diff --git a/Lib/test/test_scope.py b/Lib/test/test_scope.py
index b1549ef43eb..ab9e812a98f 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_scope.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_scope.py
@@ -647,6 +647,13 @@ result2 = h()
         self.assertEqual(2, global_ns["result2"])
         self.assertEqual(9, global_ns["result9"])
 
+    def testTopIsNotSignificant(self):
+        # See #9997.
+        def top(a):
+            pass
+        def b():
+            global a
+
 
 def test_main():
     with check_warnings(("import \* only allowed at module level",
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index d8f2f1b3d62..c2b674b2452 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ What's New in Python 2.7.1?
 Core and Builtins
 -----------------
 
+- Issue #9997: Don't let the name "top" have special significance in scope
+  resolution.
+
 - Issue #9862: Compensate for broken PIPE_BUF in AIX by hard coding
   its value as the default 512 when compiling on AIX.
 
diff --git a/Python/symtable.c b/Python/symtable.c
index 98d1e11564f..c18b39ecf15 100644
--- a/Python/symtable.c
+++ b/Python/symtable.c
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ symtable_enter_block(struct symtable *st, identifier name, _Py_block_ty block,
     st->st_cur = ste_new(st, name, block, ast, lineno);
     if (st->st_cur == NULL)
         return 0;
-    if (name == GET_IDENTIFIER(top))
+    if (block == ModuleBlock)
         st->st_global = st->st_cur->ste_symbols;
     if (prev) {
         if (PyList_Append(prev->ste_children,