diff --git a/collects/scheme/private/with-stx.ss b/collects/scheme/private/with-stx.ss
index 8592635442..3425dbaa02 100644
--- a/collects/scheme/private/with-stx.ss
+++ b/collects/scheme/private/with-stx.ss
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@
 		(datum->syntax #f (append-number x))]
 	       [(string? x)
 		(datum->syntax #f (append-number x))]
+	       [(keyword? x)
+		(datum->syntax #f (append-number (keyword->string x)))]
 	       [(identifier? x)
 		(datum->syntax #f (append-number (syntax-e x)))]
 	       [else 
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/reference/stx-ops.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/reference/stx-ops.scrbl
index 7818136a44..ce0d1cb811 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/reference/stx-ops.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/reference/stx-ops.scrbl
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ Returns a list of identifiers that are distinct from all other
 identifiers. The list contains as many identifiers as
 @scheme[stx-pair] contains elements. The @scheme[stx-pair] argument
 must be a syntax pair that can be flattened into a list. The elements
-of @scheme[stx-pair] can be anything, but string, symbol, and
+of @scheme[stx-pair] can be anything, but string, symbol, keyword, and
 identifier elements will be embedded in the corresponding generated
 name (useful for debugging purposes). The generated identifiers are
 built with interned symbols (not @scheme[gensym]s), so the limitations
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/slideshow/picts.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/slideshow/picts.scrbl
index d65c4fcc96..d65cc5eeb4 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/slideshow/picts.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/slideshow/picts.scrbl
@@ -554,6 +554,16 @@ Returns a pict like @scheme[pict], but with the last element (as
 reported by @scheme[pict-last]) set to @scheme[sub-pict]. The
 @scheme[sub-pict] must exist as a sub-pict within @scheme[pict].}
 
+@defproc[(use-last* [pict pict?] [sub-pict pict?]) pict?]{
+
+Propagates the last element of @scheme[sub-pict] to @scheme[pict].
+
+That is, @scheme[use-last*] is like @scheme[use-last], but the last
+element of @scheme[sub-pict] is used as the new last element for
+@scheme[pict], instead of @scheme[sub-pict] itself---unless
+@scheme[(pict-last sub-pict)] is @scheme[#f], in which case
+@scheme[sub-pict] is used as the last element of @scheme[pict].}
+
 @; ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 @section{Pict Finders}
diff --git a/collects/texpict/code.ss b/collects/texpict/code.ss
index b4173312c3..287d3e8300 100644
--- a/collects/texpict/code.ss
+++ b/collects/texpict/code.ss
@@ -8,10 +8,7 @@
   (provide define-code code^ code-params^ code@)
 
   (define (to-code-pict p extension)
-    (let ([last (pict-last extension)])
-      (if last
-          (use-last p last)
-          (use-last p extension))))
+    (use-last* p extension))
 
   (define (code-pict? p)
     (and (pict-last p) #t))
@@ -21,19 +18,22 @@
 
   (define (make-code-append htl-append)
     (case-lambda
-     [(a b) (if (code-pict? a)
-		(let ([extension (htl-append (ghost (code-pict-bottom-line a)) b)])
-		  (let ([p (lt-superimpose
-			    a
-			    (let-values ([(x y) (lt-find a (code-pict-bottom-line a))])
-			      (inset extension x y 0 0)))])
-		    (to-code-pict p (if (code-pict? b)
-					(code-pict-bottom-line b)
-					extension))))
-		(let ([p (htl-append a b)])
-		  (if (code-pict? b)
-		      (to-code-pict p (code-pict-bottom-line b))
-		      p)))]
+     [(a b) (let ([a-last (pict-last a)])
+              (if a-last
+                  (let ([extension (htl-append (ghost a-last) b)])
+                    (let ([p (let-values ([(x y) (lt-find a a-last)]
+                                          [(dx dy) (lt-find extension a-last)])
+                               (let ([ex (- x dx)]
+                                     [ey (- y dy)])
+                                 (if (negative? ey)
+                                     (lt-superimpose
+                                      (inset a 0 (- ey) 0 0)
+                                      (inset extension ex 0 0 0))
+                                     (lt-superimpose
+                                      a
+                                      (inset extension ex ey 0 0)))))])
+                      (use-last* p b)))
+                  (htl-append a b)))]
      [(a) a]
      [(a . rest)
       ((make-code-append htl-append)
@@ -129,7 +129,12 @@
 	((current-code-tt) s))
 
       (define (code-align p)
-	(lift (inset p 0 (pict-height p) 0 0) (pict-height p)))
+        (let ([b (dc void 
+                     (pict-width p)
+                     (pict-height p)
+                     (pict-height p)
+                     0)])
+          (refocus (cc-superimpose p b) b)))
 
       (define (code-pict-bottom-line-pict p)
 	(if (code-pict? p)
diff --git a/collects/texpict/private/common-sig.ss b/collects/texpict/private/common-sig.ss
index cbf62aa3ef..ac0d1e52b7 100644
--- a/collects/texpict/private/common-sig.ss
+++ b/collects/texpict/private/common-sig.ss
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
      panorama       ; pict -> pict
 
      use-last       ; pict pict -> pict
+     use-last*      ; pict pict -> pict
 
      hline        ; w h -> pict
      dash-hline   ; w h seg-length -> pict ; default seg-length is 5
diff --git a/collects/texpict/private/common-unit.ss b/collects/texpict/private/common-unit.ss
index 37ed8ade96..2b9aac8713 100644
--- a/collects/texpict/private/common-unit.ss
+++ b/collects/texpict/private/common-unit.ss
@@ -303,6 +303,9 @@
 	       ,w ,h
 	       (put ,l ,b ,(pict-draw box)))))]))
 
+      (define (use-last* p sub-p)
+        (use-last p (or (pict-last sub-p) sub-p)))
+
       (define (use-last p sub-p)
 	(if (let floop ([p p])
               (or (eq? p sub-p)
@@ -868,9 +871,10 @@
 		       [else
 			(error who
 			       "expects two numbers or a sub-pict and a find procedure")])])
-	  (cons-picture*
-	   base
-	   `((place ,dx ,(- dy (pict-height target)) ,target)))))
+	  (use-last (cons-picture*
+                     base
+                     `((place ,dx ,(- dy (pict-height target)) ,target)))
+                    (or (pict-last base) base))))
 
       (define (place-over base dx dy target)
 	(place-it 'place-over #f base dx dy target))