The XYZ::test function has the statement local *name = \'boris';. That statement chagnes the scalar reference part of *XYZ::name not only the value of the scalar it points to. Now, the ABC package copies the old scalar reference to the *ABC::scalar_alias glob, so it won't see the new reference. (The same would be true if you changed that statement to local $name = 'boris'; because the local keyword also replaces the scalar reference.)