diff --git a/scribble-doc/scribblings/scribble/bnf.scrbl b/scribble-doc/scribblings/scribble/bnf.scrbl
index f1d51414..ce5de10f 100644
--- a/scribble-doc/scribblings/scribble/bnf.scrbl
+++ b/scribble-doc/scribblings/scribble/bnf.scrbl
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #lang scribble/doc
 @(require scribble/manual "utils.rkt" scribble/bnf
-          (for-label scribble/bnf))
+          ;; "utils.rkt" provides scribble/bnf for-label
+          )
 
 @title[#:tag "bnf"]{BNF Grammars}
 
@@ -43,44 +44,48 @@ produces the output
 
 See also @racket[racketgrammar].
 
-@defproc[(BNF [prod (cons element? (listof (or/c block? element?)))] ...) table?]{
+@defproc[(BNF [prod (cons/c (or/c block? content?)
+                            (non-empty-listof (or/c block? content?)))]
+              ...)
+         table?]{
 
 Typesets a grammar table. Each production starts with an element
 (typically constructed with @racket[nonterm]) for the non-terminal
 being defined, and then a list of possibilities (typically constructed
 with @racket[BNF-seq], etc.) to show on separate lines.}
 
-@defproc[(nonterm (pre-content any/c) ...) element?]{
+@defproc[(nonterm [pre-content pre-content?] ...) element?]{
 
 Typesets a non-terminal: italic in angle brackets.}
 
-@defproc[(BNF-seq [elem element?] ...) element?]{
+@defproc[(BNF-seq [elem content?] ...) (or/c element? "")]{
 
 Typesets a sequence.}
 
-@defproc[(BNF-seq-lines [elems (listof element?)] ...) block?]{
+@defproc[(BNF-seq-lines [elems (listof content?)] ...) block?]{
 
 Typesets a sequence that is broken into multiple lines, where each
 @racket[elems] is one line.}
 
-@defproc[(BNF-group [pre-content any/c] ...) element?]{
+@defproc[(BNF-group [pre-content pre-content?] ...) element?]{
 
 Typesets a group surrounded by curly braces (so the entire group can
 be repeated, for example).}
 
-@defproc[(optional [pre-content any/c] ...) element?]{
+@defproc[(optional [pre-content pre-content?] ...) element?]{
 
 Typesets an optional element: in square brackets.}
 
-@defproc[(kleenestar [pre-content any/c] ...) element?]{
+@defproc[(kleenestar [pre-content pre-content?] ...) element?]{
 
 Typesets a 0-or-more repetition.}
 
-@defproc[(kleeneplus [pre-content any/c] ...) element?]{
+@defproc[(kleeneplus [pre-content pre-content?] ...) element?]{
 
 Typesets a 1-or-more repetition.}
 
-@defproc[(kleenerange [n any/c] [m any/c] [pre-content any/c] ...) element?]{
+@defproc[(kleenerange [n any/c] [m any/c] [pre-content pre-content?] ...)
+         element?]{
 
 Typesets a @racket[n]-to-@racket[m] repetition. The @racket[n] and
 @racket[m] arguments are converted to a string using @racket[(format
@@ -92,6 +97,14 @@ Typesets alternatives for a production's right-hand side to appear on
 a single line. The result is normally used as a single possibility in
 a production list for @racket[BNF].}
 
-@defthing[BNF-etc string?]{
+@; BNF-alt/close is exported but undocumented.
+@; It looks like it produces a more densely packed version of
+@; BNF-alt, but I haven't confirmed this.
+
+@defthing[BNF-etc element?]{
+
+An element to use for omitted productions or content.
+Renders as: @BNF-etc
+}
+
 
-A string to use for omitted productions or content.}
diff --git a/scribble-lib/scribble/bnf.rkt b/scribble-lib/scribble/bnf.rkt
index 91af03e6..a974716d 100644
--- a/scribble-lib/scribble/bnf.rkt
+++ b/scribble-lib/scribble/bnf.rkt
@@ -1,19 +1,45 @@
 (module bnf racket
-  (require "struct.rkt"
-           "decode.rkt"
-           (only-in "core.rkt" 
+  (require scribble/decode
+           (except-in scribble/struct 
+                      element?)
+           (only-in scribble/core
+                    content?
+                    element?
                     make-style
                     make-table-columns)
-           mzlib/kw)
-
-  (provide BNF 
-           nonterm
-           BNF-seq BNF-seq-lines
-           BNF-alt  BNF-alt/close ; single-line alternatives
-           BNF-etc
-           BNF-group
-           optional kleenestar kleeneplus kleenerange)
+           )
 
+  (provide (contract-out
+            [BNF (-> (cons/c (or/c block? content?)
+                             (non-empty-listof (or/c block? content?)))
+                     ... 
+                     table?)]
+            [BNF-etc element?]
+            ;; operate on content
+            [BNF-seq (-> content? ... 
+                         (or/c element? ""))]
+            [BNF-seq-lines (-> (listof content?) ... 
+                               block?)]
+            [BNF-alt (-> content? ...
+                         element?)]
+            [BNF-alt/close (-> content? ...
+                               element?)]
+            ;; operate on pre-content
+            [BNF-group (-> pre-content? ...
+                           element?)]
+            [nonterm (-> pre-content? ...
+                         element?)]
+            [optional (-> pre-content? ...
+                          element?)]
+            [kleenestar (-> pre-content? ...
+                            element?)]
+            [kleeneplus (-> pre-content? ...
+                            element?)]
+            [kleenerange (-> any/c any/c pre-content? ...
+                             element?)]
+            ))
+  
+  
   (define spacer (make-element 'hspace (list " ")))
   (define equals (make-element 'tt (list spacer "::=" spacer)))
   (define alt (make-element 'tt (list spacer spacer "|" spacer spacer)))
@@ -33,14 +59,16 @@
                    (list baseline baseline baseline baseline))))
      (apply
       append
-      (map (lambda (defn)
-             (cons
-              (list (as-flow spacer) (as-flow (car defn)) (as-flow equals) (as-flow (cadr defn)))
-              (map (lambda (i)
-                     (list (as-flow spacer) (as-flow " ") (as-flow alt) (as-flow i)))
-                   (cddr defn))))
+      (map (match-lambda
+             [(cons lhs (cons rhs0 more-rhs))
+              (cons
+               (list (as-flow spacer) (as-flow lhs) (as-flow equals) (as-flow rhs0))
+               (map (lambda (i)
+                      (list (as-flow spacer) (as-flow " ") (as-flow alt) (as-flow i)))
+                    more-rhs))])
            defns))))
 
+  ;; interleave : (listof content?) element? -> element?
   (define (interleave l spacer)
     (make-element #f (cons (car l)
                            (apply append
@@ -65,28 +93,28 @@
 
   (define BNF-etc (make-element 'roman "..."))
 
-  (define/kw (nonterm #:body s)
+  (define (nonterm . s)
     (make-element 'roman (append (list 'lang)
                                  (list (make-element 'italic (decode-content s)))
                                  (list 'rang))))
 
-  (define/kw (optional #:body s)
+  (define (optional . s)
     (make-element #f (append (list (make-element 'roman "["))
                              (decode-content s)
                              (list (make-element 'roman "]")))))
 
-  (define/kw (BNF-group #:body s)
+  (define (BNF-group . s)
     (make-element #f (append (list (make-element 'roman "{"))
                              (list (apply BNF-seq (decode-content s)))
                              (list (make-element 'roman "}")))))
 
-  (define/kw (kleenestar #:body s)
+  (define (kleenestar . s)
     (make-element #f (append (decode-content s) (list (make-element 'roman "*")))))
 
-  (define/kw (kleeneplus #:body s)
+  (define (kleeneplus . s)
     (make-element #f (append (decode-content s) (list (make-element 'superscript (list "+"))))))
 
-  (define/kw (kleenerange a b #:body s)
+  (define (kleenerange a b . s)
     (make-element #f (append (decode-content s) 
                              (list (make-element 'roman 
                                                  (make-element 'superscript