Index: generic/nsf.c
===================================================================
diff -u -r543954d52fb14cd2e8796a5c9e6bec60fd454291 -r0f86bfbcfeca560a5444cdd00bd535e0960e6d00
--- generic/nsf.c	(.../nsf.c)	(revision 543954d52fb14cd2e8796a5c9e6bec60fd454291)
+++ generic/nsf.c	(.../nsf.c)	(revision 0f86bfbcfeca560a5444cdd00bd535e0960e6d00)
@@ -13298,8 +13298,14 @@
 
 #if 1
   if (subMethodCmd != NULL) {
-    unsigned long cmdFlags = (unsigned long)Tcl_Command_flags(subMethodCmd);
-    if (unlikely((cmdFlags & NSF_CMD_CALL_PROTECTED_METHOD) != 0u)) {
+        unsigned long cmdFlags = (unsigned long)Tcl_Command_flags(subMethodCmd);
+
+    if (((cscPtr->flags & (NSF_CM_LOCAL_METHOD|NSF_CM_IGNORE_PERMISSIONS)) == 0u
+               && ((unsigned int)Tcl_Command_flags(subMethodCmd) & NSF_CMD_CALL_PRIVATE_METHOD) != 0u)
+              ) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "private ensemble method %p %s\n", subMethodCmd, methodName);
+      subMethodCmd = NULL;
+    } else if (unlikely((cmdFlags & NSF_CMD_CALL_PROTECTED_METHOD) != 0u)) {
       NsfObject *lastSelf;
       Tcl_CallFrame *framePtr0;
       int withinEnsemble = ((cscPtr->frameType & NSF_CSC_TYPE_ENSEMBLE) != 0u);
Index: tests/submethods.test
===================================================================
diff -u -r8b19916c76c0df6859339c8de9ba53dcdaa29104 -r0f86bfbcfeca560a5444cdd00bd535e0960e6d00
--- tests/submethods.test	(.../submethods.test)	(revision 8b19916c76c0df6859339c8de9ba53dcdaa29104)
+++ tests/submethods.test	(.../submethods.test)	(revision 0f86bfbcfeca560a5444cdd00bd535e0960e6d00)
@@ -969,7 +969,8 @@
   ? [list $C foo 7] "unable to dispatch sub-method \"7\" of $C foo; valid are: foo 6"
   ? [list $C eval {:foo 7}] "7"
   ? [list $C foo 8] "unable to dispatch sub-method \"8\" of $C foo; valid are: foo 6"
-  ? [list $C eval {:foo 8}] "8"; # ! should not be possible !
+  ? [list $C eval {:foo 8}] "unable to dispatch sub-method \"8\" of $C foo; valid are: foo 6";
+  ? [list $C eval {: -local foo 8}] "8";
   
   set c [$C new]
   
@@ -979,7 +980,8 @@
   ? [list $c foo 3] "unable to dispatch sub-method \"3\" of $c foo; valid are: foo 2"
   ? [list $c eval {:foo 3}] "3"
   ? [list $c foo 4] "unable to dispatch sub-method \"4\" of $c foo; valid are: foo 2"
-  ? [list $c eval {:foo 4}] "4"; # ! should not be possible !
+  ? [list $c eval {:foo 4}] "unable to dispatch sub-method \"4\" of $c foo; valid are: foo 2";
+  ? [list $c eval {: -local foo 4}] "4";
 
 }