diff --git a/collects/scribble/base.rkt b/collects/scribble/base.rkt
index d3d7fc4431..75b61be446 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/base.rkt
+++ b/collects/scribble/base.rkt
@@ -495,6 +495,7 @@
                  element?)]
  [url (-> string? element?)]
  [margin-note (->* () () #:rest (listof pre-flow?) block?)]
+ [margin-note* (->* () () #:rest (listof pre-content?) element?)]
  [centered (->* () () #:rest (listof pre-flow?) block?)]
  [verbatim (->* (string?) (#:indent exact-nonnegative-integer?) #:rest (listof string?) block?)])
 
@@ -528,6 +529,15 @@
        (make-style "refcontent" null)
        (decode-flow c)))))))
 
+(define (margin-note* . c)
+  (make-element
+   (make-style "refelem" null)
+   (make-element
+    (make-style "refcolumn" null)
+    (make-element
+     (make-style "refcontent" null)
+     (decode-content c)))))
+
 (define (verbatim #:indent [i 0] s . more)
   (define indent
     (if (zero? i)
diff --git a/collects/scribble/scribble.css b/collects/scribble/scribble.css
index aa5c272ff9..8f1e2b4c9c 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/scribble.css
+++ b/collects/scribble/scribble.css
@@ -152,16 +152,19 @@ table td {
 /* ---------------------------------------- */
 /* Margin notes */
 
-.refpara {
+.refpara, .refelem {
   position: relative;
   float: right;
   left: 2em;
-  top: -1em;
   height: 0em;
   width: 13em;
   margin: 0em -13em 0em 0em;
 }
 
+.refpara {
+  top: -1em;
+}
+
 .refcolumn {
   background-color: #F5F5DC;
   display: block;
diff --git a/collects/scribble/scribble.tex b/collects/scribble/scribble.tex
index 0fc36b6ea6..8eca64f1c8 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/scribble.tex
+++ b/collects/scribble/scribble.tex
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@
 % refcolumn and refcontent environments also wrap the note,
 % because they simplify the CSS side.
 \newcommand{\refpara}[1]{\marginpar{\raggedright \footnotesize #1}}
+\newcommand{\refelem}[1]{\refpara{#1}}
 \newenvironment{refcolumn}{}{}
 \newenvironment{refcontent}{}{}
 
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/scribble/base.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/scribble/base.scrbl
index 1c803d33b8..1917789dcf 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/scribble/base.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/scribble/base.scrbl
@@ -168,12 +168,20 @@ address-harvesting robots.}
 Produces a @tech{nested flow} whose content is centered.}
 
 
-@defproc[(margin-note [pre-content pre-content?] ...) blockquote?]{
+@defproc[(margin-note [pre-flow pre-flow?] ...) block?]{
 
 Produces a @tech{nested flow} that is typeset in the margin, instead
 of inlined.}
 
 
+@defproc[(margin-note* [pre-content pre-content?] ...) element?]{
+
+Produces an @tech{element} that is typeset in the margin, instead of
+inlined. Unlike @racket[margin-note], @racket[margin-note*] can be
+used in the middle of a paragraph; at the same time, its content is
+constrained to form a single paragraph in the margin.}
+
+
 @defproc[(itemlist [itm item?] ...
                    [#:style style (or/c style? string? symbol? #f) #f]) 
          itemization?]{