diff --git a/packages/mdx/lib/plugin/recma-jsx-rewrite.js b/packages/mdx/lib/plugin/recma-jsx-rewrite.js
index db2e16110..0858a0be5 100644
--- a/packages/mdx/lib/plugin/recma-jsx-rewrite.js
+++ b/packages/mdx/lib/plugin/recma-jsx-rewrite.js
@@ -243,25 +243,8 @@ export function recmaJsxRewrite(options = {}) {
             }
           }
 
-          /** @type {string} */
-          let key
-
-          // Add partials (so for `x.y.z` it’d generate `x` and `x.y` too).
-          for (key in scope.references) {
-            if (own.call(scope.references, key)) {
-              const parts = key.split('.')
-              let index = 0
-              while (++index < parts.length) {
-                const partial = parts.slice(0, index).join('.')
-                if (!own.call(scope.references, partial)) {
-                  scope.references[partial] = {
-                    node: scope.references[key].node,
-                    component: false
-                  }
-                }
-              }
-            }
-          }
+          /** @type {Array<Statement>} */
+          const statements = []
 
           if (defaults.length > 0 || actual.length > 0) {
             if (providerImportSource) {
@@ -356,60 +339,79 @@ export function recmaJsxRewrite(options = {}) {
               })
             }
 
-            // Arrow functions with an implied return:
-            if (fn.body.type !== 'BlockStatement') {
-              fn.body = {
-                type: 'BlockStatement',
-                body: [{type: 'ReturnStatement', argument: fn.body}]
+            statements.push({
+              type: 'VariableDeclaration',
+              kind: 'const',
+              declarations
+            })
+          }
+
+          /** @type {string} */
+          let key
+
+          // Add partials (so for `x.y.z` it’d generate `x` and `x.y` too).
+          for (key in scope.references) {
+            if (own.call(scope.references, key)) {
+              const parts = key.split('.')
+              let index = 0
+              while (++index < parts.length) {
+                const partial = parts.slice(0, index).join('.')
+                if (!own.call(scope.references, partial)) {
+                  scope.references[partial] = {
+                    node: scope.references[key].node,
+                    component: false
+                  }
+                }
               }
             }
+          }
 
-            /** @type {Array<Statement>} */
-            const statements = [
-              {
-                type: 'VariableDeclaration',
-                kind: 'const',
-                declarations
-              }
+          const references = Object.keys(scope.references).sort()
+          let index = -1
+          while (++index < references.length) {
+            const id = references[index]
+            const info = scope.references[id]
+            const place = stringifyPosition(positionFromEstree(info.node))
+            /** @type {Array<Expression>} */
+            const parameters = [
+              {type: 'Literal', value: id},
+              {type: 'Literal', value: info.component}
             ]
 
-            const references = Object.keys(scope.references).sort()
-            let index = -1
-            while (++index < references.length) {
-              const id = references[index]
-              const info = scope.references[id]
-              const place = stringifyPosition(positionFromEstree(info.node))
-              /** @type {Array<Expression>} */
-              const parameters = [
-                {type: 'Literal', value: id},
-                {type: 'Literal', value: info.component}
-              ]
-
-              createErrorHelper = true
-
-              if (development && place !== '1:1-1:1') {
-                parameters.push({type: 'Literal', value: place})
-              }
+            createErrorHelper = true
 
-              statements.push({
-                type: 'IfStatement',
-                test: {
-                  type: 'UnaryExpression',
-                  operator: '!',
-                  prefix: true,
-                  argument: toIdOrMemberExpression(id.split('.'))
-                },
-                consequent: {
-                  type: 'ExpressionStatement',
-                  expression: {
-                    type: 'CallExpression',
-                    callee: {type: 'Identifier', name: '_missingMdxReference'},
-                    arguments: parameters,
-                    optional: false
-                  }
-                },
-                alternate: null
-              })
+            if (development && place !== '1:1-1:1') {
+              parameters.push({type: 'Literal', value: place})
+            }
+
+            statements.push({
+              type: 'IfStatement',
+              test: {
+                type: 'UnaryExpression',
+                operator: '!',
+                prefix: true,
+                argument: toIdOrMemberExpression(id.split('.'))
+              },
+              consequent: {
+                type: 'ExpressionStatement',
+                expression: {
+                  type: 'CallExpression',
+                  callee: {type: 'Identifier', name: '_missingMdxReference'},
+                  arguments: parameters,
+                  optional: false
+                }
+              },
+              alternate: null
+            })
+          }
+
+          if (statements.length > 0) {
+            // Arrow functions with an implied return:
+            if (fn.body.type !== 'BlockStatement') {
+              fn.body = {
+                type: 'BlockStatement',
+                body: [{type: 'ReturnStatement', argument: fn.body}]
+              }
             }
 
             fn.body.body.unshift(...statements)
diff --git a/packages/mdx/test/compile.js b/packages/mdx/test/compile.js
index 9b19012a9..b98cf6c16 100644
--- a/packages/mdx/test/compile.js
+++ b/packages/mdx/test/compile.js
@@ -504,6 +504,40 @@ test('compile', async () => {
     )
   }
 
+  // TODO: this is incorrect behavior, will be fixed in GH-1986
+  try {
+    renderToStaticMarkup(
+      React.createElement(
+        await run(compileSync('export const a = {}\n\n<a.b />'))
+      )
+    )
+    assert.unreachable()
+  } catch (/** @type {unknown} */ error) {
+    const exception = /** @type {Error} */ (error)
+    assert.match(
+      exception.message,
+      /Expected component `a.b` to be defined/,
+      'should throw if a used member is not defined locally'
+    )
+  }
+
+  // TODO: this is incorrect behavior, will be fixed in GH-1986
+  try {
+    renderToStaticMarkup(
+      React.createElement(
+        await run(compileSync('<a render={(x) => <x.y />} />'))
+      )
+    )
+    assert.unreachable()
+  } catch (/** @type {unknown} */ error) {
+    const exception = /** @type {Error} */ (error)
+    assert.match(
+      exception.message,
+      /x is not defined/,
+      'should throw if a used member is not defined locally (JSX in a function)'
+    )
+  }
+
   try {
     renderToStaticMarkup(
       React.createElement(await run(compileSync('<X />', {development: true})))