diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/setup.rktl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/setup.rktl
index 22f4a10f26..fe88337d38 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/setup.rktl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/setup.rktl
@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@
   (test #t system* exec-path "-l" "raco" "make" "-j" "2" (path->string relpath))
   (delete-directory/files tmpdir))
 
+;; ----------------------------------------
+;; Make sure that setting the reader doesn't break reading a configuration file:
+
+(parameterize ([current-namespace (make-base-namespace)]
+               [read-accept-dot #f])
+  ((dynamic-require 'setup/dirs 'get-pkgs-search-dirs)))
+
 ;; ----------------------------------------
 
 (report-errs)
diff --git a/racket/collects/setup/dirs.rkt b/racket/collects/setup/dirs.rkt
index 06f23b16e2..afa28de204 100644
--- a/racket/collects/setup/dirs.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/setup/dirs.rkt
@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@
                      (call-with-input-file* 
                       p
                       (lambda (in) 
-                        (parameterize ([current-readtable (make-readtable #f)]) 
-                          (read in))))
+                        (call-with-default-reading-parameterization
+                         (lambda ()
+                           (read in)))))
                      #hash()))
                #hash()))))