diff --git a/collects/redex/private/matcher.rkt b/collects/redex/private/matcher.rkt
index 6d88b7df7f..3bbe9eb335 100644
--- a/collects/redex/private/matcher.rkt
+++ b/collects/redex/private/matcher.rkt
@@ -1449,7 +1449,7 @@ before the pattern compiler is invoked.
       [`(variable-prefix ,vars) ribs]
       [`variable-not-otherwise-mentioned ribs]
       
-      [`hole (error 'match-pattern "cannot have a hole inside an ellipses")]
+      [`hole ribs]
       [(? symbol?) 
        (cond
          [(regexp-match #rx"_!_" (symbol->string pattern))
diff --git a/collects/redex/tests/matcher-test.rkt b/collects/redex/tests/matcher-test.rkt
index b03703c25d..3e4eeac33f 100644
--- a/collects/redex/tests/matcher-test.rkt
+++ b/collects/redex/tests/matcher-test.rkt
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@
     (test-empty '((name x a) ...) '() (list (make-test-mtch (make-bindings (list (make-bind 'x '()))) '() none)))
     (test-empty '((name x a) ...) '(a) (list (make-test-mtch (make-bindings (list (make-bind 'x '(a)))) '(a) none)))
     (test-empty '((name x a) ...) '(a a) (list (make-test-mtch (make-bindings (list (make-bind 'x '(a a)))) '(a a) none)))
+    (test-empty '(hole ...) '() (list (make-test-mtch (make-bindings empty) '() none)))
     
     (test-empty '(b ... a ...) '() (list (make-test-mtch (make-bindings empty) '() none)))
     (test-empty '(b ... a ...) '(a) (list (make-test-mtch (make-bindings empty) '(a) none)))