diff --git a/collects/scriblib/bibtex.rkt b/collects/scriblib/bibtex.rkt
index 144e153f..65252de9 100644
--- a/collects/scriblib/bibtex.rkt
+++ b/collects/scriblib/bibtex.rkt
@@ -191,8 +191,17 @@
   (define-bibtex-cite bib-pth
     ~cite-id citet-id generate-bibliography-id . options)
   (begin
-    (define bibtex-db (path->bibdb bib-pth))
     (define-cite autobib-cite autobib-citet generate-bibliography-id . options)
+    (define-bibtex-cite* bib-pth
+      autobib-cite autobib-citet
+      ~cite-id citet-id)))
+
+(define-syntax-rule
+  (define-bibtex-cite* bib-pth
+    autobib-cite autobib-citet
+    ~cite-id citet-id)
+  (begin
+    (define bibtex-db (path->bibdb bib-pth))
     (define ((make-citer citer) f . r)
       (apply citer
              (filter-map
@@ -286,4 +295,5 @@
 (provide (struct-out bibdb)
          path->bibdb
          bibtex-parse
-         define-bibtex-cite)
+         define-bibtex-cite
+         define-bibtex-cite*)
diff --git a/collects/scriblib/scribblings/bibtex.scrbl b/collects/scriblib/scribblings/bibtex.scrbl
index 99a6cc99..c89853ab 100644
--- a/collects/scriblib/scribblings/bibtex.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scriblib/scribblings/bibtex.scrbl
@@ -11,9 +11,20 @@
 
 @defform[(define-bibtex-cite bib-pth ~cite-id citet-id generate-bibliography-id . options)]{
 
+This expands into:
+@racketblock[
+(begin
+  (define-cite autobib-cite autobib-citet generate-bibliography-id . options)
+  (define-bibtex-cite* bib-pth
+    autobib-cite autobib-citet
+    ~cite-id citet-id))]
+}
+
+@defform[(define-bibtex-cite* bib-pth autobib-cite autobib-citet ~cite-id citet-id)]{
+
 Parses @racket[bib-pth] as a BibTeX database.
 
-Uses @racket[define-cite] from @racketmodname[scriblib/autobib], but augments the @racket[~cite-id] and @racket[citet-id] functions so that rather than accepting @racket[bib?] structures, they accept citation key strings. Any @racket[options] are given to @racket[define-cite] without interpretation.
+Augments @racket[autobib-cite] and @racket[autobib-citet] into @racket[~cite-id] and @racket[citet-id] functions so that rather than accepting @racket[bib?] structures, they accept citation key strings.
        
 Each string is broken along spaces into citations keys that are looked up in the BibTeX database and turned into @racket[bib?] structures.
 
diff --git a/collects/tests/scriblib/bibtex.rkt b/collects/tests/scriblib/bibtex.rkt
index 5601483f..a73089ef 100644
--- a/collects/tests/scriblib/bibtex.rkt
+++ b/collects/tests/scriblib/bibtex.rkt
@@ -11,12 +11,11 @@
 (define-runtime-path normal-expected-path "bibtex.normal.txt")
 (define-runtime-path number-expected-path "bibtex.number.txt")
 
-(define-syntax-rule (test-render expected-path options body)
+(define-syntax-rule (test-render* definer expected-path body generate-bibliography-id)
   (let ()
-    (define-bibtex-cite example.bib
-      ~cite-id citet-id generate-bibliography-id . options)
+    definer
 
-    (body ~cite-id citet-id)
+    body
 
     (define actual-path
       (make-temporary-file "~a-bibtex.txt"))
@@ -29,6 +28,23 @@
     (test
      (file->string actual-path) => (file->string expected-path))))
 
+(define-syntax-rule (test-render expected-path options body)
+  (begin
+    (test-render* (define-bibtex-cite example.bib
+                    ~cite-id citet-id generate-bibliography-id . options)
+                  expected-path
+                  (body ~cite-id citet-id)
+                  generate-bibliography-id)
+    (test-render* (begin
+                    (define-cite autobib-cite autobib-citet
+                      generate-bibliography-id . options)
+                    (define-bibtex-cite* example.bib
+                      autobib-cite autobib-citet
+                      ~cite-id citet-id))
+                  expected-path
+                  (body ~cite-id citet-id)
+                  generate-bibliography-id)))
+
 (test
  (let ()
    (define example (path->bibdb example.bib))