diff --git a/collects/stepper/private/xml-snip-helpers.ss b/collects/stepper/private/xml-snip-helpers.ss
index fb35654ce1..33628db796 100644
--- a/collects/stepper/private/xml-snip-helpers.ss
+++ b/collects/stepper/private/xml-snip-helpers.ss
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@
        (lambda ()
          (let* ([source-name (get-source-name editor)]
                 [port (open-input-text-editor editor 0 'end (xml-snip-filter editor) source-name)]
-                [xml (parameterize ([permissive? #t]) (read-xml port))]
-                [xexpr (parameterize ([permissive? #t]) (xml->xexpr (document-element xml)))]
+                [xml (parameterize ([permissive-xexprs #t]) (read-xml port))]
+                [xexpr (parameterize ([permissive-xexprs #t]) (xml->xexpr (document-element xml)))]
                 [clean-xexpr (if eliminate-whitespace-in-empty-tags?
                                  (eliminate-whitespace-in-empty-tags xexpr)
                                  xexpr)]
diff --git a/collects/tests/xml/test.ss b/collects/tests/xml/test.ss
index a289fe314e..1da832f45f 100644
--- a/collects/tests/xml/test.ss
+++ b/collects/tests/xml/test.ss
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ END
       ; XXX correct-xexpr?
       
       (test-suite
-       "permissive?"
+       "permissive-xexprs"
        (test-exn
         "Non-permissive"
         (lambda (exn)
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ END
        
        (test-false
         "Permissive"
-        (parameterize ([permissive? #t])
+        (parameterize ([permissive-xexprs #t])
           (xml->xexpr #f))))))
    
    (local
diff --git a/collects/xml/private/structures.ss b/collects/xml/private/structures.ss
index 52d4708124..0b7259a21d 100644
--- a/collects/xml/private/structures.ss
+++ b/collects/xml/private/structures.ss
@@ -54,19 +54,19 @@
 ; Comment = (make-comment String)
 (define-struct comment (text))
 
-; permissive? : parameter bool
-(define permissive? (make-parameter #f))
+; permissive-xexprs : parameter bool
+(define permissive-xexprs (make-parameter #f))
 
 (define permissive/c
   (make-proj-contract 'permissive/c
                       (lambda (pos neg src-info name)
                         (lambda (v)
-                          (if (permissive?)
+                          (if (permissive-xexprs)
                               v
                               (raise-contract-error
                                v src-info pos name "not in permissive mode"))))
                       (lambda (v)
-                        (permissive?))))
+                        (permissive-xexprs))))
 
 ; content? : TST -> Bool
 (define content/c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
                              [stop location/c]
                              [name symbol?]
                              [value (or/c string? permissive/c)]))
- [permissive? (parameter/c boolean?)]
+ [permissive-xexprs (parameter/c boolean?)]
  [permissive/c contract?]
  [content/c contract?] 
  (struct (pcdata source) ([start location/c]
diff --git a/collects/xml/private/xexpr.ss b/collects/xml/private/xexpr.ss
index 3a00dfc6af..28a9752b34 100644
--- a/collects/xml/private/xexpr.ss
+++ b/collects/xml/private/xexpr.ss
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
                       (car x))
                      (current-continuation-marks)
                      x)))))
-    [(permissive?) (true)]
+    [(permissive-xexprs) (true)]
     (else (false
            (make-exn:invalid-xexpr
             (format (string-append
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@
   (if (symbol? (car attr))
       (if (pair? (cdr attr))
           (if (or (string? (cadr attr))
-                  (permissive?))
+                  (permissive-xexprs))
               (true)
               (false (make-exn:invalid-xexpr
                       (format "Expected a string, given ~a" (cadr attr))
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@
         [(entity? x) (entity-text x)]
         [(or (comment? x) (p-i? x) (cdata? x)) x]
         [(document? x) (error 'xml->xexpr "Expected content, given ~e\nUse document-element to extract the content." x)]
-        [(permissive?) x]
+        [(permissive-xexprs) x]
         [else (error 'xml->xexpr "Expected content, given ~e" x)]))))
 
 ;; attribute->srep : Attribute -> Attribute-srep
diff --git a/collects/xml/xml.scrbl b/collects/xml/xml.scrbl
index ffa0f42c1a..5342b0b951 100644
--- a/collects/xml/xml.scrbl
+++ b/collects/xml/xml.scrbl
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ Represents an attribute within an element.}
 }
 
 @defthing[permissive/c contract?]{
- If @scheme[(permissive?)] is @scheme[#t], then equivalent to @scheme[any/c], otherwise equivalent to @scheme[(make-none/c 'permissive)]}
+ If @scheme[(permissive-xexprs)] is @scheme[#t], then equivalent to @scheme[any/c], otherwise equivalent to @scheme[(make-none/c 'permissive)]}
 
 @defstruct[(entity source) ([text (or/c symbol? exact-nonnegative-integer?)])]{
 
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ like @scheme[display-xml].}
 
 @section{XML and X-expression Conversions}
 
-@defboolparam[permissive? v]{
+@defboolparam[permissive-xexprs v]{
  If this is set to non-false, then @scheme[xml->xexpr] will allow
  non-XML objects, such as other structs, in the content of the converted XML
  and leave them in place in the resulting ``@tech{X-expression}''.
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ like @scheme[display-xml].}
 @defproc[(xml->xexpr [content content/c]) xexpr/c]{
 
 Converts document content into an @tech{X-expression}, using
-@scheme[permissive?] to determine if foreign objects are allowed.}
+@scheme[permissive-xexprs] to determine if foreign objects are allowed.}
 
 @defproc[(xexpr->xml [xexpr xexpr/c]) content/c]{