diff --git a/integration-tests/lts/update.test.ts b/integration-tests/lts/update.test.ts
index a8df1fb79..f8ba7f09e 100644
--- a/integration-tests/lts/update.test.ts
+++ b/integration-tests/lts/update.test.ts
@@ -83,6 +83,28 @@ describe("update", () => {
     })).toEdgeQL();
   });
 
+  test("nested update and explicit with", async () => {
+    e.params({ movieId: e.uuid }, (params) => {
+      const movie = e.select(e.Movie, (m) => ({
+        filter: e.op(m.id, "=", params.movieId),
+      }));
+
+      const updateChar = e.update(movie.characters, (c) => ({
+        set: {
+          name: e.str_lower(c.name),
+        },
+      }));
+
+      const updateProfile = e.update(movie.profile, (p) => ({
+        set: {
+          a: e.str_upper(p.a),
+        },
+      }));
+
+      return e.with([updateChar, updateProfile], e.select(movie));
+    }).toEdgeQL();
+  });
+
   test("scoped update", async () => {
     const query = e.update(e.Hero, (hero) => ({
       filter_single: e.op(hero.name, "=", data.spidey.name),
diff --git a/packages/generate/src/syntax/toEdgeQL.ts b/packages/generate/src/syntax/toEdgeQL.ts
index 70c827f33..c2861df2c 100644
--- a/packages/generate/src/syntax/toEdgeQL.ts
+++ b/packages/generate/src/syntax/toEdgeQL.ts
@@ -278,6 +278,8 @@ export function $toEdgeQL(this: any) {
       // check all references and aliases are within this block
       const validScopes = new Set([
         withBlock,
+        // expressions already explictly bound to with block are also valid scopes
+        ...(withBlocks.get(withBlock) ?? []),
         ...walkExprCtx.seen.get(withBlock)!.childExprs,
       ]);
       for (const scope of [
@@ -432,6 +434,13 @@ function walkExprTree(
       for (const refExpr of expr.__refs__) {
         walkExprTree(refExpr, expr.__expr__, ctx);
         const seenRef = ctx.seen.get(refExpr as any)!;
+        if (seenRef.childExprs.includes(expr.__expr__)) {
+          throw new Error(
+            `Ref expressions in with() cannot reference the expression to ` +
+              `which the 'WITH' block is being attached. ` +
+              `Consider wrapping the expression in a select.`,
+          );
+        }
         if (seenRef.boundScope) {
           throw new Error(`Expression bound to multiple 'WITH' blocks`);
         }