diff --git a/collects/racket/place.rkt b/collects/racket/place.rkt
index ff450f8bf4..a8bd6f8604 100644
--- a/collects/racket/place.rkt
+++ b/collects/racket/place.rkt
@@ -147,8 +147,7 @@
   (syntax-case stx ()
     [(_ ch body1 body ...)
      (begin
-       ;breaks valid uses of place
-       #;(unless (eq? 'module (syntax-local-context))
+       #;(when (in-module-expansion?)
          (raise-syntax-error #f "can only be used in a module" stx))
        (unless (identifier? #'ch)
          (raise-syntax-error #f "expected an indentifier" stx #'ch))
@@ -165,6 +164,7 @@
     (resolved-module-path-name
      (variable-reference->resolved-module-path
       vr)))
-  (dynamic-place (if (symbol? name) `',name name)
-                 func-name))
+  (when (symbol? name)
+     (error 'place "the current module-path-name should be a path and not a symbol (if you are in DrRacket, save the file)"))
+  (dynamic-place name func-name))
 
diff --git a/collects/tests/racket/place.rktl b/collects/tests/racket/place.rktl
index 87fbfbbdd3..4a15ac4427 100644
--- a/collects/tests/racket/place.rktl
+++ b/collects/tests/racket/place.rktl
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 (place-wait (place/base (p1 ch)
   (printf "Hello from place\n")))
 
+(err/rt-test (dynamic-place 'tmodule 'tfunc))
+
 (let ([p (place/base (p1 ch)
           (printf "Hello form place 2\n")
           (exit 99))])
diff --git a/src/racket/src/place.c b/src/racket/src/place.c
index 97586d357d..ab403b0439 100644
--- a/src/racket/src/place.c
+++ b/src/racket/src/place.c
@@ -227,6 +227,9 @@ Scheme_Object *scheme_place(int argc, Scheme_Object *args[]) {
     if (!scheme_is_module_path(args[0]) && !SCHEME_PATHP(args[0])) {
       scheme_wrong_type("dynamic-place", "module-path or path", 0, argc, args);
     }
+    if (SCHEME_SYMBOLP(args[0])) {
+      scheme_wrong_type("dynamic-place", "non-symbol module-path", 0, argc, args);
+    }
     if (!SCHEME_SYMBOLP(args[1])) {
       scheme_wrong_type("dynamic-place", "symbol", 1, argc, args);
     }