diff --git a/packages/minimongo/minimongo_tests.js b/packages/minimongo/minimongo_tests.js
index 94ea0146e2..d939ac541c 100644
--- a/packages/minimongo/minimongo_tests.js
+++ b/packages/minimongo/minimongo_tests.js
@@ -908,7 +908,9 @@ Tinytest.add("minimongo - selector_compiler", function (test) {
 
   // $where
   match({$where: "this.a === 1"}, {a: 1});
+  match({$where: "obj.a === 1"}, {a: 1});
   nomatch({$where: "this.a !== 1"}, {a: 1});
+  nomatch({$where: "obj.a !== 1"}, {a: 1});
   nomatch({$where: "this.a === 1", a: 2}, {a: 1});
   match({$where: "this.a === 1", b: 2}, {a: 1, b: 2});
   match({$where: "this.a === 1 && this.b === 2"}, {a: 1, b: 2});
diff --git a/packages/minimongo/selector.js b/packages/minimongo/selector.js
index 81632754ad..42798fecde 100644
--- a/packages/minimongo/selector.js
+++ b/packages/minimongo/selector.js
@@ -162,10 +162,14 @@ var LOGICAL_OPERATORS = {
 
   "$where": function(selectorValue) {
     if (!(selectorValue instanceof Function)) {
-      selectorValue = Function("return " + selectorValue);
+      // XXX MongoDB seems to have more complex logic to decide where or or not
+      // to add "return"; not sure exactly what it is.
+      selectorValue = Function("obj", "return " + selectorValue);
     }
     return function (doc) {
-      return selectorValue.call(doc);
+      // We make the document available as both `this` and `obj`.
+      // XXX not sure what we should do if this throws
+      return selectorValue.call(doc, doc);
     };
   },