diff --git a/src/lib/eval.ml b/src/lib/eval.ml
index ee7f53e..fae5ce8 100644
--- a/src/lib/eval.ml
+++ b/src/lib/eval.ml
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ module Make (S : Types.State) (E : Types.Exec) = struct
                           match executable with
                           | "export" ->
                               let updated =
-                                handle_export_or_readonly `Export ctx args
+                                handle_assignments `Export ctx args
                               in
                               let job =
                                 handle_job job
@@ -374,7 +374,17 @@ module Make (S : Types.State) (E : Types.Exec) = struct
                                 rest
                           | "readonly" ->
                               let updated =
-                                handle_export_or_readonly `Readonly ctx args
+                                handle_assignments `Readonly ctx args
+                              in
+                              let job =
+                                handle_job job
+                                  (`Built_in (updated >|= fun _ -> ()))
+                              in
+                              loop (Exit.value updated) job stdout_of_previous
+                                rest
+                          | "local" ->
+                              let updated =
+                                handle_assignments `Local ctx args
                               in
                               let job =
                                 handle_job job
@@ -835,7 +845,7 @@ module Make (S : Types.State) (E : Types.Exec) = struct
         in
         (Exit.zero ctx, List.concat cst)
 
-  and handle_export_or_readonly kind ctx (assignments : string list) =
+  and handle_assignments kind ctx (assignments : string list) =
     let flags, assignments =
       List.fold_left
         (fun (fs, args) v ->
@@ -848,6 +858,9 @@ module Make (S : Types.State) (E : Types.Exec) = struct
       match kind with
       | `Export -> update ~export:true ~readonly:false
       | `Readonly -> update ~export:false ~readonly:true
+      | `Local ->
+          fun ctx ~param v ->
+            Exit.zero { ctx with local_state = (param, v) :: ctx.local_state }
     in
     let read_arg acc_ctx param =
       (* TODO: quoting? *)
@@ -869,6 +882,7 @@ module Make (S : Types.State) (E : Types.Exec) = struct
           match kind with
           | `Readonly -> S.pp_readonly Fmt.stdout ctx.state
           | `Export -> S.pp_export Fmt.stdout ctx.state
+          | `Local -> ()
         end;
         Exit.zero ctx
 
diff --git a/src/lib/types.ml b/src/lib/types.ml
index 36355d6..15700a8 100644
--- a/src/lib/types.ml
+++ b/src/lib/types.ml
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ module type State = sig
     string ->
     (t, string) result
   (** Update the state with a new parameter mapping and whether or not it should
-      exported to the environment (default false). *)
+      exported to the environment (default false), if it is readonly (default
+      false). *)
 
   val remove : param:string -> t -> bool * t
   (** [remove ~param t] removes [param] from [t] if it exists. [bool] is [true]