(stmt(assignCommandObjectToParameter));
     }