diff --git a/module/language/ghil/compile-glil.scm b/module/language/ghil/compile-glil.scm
index 2034ca045..bad338005 100644
--- a/module/language/ghil/compile-glil.scm
+++ b/module/language/ghil/compile-glil.scm
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@
                 (ghil-env-add! parent-env v))
               (ghil-env-variables env))))
 
+;; The premise of this, unused, approach to optimization is that you can
+;; determine the environment of a variable lexically, because they have
+;; been alpha-renamed. It makes the transformations *much* easier.
+;; Unfortunately it doesn't work yet.
 (define (optimize* x)
   (transform-record (<ghil> env loc) x
     ((quasiquote exp)
diff --git a/module/system/base/syntax.scm b/module/system/base/syntax.scm
index d0d45aaf4..d968bdff8 100644
--- a/module/system/base/syntax.scm
+++ b/module/system/base/syntax.scm
@@ -272,13 +272,15 @@
             (let ((record-type (symbol-append '< (make-stem stem) '>)))
               `((and (eq? ,rtd ,record-type)
                      ,@(reverse (further-predicates r stem slots)))
-                (let ,(reverse (let-clauses r stem (append (cdr type-and-common)
-                                                           slots)))
+                (let ,(reverse (let-clauses r stem slots))
                   ,@(if (pair? body)
                         (map transform-expr body)
                         '((if #f #f)))))))))
     `(let* ((,r ,record)
-            (,rtd (struct-vtable ,r)))
+            (,rtd (struct-vtable ,r))
+            ,@(map (lambda (slot)
+                     `(,slot (,(make-stem slot) ,r)))
+                   (cdr type-and-common)))
        (cond ,@(let ((clauses (map process-clause clauses)))
                  (if (assq 'else clauses)
                      clauses