diff --git a/collects/syntax/parse/private/rep.rkt b/collects/syntax/parse/private/rep.rkt
index 69f3417c50..c0af86edb1 100644
--- a/collects/syntax/parse/private/rep.rkt
+++ b/collects/syntax/parse/private/rep.rkt
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 (require (for-template racket/base
                        racket/stxparam
                        "keywords.rkt"
-                       "runtime.rkt"
-                       (only-in unstable/syntax phase-of-enclosing-module))
+                       "runtime.rkt")
          racket/contract/base
          "minimatch.rkt"
          syntax/id-table
@@ -1301,10 +1300,7 @@ A syntax class is integrable if
 ;; check-literal-entry : stx stx -> (list id id ct-phase ct-phase)
 (define (check-literal-entry stx ctx)
   (define (go internal external phase)
-    (txlift #`(check-literal (quote-syntax #,external)
-                             #,phase
-                             (phase-of-enclosing-module)
-                             (quote-syntax #,ctx)))
+    (txlift #`(check-literal #,external #,phase #,ctx))
     (list internal external phase phase))
   (syntax-case stx ()
     [(internal external #:phase phase)
diff --git a/collects/syntax/parse/private/runtime.rkt b/collects/syntax/parse/private/runtime.rkt
index 07f8f02a9e..a71919d0e0 100644
--- a/collects/syntax/parse/private/runtime.rkt
+++ b/collects/syntax/parse/private/runtime.rkt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #lang racket/base
 (require racket/list
          racket/stxparam
+         unstable/syntax
          "runtime-progress.rkt"
          "runtime-failure.rkt"
          (for-syntax racket/base
@@ -257,15 +258,33 @@
 (provide check-literal
          free-identifier=?/phases)
 
-;; check-literal : id phase-level phase-level stx -> void
-;; FIXME: change to normal 'error', if src gets stripped away
-(define (check-literal id abs-phase mod-phase ctx)
-  (unless (identifier-binding id abs-phase)
+;; (check-literal id phase-level-expr ctx) -> void
+(define-syntax (check-literal stx)
+  (syntax-case stx ()
+    [(check-literal id used-phase-expr ctx)
+     (let* ([ok-phases/ct-rel
+             ;; id is bound at each of ok-phases/ct-rel
+             ;; (phase relative to the compilation of the module in which the
+             ;; 'syntax-parse' (or related) form occurs)
+             (filter (lambda (p) (identifier-binding #'id p)) '(0 1 -1 #f))])
+       ;; so we can avoid run-time call to identifier-binding if
+       ;;   (+ (phase-of-enclosing-module) ok-phase/ct-rel) = used-phase
+       (with-syntax ([ok-phases/ct-rel ok-phases/ct-rel])
+         #'(check-literal* (quote-syntax id)
+                           used-phase-expr
+                           (phase-of-enclosing-module)
+                           'ok-phases/ct-rel
+                           (quote-syntax ctx))))]))
+
+(define (check-literal* id used-phase mod-phase ok-phases/ct-rel ctx)
+  (unless (or (memv (and used-phase (- used-phase mod-phase))
+                    ok-phases/ct-rel)
+              (identifier-binding id used-phase))
     (raise-syntax-error
      #f
      (format "literal is unbound in phase ~a (phase ~a relative to the enclosing module)"
-             abs-phase
-             (and abs-phase (- abs-phase mod-phase)))
+             used-phase
+             (and used-phase (- used-phase mod-phase)))
      ctx id)))
 
 ;; free-identifier=?/phases : id phase-level id phase-level -> boolean