diff --git a/collects/slatex/slatex-wrap.scrbl b/collects/slatex/slatex-wrap.scrbl
index af0f2e140c..2de0dd5d1b 100644
--- a/collects/slatex/slatex-wrap.scrbl
+++ b/collects/slatex/slatex-wrap.scrbl
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ To use SLaTeX as a standalone program, either drag your
 @filepath{.tex} file onto SLaTeX (under Windows or MacOS X), or type
 @exec{slatex file} in a command shell.
 
+@emph{NOTE:} If you compile your @filepath{.tex} file without using
+@exec{slatex} (i.e., by using @exec{slatex -n} and then using @exec{latex}
+directly), then your @envvar{TEXINPUTS} environment variable must contain
+a reference to the directory in which the most recent version of
+@filepath{slatex.sty} lives.  That file resides by default in the @filepath{slatex}
+collection of the main installation.
+
 In addition to the SLaTeX tools, this collection contains a parallel
 set of PDF-SLaTeX tools, which are identical except that they
 call @pdflatex rather than @|latex|.  In particular, there is now a
@@ -54,9 +61,3 @@ output.}
 Accepts a filename and, if that file exists, it returns it. If the
 filename appended with the suffix @filepath{.tex} exists, that
 filename is returned. Otherwise, an exception is raised.}
-
-@emph{NOTE:} in order to run @slatex, your @envvar{TEXINPUTS}
-environment variable must contain a reference to the directory in
-which the most recent version of @filepath{slatex.sty} lives.  That
-file resides by default in the @filepath{slatex} collection of the
-main installation.
diff --git a/collects/slatex/slatex-wrapper.rkt b/collects/slatex/slatex-wrapper.rkt
index 2d4f206a31..46df116ff7 100644
--- a/collects/slatex/slatex-wrapper.rkt
+++ b/collects/slatex/slatex-wrapper.rkt
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@
            scheme/contract
 	   mzlib/process
 	   mzlib/sendevent
+           scheme/runtime-path
            "slatex.ss")
+  
+  (define-runtime-path here ".")
 
   (provide/contract
    [slatex (string? . -> . boolean?)]
@@ -90,6 +93,10 @@
               (lambda (latex-fun)
                 (lambda (filename)
                   (slatex/no-latex filename)
+                  (putenv "TEXINPUTS" 
+                          (format "~a:~a" 
+                                  (path->string here)
+                                  (or (getenv "TEXINPUTS") "")))
                   (latex-fun filename)))])
       (values 
        (meta-slatex latex)