diff --git a/pkgs/racket-doc/syntax/scribblings/free-vars.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-doc/syntax/scribblings/free-vars.scrbl
index 0077a7b4e3..f5ba88658f 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-doc/syntax/scribblings/free-vars.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-doc/syntax/scribblings/free-vars.scrbl
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 
 @defmodule[syntax/free-vars]
 
-@defproc[(free-vars [expr-stx syntax?] [insp inspector? _mod-decl-insp]) 
+@defproc[(free-vars [expr-stx syntax?]
+                    [insp inspector? _mod-decl-insp]
+                    [#:module-bound? module-bound? any/c #f])
          (listof identifier?)]{
 
 Returns a list of free @racket[lambda]- and @racket[let]-bound
@@ -18,3 +20,6 @@ The inspector @racket[insp] is used to disarm @racket[expr-stx] and
 sub-expressions before extracting identifiers. The default
 @racket[insp] is the declaration-time inspector of the
 @racketmodname[syntax/free-vars] module.}
+
+If @racket[module-bound?] is non-false, the list of free variables also
+includes free module-bound identifiers.
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/syntax/free-vars.rkt b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/syntax/free-vars.rkt
index 233f4a5643..50850c10ca 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/syntax/free-vars.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/syntax/free-vars.rkt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #lang racket
-(require syntax/free-vars)
+(require syntax/free-vars
+         rackunit)
 
 (parameterize ([current-namespace (make-base-namespace)])
   (define (check stx)
@@ -40,3 +41,9 @@
              '(x)
              (let ([y 3])
                (list x y)))))
+
+(check-equal? (free-vars (expand #'(+ 1 2)))
+              '())
+(check-pred (lambda (x) (free-identifier=? x #'+))
+            (first (free-vars (expand #'(+ 1 2))
+                              #:module-bound? #t)))
diff --git a/racket/collects/syntax/free-vars.rkt b/racket/collects/syntax/free-vars.rkt
index 1daa430e3d..4a29674ac2 100644
--- a/racket/collects/syntax/free-vars.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/syntax/free-vars.rkt
@@ -43,12 +43,15 @@
      [(null? f) null]
      [(syntax? f) (loop (syntax-e f))])))
 
-;; free-vars : expr-stx -> (listof id)
+;; free-vars : expr-stx [inspector?] [#:module-bound? any/c] -> (listof id)
 ;; Returns a list of free lambda- and let-bound identifiers in a
 ;;  given epression. The expression must be fully expanded.
-(define (free-vars e [code-insp
-                      (variable-reference->module-declaration-inspector
-                       (#%variable-reference))])
+;; If `module-bound?` is true, also return module-bound variables.
+(define (free-vars e
+                   [code-insp
+                    (variable-reference->module-declaration-inspector
+                     (#%variable-reference))]
+                   #:module-bound? [module-bound? #f])
   (define (submodule-error e)
     (error 'free-vars "submodules not supported: ~a" e))
   ;; It would be nicer to have a functional mapping:
@@ -56,12 +59,19 @@
   (merge
    (let free-vars ([e e])
      (kernel-syntax-case (syntax-disarm e code-insp) #f
-       [id 
-        (identifier? #'id) 
-        (if (and (eq? 'lexical (identifier-binding #'id))
-                 (not (bound-identifier-mapping-get bindings #'id (lambda () #f))))
-            (list #'id)
-            null)]
+       [id
+        (identifier? #'id)
+        (let ([b (identifier-binding #'id)])
+          (cond [(and (eq? 'lexical b)
+                      (not (bound-identifier-mapping-get bindings #'id (lambda () #f))))
+                 (list #'id)]
+                [(and module-bound? ; do we count module-bound vars too?
+                      ;; we're in an expression context, so any module-bound
+                      ;; variable is free
+                      (list? b))
+                 (list #'id)]
+                [else
+                 null]))]
        [(#%top . id) null]
        [(quote q) null]
        [(quote-syntax . _) null]