diff --git a/netmisc.h b/netmisc.h
index 6d7ce1315..d6f7ad94b 100644
--- a/netmisc.h
+++ b/netmisc.h
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ static inline bool test_function_return_value(const symbol_search_results&search
 
 extern bool symbol_search(const LineInfo*li, Design*des, NetScope*scope,
 			  pform_name_t path, struct symbol_search_results*res,
-			  NetScope*start_scope = 0);
+			  NetScope*start_scope = nullptr, bool prefix_scope = false);
 
 extern bool symbol_search(const LineInfo *li, Design *des, NetScope *scope,
 			  const pform_scoped_name_t &path,
diff --git a/symbol_search.cc b/symbol_search.cc
index ba471d301..013783720 100644
--- a/symbol_search.cc
+++ b/symbol_search.cc
@@ -39,10 +39,9 @@ using namespace std;
 
 bool symbol_search(const LineInfo*li, Design*des, NetScope*scope,
 		   pform_name_t path, struct symbol_search_results*res,
-		   NetScope*start_scope)
+		   NetScope*start_scope, bool prefix_scope)
 {
       assert(scope);
-      bool prefix_scope = false;
 
       if (debug_elaborate) {
 	    cerr << li->get_fileline() << ": symbol_search: "
@@ -69,7 +68,8 @@ bool symbol_search(const LineInfo*li, Design*des, NetScope*scope,
       // recursively. Ideally, the result is a scope that we search
       // for the tail key, but there are other special cases as well.
       if (! path.empty()) {
-	    bool flag = symbol_search(li, des, scope, path, res, start_scope);
+	    bool flag = symbol_search(li, des, scope, path, res, start_scope,
+				      prefix_scope);
 	    if (! flag)
 		  return false;
 
@@ -314,14 +314,17 @@ bool symbol_search(const LineInfo *li, Design *des, NetScope *scope,
 		   struct symbol_search_results *res)
 {
       NetScope *search_scope = scope;
+      bool prefix_scope = false;
 
       if (path.package) {
 	    search_scope = des->find_package(path.package->pscope_name());
 	    if (!search_scope)
 		  return false;
+	    prefix_scope = true;
       }
 
-      return symbol_search(li, des, search_scope, path.name, res, nullptr);
+      return symbol_search(li, des, search_scope, path.name, res, search_scope,
+			   prefix_scope);
 }
 
 /*