diff --git a/collects/scribble/doc.txt b/collects/scribble/doc.txt
index aff65b3df5..f99445e2ec 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/doc.txt
+++ b/collects/scribble/doc.txt
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ string for each end of line.  For example:
        blah}
 
 It is your responsibility to make sure that `foo' is bound (in any way:
-it can be either a function or a macro).  To see the forms, you can use
-quote as usual, for example:
+it can be either a function or a macro, or in quoted forms).  To see the
+forms, you can use quote as usual, for example:
 
   '@foo{bar}
 
@@ -97,8 +97,9 @@ wrapping the *whole* expression.  For example:
 
 When writing Scheme code, this means that @`',@foo{blah} is exactly the
 same as `@',@foo{blah} and `',@@foo{blah}, but unlike the latter two,
-the first construct can appear in body texts with the same meaning,
-whereas the other two would not work (see below).
+the first construct can appear in @-body texts with the same meaning,
+whereas the other two would not work (the punctuations will be taken as
+part of the text).
 
 The command itself is not limited to a Scheme identifier -- it can be
 any Scheme expression:
@@ -120,14 +121,15 @@ and the ";"), then the construct is a comment.  There are two comment
 forms, one for arbitrary-text and possibly nested comments, and another
 one for a -to-the-end-of-the-line comment:
 
-  @; <whitespace>* { ...any-text-including-newlines... }
+  @;{ ...any-text-including-tested-scribble-pieces... }
 
   @; <anything-that-doesn't-begin-with-a-brace-to-the-end-of-the-line>
 
 Note that the first form is analogous to a "#;" comment: the commented
 body must still parse correctly.  Also note that in the second form all
-text from the "@;" to the end of the line an all following (non-newline)
-whitespaces are part of the comment.  For example:
+text from the "@;" to the end of the line and all following
+(non-newline) whitespaces are part of the comment (as with TeX `%'
+comments).  For example:
 
   @foo{bar @; comment    --is-read-as-->    (foo "bar baz")
        baz}
diff --git a/collects/scribble/reader.ss b/collects/scribble/reader.ss
index fb352dd271..281a814e85 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/reader.ss
+++ b/collects/scribble/reader.ss
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 
   ;; Skips whitespace characters, sensitive to the current readtable's
   ;; definition of whitespace; optimizes common spaces when possible
-  (define/kw skip-whitespace
+  (define skip-whitespace
     (let* ([plain-readtables (make-hash-table 'weak)]
            [plain-spaces '(#\space #\tab #\newline #\return #\page)]
            [plain-spaces-re
@@ -95,19 +95,14 @@
 
   (define ((dispatcher start-inside?)
            char inp source-name line-num col-num position)
-    (define (next-syntax readtable)
-      (parameterize ([current-readtable readtable])
-        (let loop ()
-          (let ([x (read-syntax/recursive source-name inp)])
-            (if (special-comment? x) (loop) x)))))
+    (define (read-error msg . xs)
+      (let-values ([(line col pos) (port-next-location inp)])
+        (raise-read-error (apply format msg xs) source-name line col pos #f)))
     (define (cur-pos)
       (let-values ([(line col pos) (port-next-location inp)])
         pos))
     (define (span-from start)
       (and start (- (cur-pos) start)))
-    (define (read-error msg . xs)
-      (let-values ([(line col pos) (port-next-location inp)])
-        (raise-read-error (apply format msg xs) source-name line col pos #f)))
     (define (read-from-bytes-exact-or-identifier bs)
       (let ([inp (open-input-bytes bs)]
             [default (lambda _ (string->symbol (bytes->string/utf-8 bs)))])
@@ -197,6 +192,7 @@
       (if (or (not (read-insert-indents)) (null? stxs))
         stxs
         (let ([mincol (apply min (map syntax/placeholder-column stxs))])
+          ;;!!!
           (let loop ([curline line-num] [stxs stxs] [r '()])
             (if (null? stxs)
               (reverse! r)
@@ -279,7 +275,12 @@
                               (read-from-bytes-exact-or-identifier (cadr m))
                               (list source-name line col pos (span-from pos)))
                             #t))]
-              [else (values (next-syntax cmd-readtable) #f)])))
+              [else (values
+                     (parameterize ([current-readtable cmd-readtable])
+                       (let loop ()
+                         (let ([x (read-syntax/recursive source-name inp)])
+                           (if (special-comment? x) (loop) x))))
+                     #f)])))
     (cond
       [start-inside?
        (datum->syntax-object #f (get-lines)