diff --git a/collects/redex/private/reduction-semantics.rkt b/collects/redex/private/reduction-semantics.rkt
index 6acb4a36a2..61156a3284 100644
--- a/collects/redex/private/reduction-semantics.rkt
+++ b/collects/redex/private/reduction-semantics.rkt
@@ -1438,23 +1438,55 @@
       [else
        (syntax-case rest ()
          [(id colon more ...)
-          (begin
-            (unless (eq? ': (syntax-e #'colon))
-              (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name "expected a colon to follow the meta-function's name" stx #'colon))
-            (let loop ([more (syntax->list #'(more ...))]
-                       [dom-pats '()])
-              (cond
-                [(null? more)
-                 (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name "expected an ->" stx)]
-                [(eq? (syntax-e (car more)) '->)
-                 (when (null? (cdr more))
-                   (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name "expected a range contract to follow the arrow" stx (car more)))
-                 (let ([doms (reverse dom-pats)]
-                       [codomain (cadr more)]
-                       [clauses (check-clauses stx syn-error-name (cddr more) relation?)])
-                   (values #'id doms codomain clauses))]
-                [else
-                 (loop (cdr more) (cons (car more) dom-pats))])))]
+          (identifier? #'id)
+          (cond
+            [relation?
+             (unless (memq (syntax-e #'colon) '(⊂ ⊆))
+               (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name
+                                   "expected ⊂ or ⊆ to follow the relation's name"
+                                   stx #'colon))
+             (let ([more (syntax->list #'(more ...))])
+               (when (null? more)
+                 (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name 
+                                     (format "expected a sequence of patterns separated by x or × to follow ~a" 
+                                             (syntax-e #'colon))
+                                     stx))
+               (let loop ([more (cdr more)]
+                          [arg-pats (list (car more))])
+                 (cond
+                   [(null? more) 
+                    (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name 
+                                        "expected clause definitions to follow domain contract"
+                                        stx)]
+                   [(memq (syntax-e (car more)) '(x ×))
+                    (when (null? (cdr more))
+                      (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name 
+                                          (format "expected a pattern to follow ~a" (syntax-e (car more)))
+                                          stx))
+                    (loop (cddr more)
+                          (cons (cadr more) arg-pats))]
+                   [else
+                    (values #'id
+                            (reverse arg-pats)
+                            #'any
+                            (check-clauses stx syn-error-name more relation?))])))]
+            [else
+             (unless (eq? ': (syntax-e #'colon))
+               (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name "expected a colon to follow the meta-function's name" stx #'colon))
+             (let loop ([more (syntax->list #'(more ...))]
+                        [dom-pats '()])
+               (cond
+                 [(null? more)
+                  (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name "expected an ->" stx)]
+                 [(eq? (syntax-e (car more)) '->)
+                  (when (null? (cdr more))
+                    (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name "expected a range contract to follow the arrow" stx (car more)))
+                  (let ([doms (reverse dom-pats)]
+                        [codomain (cadr more)]
+                        [clauses (check-clauses stx syn-error-name (cddr more) relation?)])
+                    (values #'id doms codomain clauses))]
+                 [else
+                  (loop (cdr more) (cons (car more) dom-pats))]))])]
          [_
           (raise-syntax-error
            syn-error-name
@@ -1492,7 +1524,7 @@
           (λ (x)
             (syntax-case x ()
               [(stuff ...) (void)]
-              [x (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name "expected a metafunction clause" stx #'x)]))
+              [x (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name "expected a clause" stx #'x)]))
           (syntax->list #'(x ...)))
          (raise-syntax-error syn-error-name "error checking failed.2" stx))]))
   
diff --git a/collects/redex/redex.scrbl b/collects/redex/redex.scrbl
index 6de06fea73..96578b757b 100644
--- a/collects/redex/redex.scrbl
+++ b/collects/redex/redex.scrbl
@@ -682,15 +682,13 @@ all non-GUI portions of Redex) and also exported by
                [extras rule-name
                        (fresh fresh-clause ...)
                        (side-condition racket-expression)
-                       (where tl-pat @#,tttterm)
+                       (where pat @#,tttterm)
                        (side-condition/hidden racket-expression)
-                       (where/hidden tl-pat @#,tttterm)]
+                       (where/hidden pat @#,tttterm)]
                [rule-name identifier
                           string 
                           (computed-name racket-expression)]
-               [fresh-clause var ((var1 ...) (var2 ...))]
-               [tl-pat identifier (tl-pat-ele ...)]
-               [tl-pat-ele tl-pat (code:line tl-pat ... (code:comment "a literal ellipsis"))])]{
+               [fresh-clause var ((var1 ...) (var2 ...))])]{
 
 Defines a reduction relation casewise, one case for each of the
 clauses beginning with @racket[-->] (or with @racket[arrow], if
@@ -930,17 +928,15 @@ all non-GUI portions of Redex) and also exported by
 
 @defform/subs[#:literals (: -> where side-condition side-condition/hidden where/hidden)
              (define-metafunction language
-               contract
+               metafunction-contract
                [(name @#,ttpattern ...) @#,tttterm extras ...] 
                ...)
-             ([contract (code:line) 
-                        (code:line id : @#,ttpattern ... -> @#,ttpattern)]
+             ([metafunction-contract (code:line) 
+                                     (code:line id : @#,ttpattern ... -> @#,ttpattern)]
               [extras (side-condition racket-expression)
                       (side-condition/hidden racket-expression)
-                      (where tl-pat @#,tttterm)
-                      (where/hidden tl-pat @#,tttterm)]
-              [tl-pat identifier (tl-pat-ele ...)]
-              [tl-pat-ele tl-pat (code:line tl-pat ... (code:comment "a literal ellipsis"))])]{
+                      (where pat @#,tttterm)
+                      (where/hidden pat @#,tttterm)])]{
 
 The @racket[define-metafunction] form builds a function on
 sexpressions according to the pattern and right-hand-side
@@ -1013,7 +1009,7 @@ match.
 }
 
 @defform[(define-metafunction/extension f language 
-           contract
+           metafunction-contract
            [(g @#,ttpattern ...) @#,tttterm extras ...] 
            ...)]{
 
@@ -1047,8 +1043,9 @@ and @racket[#f] otherwise.
 @defform/subs[#:literals ()
               (define-relation language
                [(name @#,ttpattern ...) @#,tttterm ...] ...)
-               ([tl-pat identifier (tl-pat-ele ...)]
-                [tl-pat-ele tl-pat (code:line tl-pat ... (code:comment "a literal ellipsis"))])]{
+               ([relation-contract (code:line)
+                                   (code:line id ⊂ pat x ... x pat)
+                                   (code:line id ⊆ pat × ... × pat)])]{
 
 The @racket[define-relation] form builds a relation on
 sexpressions according to the pattern and right-hand-side
@@ -1067,6 +1064,11 @@ the result is @racket[#f]. If there are multiple expressions on
 the right-hand side of a relation, then all of them must be satisfied
 in order for that clause of the relation to be satisfied.
 
+The contract specification for a relation restricts the patterns that can
+be used as input to a relation. For each argument to the relation, there
+should be a single pattern, using @racket[x] or @racket[×] to separate
+the argument contracts.
+
 Note that relations are assumed to always return the same results for
 the same inputs, and their results are cached, unless
 @racket[caching-enable?] is set to @racket[#f]. Accordingly, if a
diff --git a/collects/redex/tests/tl-test.rkt b/collects/redex/tests/tl-test.rkt
index dd01d5eda4..88c85818c7 100644
--- a/collects/redex/tests/tl-test.rkt
+++ b/collects/redex/tests/tl-test.rkt
@@ -899,6 +899,36 @@
     (test (term (<: 1 2 2)) #f)
     (test (term (<: 1 1 1)) #t))
   
+  (let ()
+    (define-relation empty-language
+      d ⊆ any × any
+      [(d (any) (any)) (d any any)]
+      [(d () ())])
+    
+    (test (term (d ((())) ((())))) #t)
+    (test (term (d ((())) ())) #f))
+  
+  (let ()
+    (define-relation empty-language
+      d ⊂ any x any
+      [(d (any) (any)) (d any any)]
+      [(d () ())])
+    
+    (test (term (d ((())) ((())))) #t)
+    (test (term (d ((())) ())) #f))
+  
+  (let ()
+    (define-relation empty-language
+      d ⊂ (any)
+      [(d (1))])
+    
+    (test (term (d (1))) #t)
+    (test (term (d (2))) #f)
+    (test (with-handlers ((exn:fail? (λ (x) 'passed)))
+            (term (d 1))
+            'failed)
+          'passed))
+  
  
 ;                    ;;                         ;                                        ;;                    ;                 
 ;                     ;                 ;                                                 ;            ;