diff --git a/grails-plugin-controllers/src/main/groovy/org/grails/compiler/web/ControllerActionTransformer.java b/grails-plugin-controllers/src/main/groovy/org/grails/compiler/web/ControllerActionTransformer.java
index 3cbc4ecd8a7..096547ad9e6 100644
--- a/grails-plugin-controllers/src/main/groovy/org/grails/compiler/web/ControllerActionTransformer.java
+++ b/grails-plugin-controllers/src/main/groovy/org/grails/compiler/web/ControllerActionTransformer.java
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 import grails.web.controllers.ControllerMethod;
 import groovy.lang.Closure;
 import groovy.transform.CompilationUnitAware;
-import org.apache.groovy.ast.tools.AnnotatedNodeUtils;
 import org.apache.groovy.ast.tools.ClassNodeUtils;
 import org.codehaus.groovy.ast.ASTNode;
 import org.codehaus.groovy.ast.AnnotationNode;
@@ -98,6 +97,7 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
+import static org.codehaus.groovy.ast.tools.GeneralUtils.*;
 import static org.grails.compiler.injection.GrailsASTUtils.applyDefaultMethodTarget;
 import static org.grails.compiler.injection.GrailsASTUtils.applyMethodTarget;
 import static org.grails.compiler.injection.GrailsASTUtils.buildGetMapExpression;
@@ -843,16 +843,11 @@ protected void initializeAndValidateCommandObjectParameter(final BlockStatement
 
     protected void initializeCommandObjectParameter(final BlockStatement wrapper,
             final ClassNode commandObjectNode, final String paramName, SourceUnit source) {
-
-        final ArgumentListExpression initializeCommandObjectArguments = new ArgumentListExpression();
-        initializeCommandObjectArguments.addExpression(new ClassExpression(commandObjectNode));
-        initializeCommandObjectArguments.addExpression(new ConstantExpression(paramName));
-        final MethodCallExpression initializeCommandObjectMethodCall = new MethodCallExpression(new VariableExpression("this"), "initializeCommandObject", initializeCommandObjectArguments);
+        final ArgumentListExpression initializeCommandObjectArguments = args(classX(commandObjectNode), constX(paramName));
+        final MethodCallExpression initializeCommandObjectMethodCall = callThisX("initializeCommandObject", initializeCommandObjectArguments);
         applyDefaultMethodTarget(initializeCommandObjectMethodCall, commandObjectNode);
-        
-        final Expression assignCommandObjectToParameter = new BinaryExpression(new VariableExpression(paramName), Token.newSymbol(Types.EQUALS, 0, 0), initializeCommandObjectMethodCall);
-        
-        wrapper.addStatement(new ExpressionStatement(assignCommandObjectToParameter));
+        final Expression assignCommandObjectToParameter = declX(localVarX(paramName), initializeCommandObjectMethodCall);
+        wrapper.addStatement(stmt(assignCommandObjectToParameter));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/grails-test-suite-web/src/test/groovy/org/grails/web/commandobjects/CommandObjectsSpec.groovy b/grails-test-suite-web/src/test/groovy/org/grails/web/commandobjects/CommandObjectsSpec.groovy
index a7c14fe59c7..f65f884d599 100644
--- a/grails-test-suite-web/src/test/groovy/org/grails/web/commandobjects/CommandObjectsSpec.groovy
+++ b/grails-test-suite-web/src/test/groovy/org/grails/web/commandobjects/CommandObjectsSpec.groovy
@@ -316,6 +316,13 @@ class TestController {
         [command: co]
     }
 
+    private seeIssue13486() {
+        // the presence of this local variable could break
+        // the compile-time generated no-arg methodActionWithDate()
+        // see https://github.com/grails/grails-core/issues/13486
+        String co
+    }
+
     def methodActionWithArtist(Artist a) {
         [artist: a]
     }