diff --git a/src/rustc/metadata/decoder.rs b/src/rustc/metadata/decoder.rs
index 7209d4e67311768c58b3c24d9827789d30b44e2f..8f25281f4a8cfcc25be683f76d01db09e8a588d1 100644
--- a/src/rustc/metadata/decoder.rs
+++ b/src/rustc/metadata/decoder.rs
@@ -546,7 +546,11 @@ fn read_path(d: ebml::doc) -> {path: str, pos: uint} {
 
 fn describe_def(items: ebml::doc, id: ast::def_id) -> str {
     if id.crate != ast::local_crate { ret "external"; }
-    ret item_family_to_str(item_family(find_item(id.node, items)));
+    let it = alt maybe_find_item(id.node, items) {
+        some(it) { it }
+        none { fail (#fmt("describe_def: item not found %?", id)); }
+    };
+    ret item_family_to_str(item_family(it));
 }
 
 fn item_family_to_str(fam: char) -> str {
@@ -567,6 +571,8 @@ fn item_family_to_str(fam: char) -> str {
       'i' { ret "impl"; }
       'I' { ret "iface"; }
       'C' { ret "class"; }
+      'g' { ret "public field"; }
+      'j' { ret "private field"; }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/rustc/metadata/encoder.rs b/src/rustc/metadata/encoder.rs
index 7f2474e57ca97cc329bf294d5704ca065e5bc629..8390989e7dddc3e1d9193c535a997399be87d916 100644
--- a/src/rustc/metadata/encoder.rs
+++ b/src/rustc/metadata/encoder.rs
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ fn encode_module_item_paths(ebml_w: ebml::writer, ecx: @encode_ctxt,
                 encode_name_and_def_id(ebml_w, it.ident, it.id);
             }
             ebml_w.wr_tag(tag_paths) {||
-                // As in the res case, we add the same ident twice: for the
+                // We add the same ident twice: for the
                 // class and for its ctor
                 add_to_index(ebml_w, path, index, it.ident);
                 encode_named_def_id(ebml_w, it.ident,
@@ -422,8 +422,9 @@ fn encode_info_for_class(ecx: @encode_ctxt, ebml_w: ebml::writer,
                          id: node_id, path: ast_map::path,
                          class_tps: [ty_param],
                          items: [@class_member],
-                         global_index: @mut[entry<int>])
- -> [entry<int>] {
+                         global_index: @mut[entry<int>]) -> [entry<int>] {
+    /* Each class has its own index, since different classes
+       may have fields with the same name */
     let index = @mut [];
     let tcx = ecx.tcx;
     for items.each {|ci|
@@ -432,6 +433,7 @@ fn encode_info_for_class(ecx: @encode_ctxt, ebml_w: ebml::writer,
       alt ci.node {
         instance_var(nm, _, mt, id, vis) {
           *index += [{val: id, pos: ebml_w.writer.tell()}];
+          *global_index += [{val: id, pos: ebml_w.writer.tell()}];
           ebml_w.start_tag(tag_items_data_item);
           #debug("encode_info_for_class: doing %s %d", *nm, id);
           encode_visibility(ebml_w, vis);
@@ -446,8 +448,6 @@ fn encode_info_for_class(ecx: @encode_ctxt, ebml_w: ebml::writer,
            alt m.vis {
               public {
                 *index += [{val: m.id, pos: ebml_w.writer.tell()}];
-                /* Not sure whether we really need to have two indices,
-                   but it works for now -- tjc */
                 *global_index += [{val: m.id, pos: ebml_w.writer.tell()}];
                 let impl_path = path + [ast_map::path_name(m.ident)];
                 #debug("encode_info_for_class: doing %s %d", *m.ident, m.id);
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/issue-2192.rs b/src/test/run-pass/issue-2192.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2696327e77e5b330a5f587902acd0ec4f712f9b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/issue-2192.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#[crate_type = "lib"];
+
+class foo {
+    let mut x: int;
+    new(xx: int) { self.x = xx; }
+}