diff --git a/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/read.rktl b/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/read.rktl
index de3a76accb..920951a1e9 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/read.rktl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-test-core/tests/racket/read.rktl
@@ -1098,6 +1098,8 @@
 
 ;; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 
+(parameterize ([read-accept-dot #f])
+  (err/rt-test (read (open-input-string ".")) exn:fail:read?))
 (parameterize ([current-readtable (make-readtable (current-readtable) #\. #\a #f)])
   (test '|.| read (open-input-string ".")))
 (parameterize ([current-readtable (make-readtable (current-readtable) #\. #\a #f)]
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/src/fun.c b/racket/src/racket/src/fun.c
index 5da231e6bd..813b34e8a7 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/src/fun.c
+++ b/racket/src/racket/src/fun.c
@@ -2139,6 +2139,37 @@ static Scheme_Object *clone_arity(Scheme_Object *a, int delta, int mode)
     return a;
 }
 
+int scheme_fast_check_arity(Scheme_Object *p, int a)
+/* Faster version of get_or_check_arity() in check mode;
+   a 0 result means "maybe" */
+{
+  Scheme_Type type;
+  int mina, maxa;
+
+  type = SCHEME_TYPE(p);
+  if (type == scheme_prim_type) {
+    mina = ((Scheme_Primitive_Proc *)p)->mina;
+    maxa = ((Scheme_Primitive_Proc *)p)->mu.maxa;
+    if (mina < 0)
+      return 0;
+    else {
+      if (maxa > SCHEME_MAX_ARGS)
+	maxa = -1;
+    }
+  } else if (type == scheme_closed_prim_type) {
+    mina = ((Scheme_Closed_Primitive_Proc *)p)->mina;
+    maxa = ((Scheme_Closed_Primitive_Proc *)p)->maxa;
+    if (mina == -2)
+      return 0;
+  } else
+    return 0;
+
+  if (a >= mina && (maxa < 0 || a <= maxa))
+    return 1;
+  
+  return 0;
+}
+
 static Scheme_Object *get_or_check_arity(Scheme_Object *p, intptr_t a, Scheme_Object *bign, int inc_ok)
 /* a == -1 => get arity
    a == -2 => check for allowing bignum
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/src/portfun.c b/racket/src/racket/src/portfun.c
index 474bc6afa7..7ade191ab8 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/src/portfun.c
+++ b/racket/src/racket/src/portfun.c
@@ -275,9 +275,9 @@ scheme_init_port_fun(Scheme_Env *env)
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("read-syntax/recursive",          read_syntax_recur_f,            0, 5, env);
   GLOBAL_PRIM_W_ARITY2("read-language",               read_language,                  0, 2, 0, -1, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("read-char",                      read_char,                      0, 1, env);
-  GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("read-char-or-special",           read_char_spec,                 0, 3, env);
+  GLOBAL_PRIM_W_ARITY2("read-char-or-special",        read_char_spec,                 0, 3, 0, -1, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("read-byte",                      read_byte,                      0, 1, env);
-  GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("read-byte-or-special",           read_byte_spec,                 0, 3, env);
+  GLOBAL_PRIM_W_ARITY2("read-byte-or-special",        read_byte_spec,                 0, 3, 0, -1, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("read-bytes-line",                read_byte_line,                 0, 2, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("read-line",                      read_line,                      0, 2, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("read-string",                    sch_read_string,                1, 2, env);
@@ -305,9 +305,9 @@ scheme_init_port_fun(Scheme_Env *env)
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("write-special",                  scheme_write_special,           1, 2, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("write-special-avail*",           scheme_write_special_nonblock,  1, 2, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("peek-char",                      peek_char,                      0, 2, env);
-  GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("peek-char-or-special",           peek_char_spec,                 0, 4, env);
+  GLOBAL_PRIM_W_ARITY2("peek-char-or-special",           peek_char_spec,              0, 4, 0, -1, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("peek-byte",                      peek_byte,                      0, 2, env);
-  GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("peek-byte-or-special",           peek_byte_spec,                 0, 5, env);
+  GLOBAL_PRIM_W_ARITY2("peek-byte-or-special",           peek_byte_spec,              0, 5, 0, -1, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("byte-ready?",                    byte_ready_p,                   0, 1, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("char-ready?",                    char_ready_p,                   0, 1, env);
   GLOBAL_NONCM_PRIM("newline",                        newline,                        0, 1, env);
@@ -3087,7 +3087,7 @@ do_read_char(char *name, int argc, Scheme_Object *argv[], int peek, int spec, in
     spec_wrap = argv[pos];
     if (SCHEME_FALSEP(spec_wrap))
       spec_wrap = NULL;
-    else
+    else if (!scheme_fast_check_arity(spec_wrap, 1))
       scheme_check_proc_arity2(name, 1, pos, argc, argv, 1);
     pos++;
     if (argc > pos) {
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/src/schpriv.h b/racket/src/racket/src/schpriv.h
index 88425aa9f2..30e2962af3 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/src/schpriv.h
+++ b/racket/src/racket/src/schpriv.h
@@ -4147,6 +4147,7 @@ Scheme_Object *scheme_special_comment_value(Scheme_Object *o);
 
 Scheme_Object *scheme_get_stack_trace(Scheme_Object *mark_set);
 
+XFORM_NONGCING int scheme_fast_check_arity(Scheme_Object *v, int a);
 Scheme_Object *scheme_get_or_check_arity(Scheme_Object *p, intptr_t a);
 int scheme_native_arity_check(Scheme_Object *closure, int argc);
 Scheme_Object *scheme_get_native_arity(Scheme_Object *closure, int mode);