diff --git a/lib/coffee-script/nodes.js b/lib/coffee-script/nodes.js
index 534811e5..ce72224f 100644
--- a/lib/coffee-script/nodes.js
+++ b/lib/coffee-script/nodes.js
@@ -2721,7 +2721,9 @@
       var catchPart, ensurePart, generatedErrorVariableName, placeholder, tryPart;
       o.indent += TAB;
       tryPart = this.attempt.compileToFragments(o, LEVEL_TOP);
-      catchPart = this.recovery ? (generatedErrorVariableName = o.scope.freeVariable('error'), placeholder = new Literal(generatedErrorVariableName), this.errorVariable ? this.recovery.unshift(new Assign(this.errorVariable, placeholder)) : void 0, [].concat(this.makeCode(" catch ("), placeholder.compileToFragments(o), this.makeCode(") {\n"), this.recovery.compileToFragments(o, LEVEL_TOP), this.makeCode("\n" + this.tab + "}"))) : !(this.ensure || this.recovery) ? [this.makeCode(" catch (" + generatedErrorVariableName + ") {}")] : [];
+      catchPart = this.recovery ? (generatedErrorVariableName = o.scope.freeVariable('error', {
+        reserve: false
+      }), placeholder = new Literal(generatedErrorVariableName), this.errorVariable ? this.recovery.unshift(new Assign(this.errorVariable, placeholder)) : void 0, [].concat(this.makeCode(" catch ("), placeholder.compileToFragments(o), this.makeCode(") {\n"), this.recovery.compileToFragments(o, LEVEL_TOP), this.makeCode("\n" + this.tab + "}"))) : !(this.ensure || this.recovery) ? [this.makeCode(" catch (" + generatedErrorVariableName + ") {}")] : [];
       ensurePart = this.ensure ? [].concat(this.makeCode(" finally {\n"), this.ensure.compileToFragments(o, LEVEL_TOP), this.makeCode("\n" + this.tab + "}")) : [];
       return [].concat(this.makeCode(this.tab + "try {\n"), tryPart, this.makeCode("\n" + this.tab + "}"), catchPart, ensurePart);
     };
diff --git a/src/nodes.coffee b/src/nodes.coffee
index 5f2c1a81..9f095d2b 100644
--- a/src/nodes.coffee
+++ b/src/nodes.coffee
@@ -1920,7 +1920,7 @@ exports.Try = class Try extends Base
     tryPart   = @attempt.compileToFragments o, LEVEL_TOP
 
     catchPart = if @recovery
-      generatedErrorVariableName = o.scope.freeVariable 'error'
+      generatedErrorVariableName = o.scope.freeVariable 'error', reserve: no
       placeholder = new Literal generatedErrorVariableName
       @recovery.unshift new Assign @errorVariable, placeholder if @errorVariable
       [].concat @makeCode(" catch ("), placeholder.compileToFragments(o), @makeCode(") {\n"),