diff --git a/collects/scribblings/reference/startup.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/reference/startup.scrbl
index e863e83b29..228ac08e93 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/reference/startup.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/reference/startup.scrbl
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ On start-up, the top-level environment contains no bindings---not even
 that start with @racketidfont{#%} are defined, but they are not meant
 for direct use, and the set of such modules can change.  For example,
 the @indexed-racket['#%kernel] module is eventually used to bootstrap
-the implemetation of @racketmodname[racket/base], and
-@racket['#%mred-kernel] is used for @racketmodname[racket/gui/base].
+the implemetation of @racketmodname[racket/base].
 
 The first action of Racket or GRacket is to initialize
 @racket[current-library-collection-paths] to the result of
diff --git a/src/racket/src/module.c b/src/racket/src/module.c
index 53da09ec52..c3a345e11c 100644
--- a/src/racket/src/module.c
+++ b/src/racket/src/module.c
@@ -3403,18 +3403,10 @@ static Scheme_Module *module_load(Scheme_Object *name, Scheme_Env *env, const ch
     m = (Scheme_Module *)scheme_hash_get(env->module_registry->loaded, name);
 
     if (!m) {
-      char *mred_note;
-
-      if (!strcmp(SCHEME_SYM_VAL(SCHEME_PTR_VAL(name)), "#%mred-kernel")
-	  && !(scheme_strncmp(scheme_banner(), "Welcome to Racket", 17)))
-	mred_note = "; need to run in gracket instead of racket";
-      else
-	mred_note = "";
-
       scheme_raise_exn(MZEXN_FAIL_CONTRACT,
-		       "%s: unknown module: %D%s",
+		       "%s: unknown module: %D",
 		       who ? who : "require", 
-		       name, mred_note);
+		       name);
       return NULL;
     }
   }