diff --git a/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/syntax-model.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/syntax-model.scrbl
index a3ed85a805..db24ae4de4 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/syntax-model.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/reference/syntax-model.scrbl
@@ -1216,7 +1216,8 @@ and only if no module-level binding is @racket[set!]ed.
             set! quote-syntax quote with-continuation-mark
             #%plain-app
             cons list make-struct-type make-struct-type-property
-            gensym string->uninterned-symbol)
+            gensym string->uninterned-symbol #%variable-reference
+	    variable-reference-from-unsafe?)
 [cross-module (module id module-path
                 (#%plain-module-begin
                   cross-form ...))]
@@ -1237,7 +1238,9 @@ and only if no module-level binding is @racket[set!]ed.
                              cross-expr ...+)
                 (#%plain-app gensym)
                 (#%plain-app gensym string)
-                (#%plain-app string->uninterned-symbol string)]
+                (#%plain-app string->uninterned-symbol string)
+		(#%plain-app variable-reference-from-unsafe?
+		             (#%variable-reference))]
 [cross-datum     number
                  boolean
                  identifier
@@ -1251,6 +1254,7 @@ module imports only from other cross-phase persistent modules, the only relevant
 expansion steps are the implicit introduction of
 @racket[#%plain-module-begin], implicit introduction of @racket[#%plain-app],
 and implicit introduction and/or expansion of @racket[#%datum].
+@history[#:changed "7.5.0.12" @elem{Allow @racket[(#%plain-app variable-reference-from-unsafe? (#%variable-reference))].}]
 
 @;----------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/private/collect.rkt b/racket/collects/racket/private/collect.rkt
index 4c06792fc0..7611faf473 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/private/collect.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/private/collect.rkt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-(module pre-base '#%kernel
+(module collect '#%kernel
   (#%require "qq-and-or.rkt"
              "path.rkt"
              "kw.rkt")
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/private/fixnum.rkt b/racket/collects/racket/private/fixnum.rkt
index 82ed378263..b1cd9f9b7b 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/private/fixnum.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/private/fixnum.rkt
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 (module fixnum '#%kernel
+  (#%declare #:cross-phase-persistent)
   (#%require '#%flfxnum)
   (#%provide fixnum-for-every-system?)
 
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/private/procedure-alias.rkt b/racket/collects/racket/private/procedure-alias.rkt
index b9b0185127..9b4ceb8b90 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/private/procedure-alias.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/private/procedure-alias.rkt
@@ -1,19 +1,11 @@
 (module procedure-alias '#%kernel
-  (#%require "define.rkt"
-             "small-scheme.rkt"
-             "more-scheme.rkt"
-             "kw-prop-key.rkt"
-             (for-syntax '#%kernel
-                         "stx.rkt"
-                         "small-scheme.rkt"
-                         "stxcase-scheme.rkt"
-                         "name.rkt"
-                         "norm-define.rkt"
-                         "qqstx.rkt"
-                         "sort.rkt"))
+  (#%declare #:cross-phase-persistent)
+  (#%require "kw-prop-key.rkt")
   
   (#%provide syntax-procedure-alias-property alias-of)
-  (define (syntax-procedure-alias-property stx)
-    (unless (syntax? stx)
-      (raise-argument-error 'syntax-procedure-alias "syntax?" stx))
-    (syntax-property stx alias-of)))
+  (define-values (syntax-procedure-alias-property)
+    (lambda (stx)
+      (if (syntax? stx)
+          (void)
+          (raise-argument-error 'syntax-procedure-alias "syntax?" stx))
+      (syntax-property stx alias-of))))
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/private/reading-param.rkt b/racket/collects/racket/private/reading-param.rkt
index ea8d6ecf8d..3e10a70fb1 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/private/reading-param.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/private/reading-param.rkt
@@ -1,30 +1,34 @@
 (module reading-params '#%kernel
-  (#%require "more-scheme.rkt" "qq-and-or.rkt")
+  (#%declare #:cross-phase-persistent)
+  (#%require '#%paramz)
   (#%provide call-with-default-reading-parameterization)
   
   (define-values (call-with-default-reading-parameterization)
     (lambda (thunk)
-      (if (and (procedure? thunk)
-               (procedure-arity-includes? thunk 0))
-          (parameterize ([read-case-sensitive #t]
-                         [read-square-bracket-as-paren #t]
-                         [read-curly-brace-as-paren #t]
-                         [read-square-bracket-with-tag #f]
-                         [read-curly-brace-with-tag #f]
-                         [read-accept-box #t]
-                         [read-accept-compiled #f]
-                         [read-accept-bar-quote #t]
-                         [read-accept-graph #t]
-                         [read-decimal-as-inexact #t]
-                         [read-single-flonum #f]
-                         [read-cdot #f]
-                         [read-accept-dot #t]
-                         [read-accept-infix-dot #t]
-                         [read-accept-quasiquote #t]
-                         [read-accept-reader #f]
-                         [read-accept-lang #t]
-                         [current-readtable #f])
-            (thunk))
-          (raise-argument-error 'call-with-default-reading-parameterization
-                                "(procedure-arity-includes/c 0)"
-                                thunk)))))
+      (if (if (procedure? thunk) (procedure-arity-includes? thunk 0) #f)
+      (with-continuation-mark
+        parameterization-key
+        (extend-parameterization
+         (continuation-mark-set-first '#f parameterization-key)
+         read-case-sensitive #t
+         read-square-bracket-as-paren #t
+         read-curly-brace-as-paren #t
+         read-square-bracket-with-tag #f
+         read-curly-brace-with-tag #f
+         read-accept-box #t
+         read-accept-compiled #f
+         read-accept-bar-quote #t
+         read-accept-graph #t
+         read-decimal-as-inexact #t
+         read-single-flonum #f
+         read-cdot #f
+         read-accept-dot #t
+         read-accept-infix-dot #t
+         read-accept-quasiquote #t
+         read-accept-reader #f
+         read-accept-lang #t
+         current-readtable #f)
+        (thunk))
+      (raise-argument-error 'call-with-default-reading-parameterization
+                            "(procedure-arity-includes/c 0)"
+                            thunk)))))
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/private/reverse.rkt b/racket/collects/racket/private/reverse.rkt
index 6fc6c52dd2..631899b5e2 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/private/reverse.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/private/reverse.rkt
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 (module reverse '#%kernel
+  (#%declare #:cross-phase-persistent)
   (#%provide (rename reverse alt-reverse))
 
   (define-values (reverse)
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/private/runtime-path-table.rkt b/racket/collects/racket/private/runtime-path-table.rkt
index 3ab773d642..a5da9f5d47 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/private/runtime-path-table.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/private/runtime-path-table.rkt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-#lang racket/base
-(provide table)
-(define table #f)
-;; So table definition is not inlined across modules:
-(set! table #f)
+(module runtime-path-table '#%kernel
+  (#%provide table)
+  (define-values (table) #f)
+  ;; So table definition is not inlined across modules:
+  (set! table #f))
diff --git a/racket/src/expander/expand/cross-phase.rkt b/racket/src/expander/expand/cross-phase.rkt
index ee95c3885d..6baa48ec9d 100644
--- a/racket/src/expander/expand/cross-phase.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/expander/expand/cross-phase.rkt
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@
       [(parsed-case-lambda? e)
        (for ([clause (in-list (parsed-case-lambda-clauses e))])
          (check-body-no-disallowed-expr (cadr clause)))]
+      ;; explicitly allow (variable-reference-from-unsafe? (#%variable-reference))
+      [(and (parsed-app? e)
+            (eq? 'variable-reference-from-unsafe? (cross-phase-primitive-name (parsed-app-rator e)))
+            (andmap parsed-#%variable-reference? (parsed-app-rands e)))
+       (void)]
       [(parsed-app? e)
        (check-no-disallowed-expr (parsed-app-rator e))
        (for ([e (in-list (parsed-app-rands e))])
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/src/startup.inc b/racket/src/racket/src/startup.inc
index 7b16a061f5..a7a2387dcb 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/src/startup.inc
+++ b/racket/src/racket/src/startup.inc
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ static const char *startup_source =
 " #t"
 " 1/current-readtable"
 " #f)"
-"(let-values()(thunk_0)))"
+"(thunk_0))"
 "        (raise-argument-error 'call-with-default-reading-parameterization \"(procedure-arity-includes/c 0)\" thunk_0)))))"
 "(define-values"
 "(prop:keyword-impersonator keyword-impersonator? keyword-impersonator-ref)"
@@ -76257,6 +76257,14 @@ static const char *startup_source =
 " for-loop_0)"
 " lst_0)))"
 "(void)))"
+"(if(if(parsed-app? e_0)"
+"(if(eq?"
+" 'variable-reference-from-unsafe?"
+"(cross-phase-primitive-name(parsed-app-rator e_0)))"
+"(andmap2 parsed-#%variable-reference?(parsed-app-rands e_0))"
+" #f)"
+" #f)"
+"(let-values()(void))"
 "(if(parsed-app? e_0)"
 "(let-values()"
 "(begin"
@@ -76336,7 +76344,8 @@ static const char *startup_source =
 "(if(pair? lst_1)"
 "(let-values(((clause_0)"
 "(unsafe-car lst_1))"
-"((rest_0)(unsafe-cdr lst_1)))"
+"((rest_0)"
+"(unsafe-cdr lst_1)))"
 "(let-values((()"
 "(let-values()"
 "(let-values((()"
@@ -76359,7 +76368,7 @@ static const char *startup_source =
 "(if(let-values(((or-part_0)(parsed-quote-syntax? e_0)))"
 "(if or-part_0 or-part_0(parsed-#%variable-reference? e_0)))"
 "(let-values()(disallow e_0))"
-"(let-values()(void)))))))))))))))"
+"(let-values()(void))))))))))))))))"
 "((check-body-no-disallowed-expr_0)"
 "(lambda(l_0)"
 "(begin"