We propose a new, controlled approximation scheme that explicitly includes the effects of non-local correlations on the D = solution. In contrast to the usual D = case, the self-energy is self-consistently coupled to two-particle correlation functions. The formalism is general, and is applied to the two-dimensional Falicov-Kimball model. Our approach possesses all the strengths of the large-D solution, and allows one to undertake a systematic study of the effects of inclusion of k -dependent effects on the D = picture. Results for the density of states ( ), and the single-particle spectral density for the 2D Falicov-Kimball model always yield positive definite ( ), and the spectral function shows striking new features inaccessible for D = . Our results are in good agreement with the exact results known from the 2D Falicov-Kimball model.