diff --git a/collects/scribble/private/manual-form.rkt b/collects/scribble/private/manual-form.rkt
index 76b8f922..17c0de12 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/private/manual-form.rkt
+++ b/collects/scribble/private/manual-form.rkt
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
                    (syntax->list #'(lit ...)))
          #'(with-togetherable-racket-variables
             (lit ...)
-            ([form spec] [form spec1] ...
+            ([form [defined-id spec]] [form [defined-id spec1]] ...
              [non-term (non-term-id non-term-form ...)] ...)
             (*defforms defined-id-expr
                        '(spec spec1 ...)
diff --git a/collects/scribble/private/manual-vars.rkt b/collects/scribble/private/manual-vars.rkt
index c287f7d5..6cfb7b7f 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/private/manual-vars.rkt
+++ b/collects/scribble/private/manual-vars.rkt
@@ -75,12 +75,18 @@
                                     (do-proc (car s-exp)))))])
                         (do-proc s-exp))]
                      [(form form/none form/maybe non-term)
+                      (define skip-id (case (syntax-e kind)
+                                         [(form) 
+                                          (syntax-case s-exp ()
+                                            [(defined-id actual-s-exp) (let ([id #'defined-id])
+                                                                         (and (identifier? id)
+                                                                              id))]
+                                            [_ #f])]
+                                         [else #f]))
                       (let loop ([form (case (syntax-e kind)
-                                         [(form) (if (identifier? s-exp)
-                                                     null
-                                                     (if (pair? (syntax-e s-exp))
-                                                         (cdr (syntax-e s-exp))
-                                                         null))]
+                                         [(form) 
+                                          (syntax-case s-exp ()
+                                            [(defined-id actual-s-exp) #'actual-s-exp])]
                                          [(form/none) s-exp]
                                          [(form/maybe)
                                           (syntax-case s-exp ()
@@ -88,7 +94,9 @@
                                             [(#t (id . form)) #'form])]
                                          [(non-term) s-exp])])
                         (if (identifier? form)
-                            (unless (or (eq? (syntax-e form) '...)
+                            (unless (or (and skip-id
+                                             (free-identifier=? skip-id form))
+                                        (eq? (syntax-e form) '...)
                                         (eq? (syntax-e form) '...+)
                                         (eq? (syntax-e form) 'code:line)
                                         (eq? (syntax-e form) 'code:blank)