diff --git a/parse.y b/parse.y
index 7c51806ab7..8a53a40309 100644
--- a/parse.y
+++ b/parse.y
@@ -500,6 +500,7 @@ static VALUE ripper_get_value(VALUE);
 #define get_value(val) ripper_get_value(val)
 static VALUE assignable(struct parser_params*,VALUE);
 static int id_is_var(struct parser_params *p, ID id);
+static bool parser_numbered_param(struct parser_params *p, unsigned long n);
 
 #define method_cond(p,node,loc) (node)
 #define call_bin_op(p, recv,id,arg1,op_loc,loc) dispatch3(binary, (recv), STATIC_ID2SYM(id), (arg1))
@@ -3899,7 +3900,7 @@ var_ref		: user_variable
 		    /*%%%*/
 			if (!($$ = gettable(p, $1, &@$))) $$ = NEW_BEGIN(0, &@$);
 		    /*%
-			if (id_is_var(p, get_id($1))) {
+			if (parser_numbered_param(p, $1) || id_is_var(p, get_id($1))) {
 			    $$ = dispatch1(var_ref, $1);
 			}
 			else {