diff --git a/pkgs/htdp-pkgs/htdp-lib/lang/private/teachprims.rkt b/pkgs/htdp-pkgs/htdp-lib/lang/private/teachprims.rkt
index 6e85f9f35c..ea764692d5 100644
--- a/pkgs/htdp-pkgs/htdp-lib/lang/private/teachprims.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/htdp-pkgs/htdp-lib/lang/private/teachprims.rkt
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ namespace.
   (lambda (s t)
     (cerr 'string-contains? (string? s) "string" s)
     (cerr 'string-contains? (string? t) "string" t)
-    (cons? (regexp-match s t))))
+    (regexp-match? (regexp-quote s) t)))
 
 (provide
  beginner-string-ith
diff --git a/pkgs/htdp-pkgs/htdp-test/tests/htdp-lang/beg-adv.rktl b/pkgs/htdp-pkgs/htdp-test/tests/htdp-lang/beg-adv.rktl
index 6f7f1fff52..95a45a65c4 100644
--- a/pkgs/htdp-pkgs/htdp-test/tests/htdp-lang/beg-adv.rktl
+++ b/pkgs/htdp-pkgs/htdp-test/tests/htdp-lang/beg-adv.rktl
@@ -192,6 +192,11 @@
 (htdp-test #t 'equal~? (equal~? (make-a1 #i2.0) (make-a1 2) #i0.2))
 (htdp-test #f 'equal~? (equal~? (make-a1 #i2.3) (make-a1 2) #i0.2))
 
+(htdp-test #t 'string-contains (string-contains? "x" "abxy"))
+(htdp-test #f 'string-contains (string-contains? "x" "abc"))
+(htdp-test #f 'string-contains (string-contains? "(" "abc"))
+(htdp-test #t 'string-contains (string-contains? "(" "ab(c"))
+
 (htdp-top-pop 1)
 (htdp-top-pop 1)
 (htdp-top-pop 1)