diff --git a/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/stx-trans.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/stx-trans.scrbl
index 7203dc28da..8b87be0dd3 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/stx-trans.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/stx-trans.scrbl
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ field value is not an identifier, then an identifier @racketidfont{?}
 with an empty context is used, instead.}
 
 
-@defproc[(local-expand [stx syntax?]
+@defproc[(local-expand [stx any/c]
                        [context-v (or/c 'expression 'top-level 'module 'module-begin list?)]
                        [stop-ids (or/c (listof identifier?) #f)]
                        [intdef-ctx (or/c internal-definition-context? 
@@ -211,7 +211,9 @@ Expands @racket[stx] in the lexical context of the expression
 currently being expanded. The @racket[context-v] argument is used as
 the result of @racket[syntax-local-context] for immediate expansions;
 a list indicates an @tech{internal-definition context}, and more
-information on the form of the list is below.
+information on the form of the list is below. If @racket[stx] is not
+already a @tech{syntax object}, it is coerced with
+@racket[(datum->syntax #f stx)] before expansion.
 
 When an identifier in @racket[stop-ids] is encountered by the expander
 in a sub-expression, expansions stops for the sub-expression. If
@@ -297,7 +299,7 @@ generated value onto that list.
                                    an explicit wrapper.}]}
 
 
-@defproc[(syntax-local-expand-expression [stx syntax?])
+@defproc[(syntax-local-expand-expression [stx any/c])
          (values syntax? syntax?)]{
 
 Like @racket[local-expand] given @racket['expression] and an empty
@@ -316,7 +318,7 @@ avoids quadratic expansion times when local expansions are nested.
 @transform-time[]}
 
 
-@defproc[(local-transformer-expand [stx syntax?]
+@defproc[(local-transformer-expand [stx any/c]
                        [context-v (or/c 'expression 'top-level list?)]
                        [stop-ids (or/c (listof identifier?) #f)]
                        [intdef-ctx (or/c internal-definition-context? #f) #f])
@@ -331,7 +333,7 @@ lifted expressions---from calls to
 result.}
 
 
-@defproc[(local-expand/capture-lifts [stx syntax?]
+@defproc[(local-expand/capture-lifts [stx any/c]
                        [context-v (or/c 'expression 'top-level 'module 'module-begin list?)]
                        [stop-ids (or/c (listof identifier?) #f)]
                        [intdef-ctx (or/c internal-definition-context? #f) #f]
@@ -349,7 +351,7 @@ expressions are not expanded, but instead left as provided in the
 @racket[begin] form.}
 
 
-@defproc[(local-transformer-expand/capture-lifts [stx syntax?]
+@defproc[(local-transformer-expand/capture-lifts [stx any/c]
                        [context-v (or/c 'expression 'top-level list?)]
                        [stop-ids (or/c (listof identifier?) #f)]
                        [intdef-ctx (or/c internal-definition-context? #f) #f]
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/macro.rktl b/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/macro.rktl
index 2d570f7311..44a373b56e 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/macro.rktl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/macro.rktl
@@ -1258,6 +1258,23 @@
     (def)
     (use)))
 
+;; ----------------------------------------
+;; Check `local-expand` argument checking
+
+(let-syntax ([m
+              (lambda (stx)
+                (define (le . args)
+                  (with-handlers ([exn:fail:contract? void])
+                    (apply local-expand args)
+                    (error "fail")))
+                (le #'1 'xpression null)
+                (le #'1 'expression 1)
+                (le #'1 'expression #'1)
+                (le #'1 'expression #'(x))
+                (le #'1 'expression (list 'x))
+                #'#t)])
+  (void (m)))
+
 ;; ----------------------------------------
 
 (report-errs)
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/src/eval.c b/racket/src/racket/src/eval.c
index 0501a02a04..f5d6c3a616 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/src/eval.c
+++ b/racket/src/racket/src/eval.c
@@ -5160,9 +5160,11 @@ do_local_expand(const char *name, int for_stx, int catch_lifts, int for_expr, in
   if (for_expr) {
   } else if (SCHEME_TRUEP(argv[2])) {
 #   define NUM_CORE_EXPR_STOP_FORMS 15
-    cnt = scheme_stx_proper_list_length(argv[2]);
+    cnt = scheme_proper_list_length(argv[2]);
 
-    if (cnt == 1)
+    if ((cnt == 1)
+        && SCHEME_STXP(SCHEME_CAR(argv[2]))
+        && SCHEME_SYMBOLP(SCHEME_STX_VAL(SCHEME_CAR(argv[2]))))
       is_modstar = scheme_stx_free_eq_x(scheme_modulestar_stx, SCHEME_CAR(argv[2]), env->genv->phase);
     else
       is_modstar = 0;