From 0adc82997a5be0ed828dc41115add0dcda5485c9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: James Prior <jamesgr.prior@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 6 May 2026 07:37:11 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Move `self` handling to variable lookup

---
 lib/liquid.rb                 |  1 -
 lib/liquid/context.rb         |  4 ----
 lib/liquid/expression.rb      |  2 --
 lib/liquid/self_drop.rb       | 38 -----------------------------------
 lib/liquid/variable_lookup.rb | 17 ++++++++++------
 5 files changed, 11 insertions(+), 51 deletions(-)
 delete mode 100644 lib/liquid/self_drop.rb

diff --git a/lib/liquid.rb b/lib/liquid.rb
index dce089772..4d0a71a64 100644
--- a/lib/liquid.rb
+++ b/lib/liquid.rb
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ module Liquid
 require 'liquid/parser'
 require 'liquid/i18n'
 require 'liquid/drop'
-require 'liquid/self_drop'
 require 'liquid/tablerowloop_drop'
 require 'liquid/forloop_drop'
 require 'liquid/extensions'
diff --git a/lib/liquid/context.rb b/lib/liquid/context.rb
index 7902ebcff..516556615 100644
--- a/lib/liquid/context.rb
+++ b/lib/liquid/context.rb
@@ -206,10 +206,6 @@ def find_variable(key, raise_on_not_found: true)
       # path and find_index() is optimized in MRI to reduce object allocation
       index = @scopes.find_index { |s| s.key?(key) }
 
-      # `self` resolves to a SelfDrop (enabling `self['var']` lookups),
-      # but only when it hasn't been explicitly assigned as a local variable.
-      return SelfDrop.new(self) if key == Expression::SELF && !index
-
       variable = if index
         lookup_and_evaluate(@scopes[index], key, raise_on_not_found: raise_on_not_found)
       else
diff --git a/lib/liquid/expression.rb b/lib/liquid/expression.rb
index 7e15f85b0..00c40a4c3 100644
--- a/lib/liquid/expression.rb
+++ b/lib/liquid/expression.rb
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 
 module Liquid
   class Expression
-    SELF = 'self'
-
     LITERALS = {
       nil => nil,
       'nil' => nil,
diff --git a/lib/liquid/self_drop.rb b/lib/liquid/self_drop.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 357814653..000000000
--- a/lib/liquid/self_drop.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-# frozen_string_literal: true
-
-module Liquid
-  # @liquid_public_docs
-  # @liquid_type object
-  # @liquid_name self
-  # @liquid_summary
-  #   Provides access to variables through the current scope chain.
-  # @liquid_description
-  #   The `self` object resolves variables through the normal lookup hierarchy
-  #   (local > file > global) without exposing filters, interrupts, errors,
-  #   or other context internals. It's used when bare bracket notation
-  #   (`['variable']`) needs to be replaced with an explicit variable lookup.
-  #
-  #   If `self` is explicitly assigned as a local variable (e.g. `{% assign self = 'value' %}`),
-  #   then the local value takes precedence over the `self` object.
-  # @liquid_access global
-  class SelfDrop < Drop
-    def initialize(context)
-      super()
-      @context = context
-    end
-
-    def [](key)
-      @context.find_variable(key)
-    rescue UndefinedVariable
-      nil
-    end
-
-    def key?(key)
-      @context.variable_defined?(key)
-    end
-
-    def to_liquid
-      self
-    end
-  end
-end
diff --git a/lib/liquid/variable_lookup.rb b/lib/liquid/variable_lookup.rb
index 4fba2a658..ac6a5a8a0 100644
--- a/lib/liquid/variable_lookup.rb
+++ b/lib/liquid/variable_lookup.rb
@@ -64,9 +64,14 @@ def evaluate(context)
           res    = context.lookup_and_evaluate(object, key)
           object = res.to_liquid
 
-          # Some special cases. If the part wasn't in square brackets and
-          # no key with the same name was found we interpret following calls
-          # as commands and call them on the current object
+        # If "self" is not in scope or `self[key]` does not exist, try to
+        # resolve `key` in the current scope.
+        elsif i == 0 && name == "self" && key.is_a?(String) && context.variable_defined?(key)
+          object = context.find_variable(key)
+
+        # Some special cases. If the part wasn't in square brackets and
+        # no key with the same name was found we interpret following calls
+        # as commands and call them on the current object
         elsif lookup_command?(i) && object.respond_to?(key)
           object = object.send(key).to_liquid
 
@@ -75,9 +80,9 @@ def evaluate(context)
         elsif lookup_command?(i) && object.is_a?(String) && (key == "first" || key == "last")
           object = key == "first" ? (object[0] || "") : (object[-1] || "")
 
-          # No key was present with the desired value and it wasn't one of the directly supported
-          # keywords either. The only thing we got left is to return nil or
-          # raise an exception if `strict_variables` option is set to true
+        # No key was present with the desired value and it wasn't one of the directly supported
+        # keywords either. The only thing we got left is to return nil or
+        # raise an exception if `strict_variables` option is set to true
         else
           return nil unless context.strict_variables
           raise Liquid::UndefinedVariable, "undefined variable #{key}"