diff --git a/collects/readline/readline.scrbl b/collects/readline/readline.scrbl
index dbfa8a50ec..d1e6ecc6f9 100644
--- a/collects/readline/readline.scrbl
+++ b/collects/readline/readline.scrbl
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ shell---then you can use @scheme[dynamic-require], as in the following
 example:
 
 @schemeblock[
-(when (regexp-match? #rx"xterm" 
+(when (regexp-match? #rx"xterm"
                      (getenv "TERM"))
   (dynamic-require 'readline #f))
 ]
@@ -65,13 +65,15 @@ exits normally.
 
 @defproc[(install-readline!) void?]{
 
-Adds @scheme[(require readline)] to the result of
+Adds @scheme[(require readline/rep)] to the result of
 @scheme[(find-system-path 'init-file)], which is
 @filepath{~/.mzschemerc} under Unix. Consequently, @|readline| will be
 loaded whenever MzScheme is started in interactive mode. The
 declaration is added only if it is not already present, as determined
 by @scheme[read]ing and checking all top-level expressions in the
-file. For more fine-grained control, such as conditionally loading
+file.
+
+For more fine-grained control, such as conditionally loading
 @|readline| based on an environment variable, edit
 @filepath{~/.mzschemerc} manually.}
 
diff --git a/collects/readline/rep.ss b/collects/readline/rep.ss
index 52707c6e6a..aadeb5e91d 100644
--- a/collects/readline/rep.ss
+++ b/collects/readline/rep.ss
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ;; This is a wrapper around "rep-start.ss" -- use it if we're using a terminal
 #lang scheme/base
 
-(require scheme/runtime-path)
+(require scheme/runtime-path scheme/file)
 
 (define-runtime-path rep-start "rep-start.ss")
 
@@ -15,27 +15,22 @@
   '(require readline/rep))
 
 (define (install-readline!)
-  (let ([file (find-system-path 'init-file)])
-    (when (or (not (file-exists? file))
-              (not (with-handlers ([exn:fail? 
-                                    (lambda (exn)
-                                      (error 'install-readline!
-                                             "trouble reading existing ~e: ~a"
-                                             file
-                                             (exn-message exn)))])
-                     (call-with-input-file*
-                      file
-                      (lambda (in)
-                        (let loop ()
-                          (let ([v (read in)])
-                            (cond
-                             [(eof-object? v) #f]
-                             [(equal? v readline-init-expr) #t]
-                             [else (loop)]))))))))
-      (call-with-output-file*
-       file
-       #:exists 'append
-       (lambda (out)
-         (newline out)
-         (write readline-init-expr out)
-         (newline out))))))
+  (define file (find-system-path 'init-file))
+  (define (add! msg)
+    (call-with-output-file* file #:exists 'append
+      (lambda (o)
+        (fprintf o "\n;; load readline support ~a\n~s\n"
+                 "(added by `install-readline!')"
+                 readline-init-expr)))
+    (printf msg file))
+  (cond [(not (file-exists? file))
+         (add! "\"~a\" created and readline initialization added.\n")]
+        [(with-handlers ([exn:fail?
+                          (lambda (exn)
+                            (error 'install-readline!
+                                   "trouble reading existing ~e: ~a"
+                                   file
+                                   (exn-message exn)))])
+           (not (member readline-init-expr (file->list file))))
+         (add! "Readline initialization added to \"~a\".\n")]
+        [else (printf "Readline already installed in \"~a\".\n" file)]))