diff --git a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
index 9e9ac82..e8c471e 100644
--- a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
+++ b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
@@ -2088,11 +2088,12 @@ class InteractiveShell(SingletonConfigurable):
             magic_arg_s = self.var_expand(line, stack_depth)
             # Put magic args in a list so we can call with f(*a) syntax
             args = [magic_arg_s]
+            kwargs = {}
             # Grab local namespace if we need it:
             if getattr(fn, "needs_local_scope", False):
-                args.append(sys._getframe(stack_depth).f_locals)
+                kwargs['local_ns'] = sys._getframe(stack_depth).f_locals
             with self.builtin_trap:
-                result = fn(*args)
+                result = fn(*args,**kwargs)
             return result
 
     def run_cell_magic(self, magic_name, line, cell):
diff --git a/IPython/core/magics/execution.py b/IPython/core/magics/execution.py
index 7d0b2d0..3ea8c79 100644
--- a/IPython/core/magics/execution.py
+++ b/IPython/core/magics/execution.py
@@ -812,7 +812,7 @@ python-profiler package from non-free.""")
     @skip_doctest
     @needs_local_scope
     @line_magic
-    def time(self,parameter_s, user_locals):
+    def time(self,parameter_s, local_ns=None):
         """Time execution of a Python statement or expression.
 
         The CPU and wall clock times are printed, and the value of the
@@ -884,11 +884,11 @@ python-profiler package from non-free.""")
         wall_st = wtime()
         if mode=='eval':
             st = clock2()
-            out = eval(code, glob, user_locals)
+            out = eval(code, glob, local_ns)
             end = clock2()
         else:
             st = clock2()
-            exec code in glob, user_locals
+            exec code in glob, local_ns
             end = clock2()
             out = None
         wall_end = wtime()
diff --git a/IPython/extensions/octavemagic.py b/IPython/extensions/octavemagic.py
index a0114bf..edba5c5 100644
--- a/IPython/extensions/octavemagic.py
+++ b/IPython/extensions/octavemagic.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ from xml.dom import minidom
 
 from IPython.core.displaypub import publish_display_data
 from IPython.core.magic import (Magics, magics_class, line_magic,
-                                line_cell_magic)
+                                line_cell_magic, needs_local_scope)
 from IPython.testing.skipdoctest import skip_doctest
 from IPython.core.magic_arguments import (
     argument, magic_arguments, parse_argstring
@@ -182,12 +182,13 @@ class OctaveMagics(Magics):
         help='Plot format (png, svg or jpg).'
         )
 
+    @needs_local_scope
     @argument(
         'code',
         nargs='*',
         )
     @line_cell_magic
-    def octave(self, line, cell=None):
+    def octave(self, line, cell=None, local_ns=None):
         '''
         Execute code in Octave, and pull some of the results back into the
         Python namespace.
@@ -237,18 +238,24 @@ class OctaveMagics(Magics):
         if cell is None:
             code = ''
             return_output = True
-            line_mode = True
         else:
             code = cell
             return_output = False
-            line_mode = False
 
         code = ' '.join(args.code) + code
 
+        # if there is no local namespace then default to an empty dict
+        if local_ns is None:
+            local_ns = {}
+
         if args.input:
             for input in ','.join(args.input).split(','):
                 input = unicode_to_str(input)
-                self._oct.put(input, self.shell.user_ns[input])
+                try:
+                    val = local_ns[input]
+                except KeyError:
+                    val = self.shell.user_ns[input]
+                self._oct.put(input, val)
 
         # generate plots in a temporary directory
         plot_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
diff --git a/IPython/extensions/rmagic.py b/IPython/extensions/rmagic.py
index b4d807b..f9cf9f7 100644
--- a/IPython/extensions/rmagic.py
+++ b/IPython/extensions/rmagic.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ ro.conversion.py2ri = numpy2ri
 
 from IPython.core.displaypub import publish_display_data
 from IPython.core.magic import (Magics, magics_class, cell_magic, line_magic,
-                                line_cell_magic)
+                                line_cell_magic, needs_local_scope)
 from IPython.testing.skipdoctest import skip_doctest
 from IPython.core.magic_arguments import (
     argument, magic_arguments, parse_argstring
@@ -344,8 +344,9 @@ class RMagics(Magics):
         'code',
         nargs='*',
         )
+    @needs_local_scope
     @line_cell_magic
-    def R(self, line, cell=None):
+    def R(self, line, cell=None, local_ns=None):
         '''
         Execute code in R, and pull some of the results back into the Python namespace.
 
@@ -482,7 +483,8 @@ class RMagics(Magics):
 
         # arguments 'code' in line are prepended to
         # the cell lines
-        if not cell:
+
+        if cell is None:
             code = ''
             return_output = True
             line_mode = True
@@ -493,9 +495,17 @@ class RMagics(Magics):
 
         code = ' '.join(args.code) + code
 
+        # if there is no local namespace then default to an empty dict
+        if local_ns is None:
+            local_ns = {}
+
         if args.input:
             for input in ','.join(args.input).split(','):
-                self.r.assign(input, self.pyconverter(self.shell.user_ns[input]))
+                try:
+                    val = local_ns[input]
+                except KeyError:
+                    val = self.shell.user_ns[input]
+                self.r.assign(input, self.pyconverter(val))
 
         png_argdict = dict([(n, getattr(args, n)) for n in ['units', 'height', 'width', 'bg', 'pointsize']])
         png_args = ','.join(['%s=%s' % (o,v) for o, v in png_argdict.items() if v is not None])
diff --git a/IPython/extensions/tests/test_octavemagic.py b/IPython/extensions/tests/test_octavemagic.py
index a94d48f..521570f 100644
--- a/IPython/extensions/tests/test_octavemagic.py
+++ b/IPython/extensions/tests/test_octavemagic.py
@@ -62,3 +62,24 @@ def test_octave_plot():
                       'plot([1, 2, 3]); figure; plot([4, 5, 6]);')
 
     nt.assert_equal(test_octave_plot.svgs_generated, 2)
+
+def test_octavemagic_localscope():
+    ip = get_ipython()
+    ip.magic('load_ext octavemagic')
+    ip.push({'x':0})
+    ip.run_line_magic('octave', '-i x -o result result = x+1')
+    result = ip.user_ns['result']
+    nt.assert_equal(result, 1)
+
+    ip.run_cell('''def octavemagic_addone(u):
+    %octave -i u -o result result = u+1
+    return result''')
+    ip.run_cell('result = octavemagic_addone(1)')
+    result = ip.user_ns['result']
+    nt.assert_equal(result, 2)
+
+    nt.assert_raises(
+        KeyError,
+        ip.run_line_magic,
+        "octave",
+        "-i var_not_defined 1+1")
diff --git a/IPython/extensions/tests/test_rmagic.py b/IPython/extensions/tests/test_rmagic.py
index 5f2d4d4..a5849e9 100644
--- a/IPython/extensions/tests/test_rmagic.py
+++ b/IPython/extensions/tests/test_rmagic.py
@@ -60,3 +60,23 @@ def test_cell_magic():
     ip.run_cell_magic('R', '-i x,y -o r,xc a=lm(y~x)', snippet)
     np.testing.assert_almost_equal(ip.user_ns['xc'], [3.2, 0.9])
     np.testing.assert_almost_equal(ip.user_ns['r'], np.array([-0.2,  0.9, -1. ,  0.1,  0.2]))
+
+
+def test_rmagic_localscope():
+    ip.push({'x':0})
+    ip.run_line_magic('R', '-i x -o result result <-x+1')
+    result = ip.user_ns['result']
+    nt.assert_equal(result[0], 1)
+
+    ip.run_cell('''def rmagic_addone(u):
+    %R -i u -o result result <- u+1
+    return result[0]''')
+    ip.run_cell('result = rmagic_addone(1)')
+    result = ip.user_ns['result']
+    nt.assert_equal(result, 2)
+
+    nt.assert_raises(
+        KeyError,
+        ip.run_line_magic,
+        "R",
+        "-i var_not_defined 1+1")