diff --git a/racket/collects/syntax/transformer.rkt b/racket/collects/syntax/transformer.rkt
index b08844afb7..9f78cd160a 100644
--- a/racket/collects/syntax/transformer.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/syntax/transformer.rkt
@@ -4,17 +4,22 @@
 
 (provide make-variable-like-transformer)
 
+(struct variable-like-transformer [procedure]
+  #:property prop:procedure (struct-field-index procedure)
+  #:property prop:set!-transformer (struct-field-index procedure))
+
 (define (make-variable-like-transformer ref-stx [set!-handler #f])
-  (unless (syntax? ref-stx)
-    (raise-type-error 'make-variable-like-transformer "syntax?" ref-stx))
+  (unless (or (syntax? ref-stx) (procedure? ref-stx))
+    (raise-type-error 'make-variable-like-transformer "(or/c syntax? procedure?)" ref-stx))
   (unless (or (syntax? set!-handler) (procedure? set!-handler) (eq? set!-handler #f))
     (raise-type-error 'make-variable-like-transformer "(or/c syntax? procedure? #f)" set!-handler))
-  (make-set!-transformer
+  (variable-like-transformer
    (lambda (stx)
      (syntax-case stx (set!)
        [id
         (identifier? #'id)
-        ref-stx]
+        (cond [(procedure? ref-stx) (ref-stx stx)]
+              [else                 ref-stx])]
        [(set! id val)
         (cond [(procedure? set!-handler)
                (set!-handler stx)]