diff --git a/collects/mred/private/snipfile.ss b/collects/mred/private/snipfile.ss
index ed990c49..db4e61ae 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/snipfile.ss
+++ b/collects/mred/private/snipfile.ss
@@ -15,18 +15,39 @@
 
   ;; snip-class% and editor-data-class% loaders
 
+  (define (ok-string-element? m)
+    (and (string? m)
+         (regexp-match? #rx"^[-a-zA-Z0-9_. ]+$" m)
+         (not (string=? m ".."))
+         (not (string=? m "."))))
+  
+  (define (ok-lib-path? m)
+    (and (pair? m)
+         (eq? 'lib (car m))
+         (pair? (cdr m))
+         (list? m)
+         (andmap ok-string-element? (cdr m))))
+
   (let ([load-one
 	 (lambda (str id %)
-	   (let ([m (with-handlers ([void (lambda (x) #f)])
+	   (let ([m (with-handlers ([exn:fail:read? (lambda (x) #f)])
 		      (and (regexp-match #rx"^[(].*[)]$" str)
-			   (read (open-input-string str))))])
-	     (if (and (list? m)
-		      (eq? 'lib (car m))
-		      (andmap string? (cdr m)))
-		 (let ([result (dynamic-require m id)])
-		   (if (is-a? result %)
-		       result
-		       (error 'load-class "not a ~a% instance" id)))
+                           (let* ([p (open-input-string str)]
+                                  [m (read p)])
+                             (and (eof-object? (read p))
+                                  m))))])
+	     (if (or (ok-lib-path? m)
+                     (and (list? m)
+                          (= (length m) 2)
+                          (ok-lib-path? (car m)
+                          (ok-lib-path? (cadr m)))))
+                 (let ([m (if (ok-lib-path? m)
+                              m
+                              (car m))])
+                   (let ([result (dynamic-require m id)])
+                     (if (is-a? result %)
+                         result
+                         (error 'load-class "not a ~a% instance" id))))
 		 #f)))])
     ;; install the getters:
     (wx:set-snip-class-getter 
@@ -233,7 +254,7 @@
     (let ([p (open-input-file filename)])
       (port-count-lines! p)
       (let ([p (cond
-		[(regexp-match-peek #rx#"^WXME01[0-9][0-9] ## " p)
+		[(regexp-match-peek #rx#"^(?:#reader(lib\"wxme[.]ss\"\"mred\"))?WXME01[0-9][0-9] ## " p)
 		 (let ([t (make-object text%)])
 		   (send t insert-port p 'standard)
 		   (close-input-port p)