diff --git a/nix-js/src/ir/utils.rs b/nix-js/src/ir/utils.rs
index 48312bb..e970982 100644
--- a/nix-js/src/ir/utils.rs
+++ b/nix-js/src/ir/utils.rs
@@ -398,6 +398,25 @@ where
         }
     }
 
+    // IMPORTANT: For `inherit x` (without `from`), we must look up `x` in the OUTER scope
+    // BEFORE adding the rec's slots to the scope. Otherwise, `x` would resolve to its own
+    // slot, causing infinite recursion.
+    let mut inherit_lookups: HashMap<SymId, (ExprId, TextRange)> = HashMap::new();
+    for entry in &entries {
+        if let ast::Entry::Inherit(inherit) = entry
+            && inherit.from().is_none()
+        {
+            for attr in inherit.attrs() {
+                if let ast::Attr::Ident(ident) = attr {
+                    let span = ident.syntax().text_range();
+                    let sym = ctx.new_sym(ident.to_string());
+                    let expr = ctx.lookup(sym, span)?;
+                    inherit_lookups.insert(sym, (expr, span));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     let binding_keys: Vec<_> = binding_syms.into_iter().collect();
     let slots: Vec<_> = ctx.reserve_slots(binding_keys.len()).collect();
     let let_bindings: HashMap<_, _> = binding_keys
@@ -421,7 +440,20 @@ where
         for entry in entries {
             match entry {
                 ast::Entry::Inherit(inherit) => {
-                    downgrade_inherit(inherit, &mut temp_attrs.stcs, ctx)?;
+                    if inherit.from().is_some() {
+                        // `inherit (from) x` - process normally, `from` may reference current scope
+                        downgrade_inherit(inherit, &mut temp_attrs.stcs, ctx)?;
+                    } else {
+                        // `inherit x` - use pre-looked-up expressions from outer scope
+                        for attr in inherit.attrs() {
+                            if let ast::Attr::Ident(ident) = attr {
+                                let sym = ctx.new_sym(ident.to_string());
+                                if let Some(&(expr, span)) = inherit_lookups.get(&sym) {
+                                    temp_attrs.stcs.insert(sym, (expr, span));
+                                }
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
                 ast::Entry::AttrpathValue(value) => {
                     downgrade_static_attrpathvalue(value, &mut temp_attrs, ctx)?;
diff --git a/nix-js/tests/basic_eval.rs b/nix-js/tests/basic_eval.rs
index af85462..ff3b682 100644
--- a/nix-js/tests/basic_eval.rs
+++ b/nix-js/tests/basic_eval.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ mod utils;
 use nix_js::value::Value;
 use utils::eval;
 
+use crate::utils::eval_result;
+
 #[test]
 fn arithmetic() {
     assert_eq!(eval("1 + 1"), Value::Int(2));
@@ -63,3 +65,8 @@ fn nested_let() {
         Value::Int(3)
     );
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn rec_inherit_fails() {
+    assert!(eval_result("{ inherit x; }").is_err());
+}