diff --git a/collects/drracket/private/unit.rkt b/collects/drracket/private/unit.rkt
index 4b4b681fe1..8d75db3ddd 100644
--- a/collects/drracket/private/unit.rkt
+++ b/collects/drracket/private/unit.rkt
@@ -238,16 +238,38 @@ module browser threading seems wrong.
                 [before+ (and before (send text get-forward-sexp before))]
                 [after (send text get-forward-sexp pos)]
                 [after- (and after (send text get-backward-sexp after))])
-           (cond
-             [(and before before+ 
-                   (<= before pos before+)
-                   (eq? 'symbol (send text classify-position before))) 
-              (send text get-text before before+)]
-             [(and after after- 
-                   (<= after- pos after)
-                   (eq? 'symbol (send text classify-position after-)))
-              (send text get-text after- after)]
-             [else ""]))]
+           
+           (define (get-tokens start end)
+             (let loop ([i start])
+               (cond
+                 [(and (< i end)
+                       (< i (send text last-position)))
+                  (define-values (tstart tend) (send text get-token-range i))
+                  (cons (list (send text classify-position i) tstart tend)
+                        (loop tend))]
+                 [else '()])))
+           
+           ;; find-searchable-tokens : number number -> (or/c #f (list symbol number number))
+           (define (find-searchable-tokens start end)
+             (define tokens (get-tokens start end))
+             (define raw-tokens (map (λ (x) (list-ref x 0)) tokens))
+             (cond
+               [(equal? raw-tokens '(symbol))
+                (car tokens)]
+               [(equal? raw-tokens '(constant symbol))
+                (cadr tokens)]
+               [else #f]))
+           
+           (define searchable-token 
+             (or (and before before+ 
+                      (<= before pos before+)
+                      (find-searchable-tokens before before+))
+                 (and after after- 
+                      (<= after- pos after)
+                      (find-searchable-tokens after- after))))
+           (if searchable-token
+             (send text get-text (list-ref searchable-token 1) (list-ref searchable-token 2))
+             ""))]
         [else
          (send text split-snip pos)
          (send text split-snip (+ pos 1))
diff --git a/collects/framework/private/color.rkt b/collects/framework/private/color.rkt
index f7be4ce51e..08ef4f5ecc 100644
--- a/collects/framework/private/color.rkt
+++ b/collects/framework/private/color.rkt
@@ -817,16 +817,26 @@ added get-regions
     
     ;; Determines whether a position is a 'comment, 'string, etc.
     (define/public (classify-position position)
+      (define tokens (get-tokens-at-position 'classify-position position))
+      (and tokens
+           (let ([root-data (send tokens get-root-data)])
+             (and root-data
+                  (data-type root-data)))))
+
+    (define/public (get-token-range position)
+      (define tokens (get-tokens-at-position 'get-token-range position))
+      (values (and tokens (send tokens get-root-start-position))
+              (and tokens (send tokens get-root-end-position))))
+
+    (define/private (get-tokens-at-position who position)
       (when stopped?
-        (error 'classify-position "called on a color:text<%> whose colorer is stopped."))
+        (error who "called on a color:text<%> whose colorer is stopped."))
       (let ([ls (find-ls position)])
         (and ls
              (let ([tokens (lexer-state-tokens ls)])
                (tokenize-to-pos ls position)
                (send tokens search! (- position (lexer-state-start-pos ls)))
-               (let ([root-data (send tokens get-root-data)])
-                 (and root-data
-                      (data-type root-data)))))))
+               tokens))))
     
     (define/private (tokenize-to-pos ls position)
       (when (and (not (lexer-state-up-to-date? ls)) 
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/framework/color.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/framework/color.scrbl
index 979155fa5c..2dd561e6a1 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/framework/color.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/framework/color.scrbl
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
     right kind.  If @scheme[flash?] is true, the matching open parenthesis will be
     flashed.
   }
-  @defmethod*[(((classify-position (position natural-number?)) symbol?))]{
+  @defmethod*[(((classify-position (position exact-nonnegative-integer?)) symbol?))]{
 
 
     Return a symbol for the lexer-determined token type for the token that
@@ -221,6 +221,16 @@
     Must only be called while the tokenizer is started.
   }
   
+  @defmethod[(get-token-range [position exact-nonnegative-integer?]) 
+             (values (or/c #f exact-nonnegative-integer?)
+                     (or/c #f exact-nonnegative-integer?))]{
+    
+    Returns the range of the token surrounding @racket[position], if there is a token there.
+    
+    This method must be called only when the tokenizer is started.
+    
+  }
+  
   @defmethod[#:mode augment (on-lexer-valid [valid? boolean?]) any]{
     This method is an observer for when the lexer is working.
     It is called when the lexer's state changes from valid to invalid (and back).