diff --git a/collects/scribble/private/manual-code.rkt b/collects/scribble/private/manual-code.rkt
index 4e09fb0784..1ad662ad52 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/private/manual-code.rkt
+++ b/collects/scribble/private/manual-code.rkt
@@ -62,7 +62,13 @@
                        (if context
                            (replace-context context stx)
                            stx)))
-                 (read-syntax 'prog (open-input-bytes bstr))))]
+                 (let ([p (open-input-bytes bstr)])
+                   (let loop ()
+                     (let ([v (read-syntax 'prog p)])
+                       (cond
+                        [expand v]
+                        [(eof-object? v) null]
+                        [else (datum->syntax #f (cons v (loop)) v v)]))))))]
            [ids (let loop ([e e])
                   (cond
                    [(and (identifier? e)
@@ -113,7 +119,8 @@
                       (apply append
                              (map loop (syntax->list #'(form ...))))]
                      [else null]))]
-           [language (if (regexp-match? #rx"^#lang " bstr)
+           [has-hash-lang? (regexp-match? #rx"^#lang " bstr)]
+           [language (if has-hash-lang?
                          (let ([m (regexp-match #rx"^#lang ([-a-zA-Z/._+]+)" bstr)])
                            (if m
                                (link-mod
@@ -128,8 +135,10 @@
                                  mods
                                  language
                                  (filter (lambda (x) (not (eq? (car x) 'symbol)))
-                                         ;; Drop #lang entry:
-                                         (cdr tokens)))
+                                         (if has-hash-lang?
+                                             ;; Drop #lang entry:
+                                             (cdr tokens)
+                                             tokens)))
                          (lambda (a b)
                            (or (< (cadr a) (cadr b))
                                (and (= (cadr a) (cadr b))
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/scribble/manual.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/scribble/manual.scrbl
index 0729accc78..cdf1288bb7 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/scribble/manual.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/scribble/manual.scrbl
@@ -31,19 +31,30 @@ includes a @racket[latex-defaults] @tech{style property}.
 @section[#:tag "scribble:manual:code"]{Typesetting Code}
 
 @defform/subs[(codeblock option ... str-expr ...+)
-              ([option (code:line #:indent indent-expr)
+              ([option (code:line #:keep-lang-line? keep-expr)
+                       (code:line #:indent indent-expr)
                        (code:line #:expand expand-expr)
-                       (code:line #:context context-expr)
-                       (code:line #:keep-lang-line? keep-expr)])
-              #:contracts ([indent-expr exact-nonnegative-integer?]
+                       (code:line #:context context-expr)])
+              #:contracts ([keep-expr any/c]
+                           [indent-expr exact-nonnegative-integer?]
                            [expand-expr (or/c #f (syntax-object? . -> . syntax-object?))]
-                           [context-expr syntax-object?]
-                           [keep-expr any/c])]{
+                           [context-expr syntax-object?])]{
 
 Parses the code formed by the strings produced by the
-@racket[str-expr]s as a Racket module and produces a @tech{block} that
-typesets the code. The code is indented by the amount specified by
-@racket[indent-expr], which defaults to @racket[2].
+@racket[str-expr]s as a Racket module (roughly) and produces a
+@tech{block} that typesets the code. The @racket[str-expr]s should
+normally start with @hash-lang[] to determine the reader syntax for
+the module, but the resulting ``module'' need not expand or
+compile---except as needed by @racket[expand-expr]. If
+@racket[expand-expr] is omitted or produces false, then the input
+formed by @racket[str-expr] is read until an end-of-file is
+encountered, otherwise a single form is read from the input.
+
+When @racket[keep-expr] produces a true value (the default), the first
+line in the input (which is typically @hash-lang[]) is preserved in
+the typeset output, otherwise the first line is dropped. The typeset
+code is indented by the amount specified by @racket[indent-expr],
+which defaults to @racket[2].
 
 When @racket[expand-expr] produces @racket[#f] (which is the default),
 identifiers in the typeset code are colored and linked based on
@@ -55,10 +66,6 @@ When @racket[expand-expr] produces a procedure, it is used to
 macro-expand the parsed program, and syntax coloring is based on the
 parsed program.
 
-When @racket[keep-lang-line?-expr] produces a true value (the
-default), the @hash-lang[] line in the input is preserved in the
-typeset output, otherwise the first line is dropped.
-
 For example,
 
 @codeblock[#:keep-lang-line? #f]|<|{