diff --git a/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/readtables.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/readtables.scrbl
index 0ba679c3ae..a283c8b7bc 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/readtables.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/readtables.scrbl
@@ -69,20 +69,21 @@ otherwise.
 
 @defproc[(make-readtable [readtable (or/c readtable? #f)]
                          [key (or/c char? #f)]
-                         [mode (or/c (or/c 'terminating-macro
-                                           'non-terminating-macro
-                                           'dispatch-macro)
+                         [mode (or/c 'terminating-macro
+                                     'non-terminating-macro
+                                     'dispatch-macro
                                      char?)]
                          [action (or/c procedure?
-                                       readtable?)]
-                        ...+)
+                                       readtable?
+                                       #f)]
+                        ...)
            readtable?]{
 
 Creates a new readtable that is like @racket[readtable] (which can be
 @racket[#f] to indicate the default readtable),
 except that the reader's behavior is modified for each
 @racket[key] according to the given @racket[mode] and
-@racket[action]. The @racket[...+] for @racket[make-readtable] applies
+@racket[action]. The @racket[...] for @racket[make-readtable] applies
 to all three of @racket[key], @racket[mode], and @racket[action]; in
 other words, the total number of arguments to @racket[make-readtable]
 must be @math{1} modulo @math{3}.
diff --git a/racket/src/bc/src/startup.inc b/racket/src/bc/src/startup.inc
index bb88a6906c..2ddf91363b 100644
--- a/racket/src/bc/src/startup.inc
+++ b/racket/src/bc/src/startup.inc
@@ -54515,7 +54515,7 @@ static const char *startup_source =
 "(let-values()"
 "(raise-arguments-error"
 " 'make-readtable"
-"(if key_0"
+"(if(char? mode_0)"
 "                                                                   \"expected readtable or #f argument after character argument\""
 "                                                                   \"expected procedure argument after symbol argument\")"
 "                                                                 \"given\""
diff --git a/racket/src/cs/schemified/expander.scm b/racket/src/cs/schemified/expander.scm
index 91647448d7..829b6d760d 100644
--- a/racket/src/cs/schemified/expander.scm
+++ b/racket/src/cs/schemified/expander.scm
@@ -61331,7 +61331,7 @@
                                (if (null? (cddr args_1))
                                  (raise-arguments-error
                                   'make-readtable
-                                  (if key_0
+                                  (if (char? mode_0)
                                     "expected readtable or #f argument after character argument"
                                     "expected procedure argument after symbol argument")
                                   "given"
diff --git a/racket/src/expander/read/readtable.rkt b/racket/src/expander/read/readtable.rkt
index 4317752bde..b6cac3edfb 100644
--- a/racket/src/expander/read/readtable.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/expander/read/readtable.rkt
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
       ;; Target is what the key is mapped to
       (when (null? (cddr args))
         (raise-arguments-error 'make-readtable
-                               (if key
+                               (if (char? mode)
                                    "expected readtable or #f argument after character argument"
                                    "expected procedure argument after symbol argument")
                                "given" mode))