diff --git a/docs/docs/configuration/queryable-projections.mdx b/docs/docs/configuration/queryable-projections.mdx
index b24eef90e2..d433684777 100644
--- a/docs/docs/configuration/queryable-projections.mdx
+++ b/docs/docs/configuration/queryable-projections.mdx
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public static partial class CarMapper
 Mapperly tries to inline user-implemented mapping methods.
 For this to work, user-implemented mapping methods need to satisfy certain limitations:
 
-- Only expression-bodied methods can be inlined.
+- Only expression-bodied methods or methods that consist of a single local variable declaration expression can be inlined.
 - The body needs to follow the [expression tree limitations](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/advanced-topics/expression-trees/#limitations).
 - Nested MethodGroups cannot be inlined.
 
diff --git a/src/Riok.Mapperly/Descriptors/MappingBuilders/InlineExpressionMappingBuilder.cs b/src/Riok.Mapperly/Descriptors/MappingBuilders/InlineExpressionMappingBuilder.cs
index 3b40a06df0..51c0b5c84e 100644
--- a/src/Riok.Mapperly/Descriptors/MappingBuilders/InlineExpressionMappingBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/Riok.Mapperly/Descriptors/MappingBuilders/InlineExpressionMappingBuilder.cs
@@ -26,12 +26,13 @@ public static class InlineExpressionMappingBuilder
 
         var methodSyntax = methodSyntaxRef.GetSyntax();
 
-        var bodyExpression = methodSyntax switch
+        if (methodSyntax is not MethodDeclarationSyntax { ParameterList.Parameters: [var sourceParameter] } methodDeclaration)
         {
-            MethodDeclarationSyntax { ExpressionBody: { } body, ParameterList.Parameters: [var sourceParameter1] } => body.Expression,
-            MethodDeclarationSyntax { Body.Statements: [ReturnStatementSyntax singleStatement] } => singleStatement.Expression,
-            _ => null
-        };
+            ctx.ReportDiagnostic(DiagnosticDescriptors.QueryableProjectionMappingCannotInline, mapping.Method);
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        var bodyExpression = TryGetBodyExpression(methodDeclaration);
         if (bodyExpression == null)
         {
             ctx.ReportDiagnostic(DiagnosticDescriptors.QueryableProjectionMappingCannotInline, mapping.Method);
@@ -52,12 +53,32 @@ public static class InlineExpressionMappingBuilder
             return null;
         }
 
-        if (methodSyntax is not MethodDeclarationSyntax { ParameterList.Parameters: [var sourceParameter] })
+        return new UserImplementedInlinedExpressionMapping(mapping, sourceParameter, inlineRewriter.MappingInvocations, bodyExpression);
+    }
+
+    private static ExpressionSyntax? TryGetBodyExpression(MethodDeclarationSyntax methodDeclaration)
+    {
+        return methodDeclaration switch
         {
-            ctx.ReportDiagnostic(DiagnosticDescriptors.QueryableProjectionMappingCannotInline, mapping.Method);
-            return null;
-        }
+            // => expression
+            { ExpressionBody: { } body } => body.Expression,
 
-        return new UserImplementedInlinedExpressionMapping(mapping, sourceParameter, inlineRewriter.MappingInvocations, bodyExpression);
+            // { return expression; }
+            { Body.Statements: [ReturnStatementSyntax singleStatement] } => singleStatement.Expression,
+
+            // { var dest = expression; return dest; }
+            {
+                Body.Statements: [
+                    LocalDeclarationStatementSyntax
+                    {
+                        Declaration.Variables: [{ Initializer: { } variableInitializer } variableDeclarator]
+                    },
+                    ReturnStatementSyntax { Expression: IdentifierNameSyntax identifierName }
+                ]
+            } when identifierName.Identifier.Value == variableDeclarator.Identifier.Value
+                => variableInitializer.Value,
+
+            _ => null
+        };
     }
 }
diff --git a/test/Riok.Mapperly.Tests/Mapping/QueryableProjectionUserImplementedTest.cs b/test/Riok.Mapperly.Tests/Mapping/QueryableProjectionUserImplementedTest.cs
index 57126800af..e8eb25a086 100644
--- a/test/Riok.Mapperly.Tests/Mapping/QueryableProjectionUserImplementedTest.cs
+++ b/test/Riok.Mapperly.Tests/Mapping/QueryableProjectionUserImplementedTest.cs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ private D MapToD(C v)
     }
 
     [Fact]
-    public Task ClassToClassNonInlinedMethod()
+    public Task ClassToClassInlinedSingleDeclaration()
     {
         var source = TestSourceBuilder.MapperWithBodyAndTypes(
             """
@@ -63,6 +63,29 @@ private D MapToD(C v)
         return TestHelper.VerifyGenerator(source);
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public Task ClassToClassNonInlinedMethod()
+    {
+        var source = TestSourceBuilder.MapperWithBodyAndTypes(
+            """
+            private partial System.Linq.IQueryable<B> Map(System.Linq.IQueryable<A> source);
+
+            private D MapToD(C v)
+            {
+                var dest = new D();
+                dest.Value = v.Value + "-mapped";
+                return dest;
+            }
+            """,
+            "class A { public string StringValue { get; set; } public C NestedValue { get; set; } }",
+            "class B { public string StringValue { get; set; } public D NestedValue { get; set; } }",
+            "class C { public string Value { get; set; } }",
+            "class D { public string Value { get; set; } }"
+        );
+
+        return TestHelper.VerifyGenerator(source);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public Task ClassToClassUserImplementedOrdering()
     {
diff --git a/test/Riok.Mapperly.Tests/_snapshots/QueryableProjectionUserImplementedTest.ClassToClassInlinedSingleDeclaration#Mapper.g.verified.cs b/test/Riok.Mapperly.Tests/_snapshots/QueryableProjectionUserImplementedTest.ClassToClassInlinedSingleDeclaration#Mapper.g.verified.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..43067ed7ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Riok.Mapperly.Tests/_snapshots/QueryableProjectionUserImplementedTest.ClassToClassInlinedSingleDeclaration#Mapper.g.verified.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+//HintName: Mapper.g.cs
+// <auto-generated />
+#nullable enable
+public partial class Mapper
+{
+    [global::System.CodeDom.Compiler.GeneratedCode("Riok.Mapperly", "0.0.1.0")]
+    private partial global::System.Linq.IQueryable<global::B> Map(global::System.Linq.IQueryable<global::A> source)
+    {
+#nullable disable
+        return System.Linq.Queryable.Select(source, x => new global::B()
+        {
+            StringValue = x.StringValue,
+            NestedValue = new global::D { Value = x.NestedValue.Value + "-mapped" },
+        });
+#nullable enable
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file