diff --git a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_param.hpp b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_param.hpp
index 4ad8c756..a367bb3a 100644
--- a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_param.hpp
+++ b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_param.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,26 @@ protected:
   } // declare
 }; // Param
 
+
+class GlobalParam : public Variable_impl
+{
+public:
+  GlobalParam(const std::string& name, 
+        const Arabica::XPath::XPathExpressionPtr<std::string>& select,
+        const Precedence& precedence) :
+      Variable_impl(name, select, precedence)
+  {
+  } // GlobalParam
+
+  virtual ~GlobalParam() { }
+
+protected:
+  virtual void execute(const DOM::Node<std::string>& node, ExecutionContext& context) const 
+  {
+    context.declareParam(node, *this);
+  } // declare
+}; // GlobalParam
+
 } // namespace XSLT
 } // namespace Arabica
 #endif
diff --git a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_stylesheet_compiler.hpp b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_stylesheet_compiler.hpp
index 3b2b56fd..9b047bff 100755
--- a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_stylesheet_compiler.hpp
+++ b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_stylesheet_compiler.hpp
@@ -196,11 +196,11 @@ const ChildElement StylesheetHandler::allowedChildren[] =
     { "key", CreateHandler<KeyHandler>},
     { "namespace-alias", CreateHandler<NamespaceAliasHandler>},
     { "output", CreateHandler<OutputHandler>},
-    { "param", CreateHandler<TopLevelVariableHandler<Param> >},
+    { "param", CreateHandler<TopLevelVariableHandler<GlobalParam> >},
     { "preserve-space", CreateHandler<NotImplementedYetHandler>},
     { "strip-space", CreateHandler<NotImplementedYetHandler>},
     { "template", CreateHandler<TemplateHandler> },
-    { "variable", CreateHandler<TopLevelVariableHandler<Variable> > },
+    { "variable", CreateHandler<TopLevelVariableHandler<GlobalVariable> > },
     { 0, 0 }
   }; // StylesheetHandler::allowedChildren
 
diff --git a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable.hpp b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable.hpp
index 133022e6..672b7e1f 100644
--- a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable.hpp
+++ b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable.hpp
@@ -26,6 +26,24 @@ public:
   } // declare
 }; // Variable
 
+class GlobalVariable : public Variable_impl
+{
+public:
+  GlobalVariable(const std::string& name,
+           const Arabica::XPath::XPathExpressionPtr<std::string>& select,
+           const Precedence precedence) :
+      Variable_impl(name, select, precedence)
+  {
+  } // Variable
+
+  virtual ~GlobalVariable() { }
+
+  virtual void execute(const DOM::Node<std::string>& node, ExecutionContext& context) const 
+  {
+    context.declareVariable(node, *this);
+  } // declare
+}; // class GlobalVariable          
+
 } // namespace XSLT
 } // namespace Arabica
 #endif
diff --git a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable_stack.hpp b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable_stack.hpp
index 9b5b2ba6..cca1a118 100755
--- a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable_stack.hpp
+++ b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable_stack.hpp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ namespace XSLT
 {
 
 class Variable_instance;
-typedef boost::shared_ptr<Variable_instance> Variable_instance_ptr;
+typedef Variable_instance* Variable_instance_ptr;
 typedef std::map<std::string, Variable_instance_ptr> Scope;
 
 class Variable_instance
diff --git a/tests/XSLT/TO-DO b/tests/XSLT/TO-DO
index b12d1162..99537c67 100644
--- a/tests/XSLT/TO-DO
+++ b/tests/XSLT/TO-DO
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+Introduce GlobalVariable and GlobalParam.
+Rename Variable_instance to DeclaredVariable.
+Get rid of Variable_declaration.  Variables should implement Variable_instance.  
+Normal variables don't bother with injectGlobalScope,  GlobalVariables do.
+Variables become their own closures.  Forget all the ref counting nonsense, it is not necessary.
+Normal variables resolve immediately and push themselves on the stack.
+GlobalVariables resolve on demand. 
+
+====================================================
 Elements test suite
 Errors test suite