diff --git a/include/openscad_cpp_parser/api.hpp b/include/openscad_cpp_parser/api.hpp
index c41b4ca..070a736 100644
--- a/include/openscad_cpp_parser/api.hpp
+++ b/include/openscad_cpp_parser/api.hpp
@@ -48,6 +48,18 @@ std::unique_ptr<Scope> buildScopes(const std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ASTNode>>&
 // why this exists. Never takes ownership.
 std::unique_ptr<Scope> buildScopes(const std::vector<ASTNode*>& ast);
 
+// Same, but recording into a table the CALLER owns, and not attaching it to
+// the returned root.
+//
+// For a resolution that spans several files: `use <file>` builds a separate
+// root Scope per used file, but all of them are read back through one
+// evaluation, so their nodes' scopes have to land in ONE table. A per-root
+// table would leave the outer evaluation unable to see anything the nested
+// resolutions recorded -- every node of a used file would read back as
+// having no scope.
+std::unique_ptr<Scope> buildScopesInto(const std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ASTNode>>& ast, ScopeTable& table);
+std::unique_ptr<Scope> buildScopesInto(const std::vector<ASTNode*>& ast, ScopeTable& table);
+
 // Parses `code`. Throws ParseError (with the full caret diagnostic) on a
 // syntax error.
 //
diff --git a/src/scope.cpp b/src/scope.cpp
index 2b669e8..07a1a72 100644
--- a/src/scope.cpp
+++ b/src/scope.cpp
@@ -8,26 +8,36 @@
 
 namespace oscad {
 
-std::unique_ptr<Scope> buildScopes(const std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ASTNode>>& ast) {
-    auto owned = std::make_unique<ScopeTable>();
-    ScopeTableScope recording(*owned);
+std::unique_ptr<Scope> buildScopesInto(const std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ASTNode>>& ast, ScopeTable& table) {
+    ScopeTableScope recording(table);
     auto root = std::make_unique<Scope>();
     collectHoistedDeclarations(ast, *root);
     for (auto& node : ast) {
         node->buildScope(*root);
     }
-    root->adoptTable(std::move(owned));
     return root;
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<Scope> buildScopes(const std::vector<ASTNode*>& ast) {
+std::unique_ptr<Scope> buildScopes(const std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ASTNode>>& ast) {
     auto owned = std::make_unique<ScopeTable>();
-    ScopeTableScope recording(*owned);
+    auto root = buildScopesInto(ast, *owned);
+    root->adoptTable(std::move(owned));
+    return root;
+}
+
+std::unique_ptr<Scope> buildScopesInto(const std::vector<ASTNode*>& ast, ScopeTable& table) {
+    ScopeTableScope recording(table);
     auto root = std::make_unique<Scope>();
     collectHoistedDeclarations(ast, *root);
     for (ASTNode* node : ast) {
         node->buildScope(*root);
     }
+    return root;
+}
+
+std::unique_ptr<Scope> buildScopes(const std::vector<ASTNode*>& ast) {
+    auto owned = std::make_unique<ScopeTable>();
+    auto root = buildScopesInto(ast, *owned);
     root->adoptTable(std::move(owned));
     return root;
 }