diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index f4ca739e3..9f6e0eda0 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ available: Guile is now always configured in "maintainer mode".
 
 * Bugs fixed
 
+** `symbol->string' now returns a read-only string, as per R5RS
 ** `guile-config link' now prints `-L$libdir' before `-lguile'
 ** Fix memory corruption involving GOOPS' `class-redefinition'
 ** Fix possible deadlock in `mutex-lock'
diff --git a/libguile/strings.c b/libguile/strings.c
index 4d387fb51..7399d8831 100644
--- a/libguile/strings.c
+++ b/libguile/strings.c
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ scm_i_symbol_substring (SCM sym, size_t start, size_t end)
   scm_i_pthread_mutex_lock (&stringbuf_write_mutex);
   SET_STRINGBUF_SHARED (buf);
   scm_i_pthread_mutex_unlock (&stringbuf_write_mutex);
-  return scm_double_cell (STRING_TAG, SCM_UNPACK(buf),
+  return scm_double_cell (RO_STRING_TAG, SCM_UNPACK (buf),
 			  (scm_t_bits)start, (scm_t_bits) end - start);
 }
 
diff --git a/test-suite/tests/symbols.test b/test-suite/tests/symbols.test
index b57667f7f..3fe3402f8 100644
--- a/test-suite/tests/symbols.test
+++ b/test-suite/tests/symbols.test
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ;;;; symbols.test --- test suite for Guile's symbols    -*- scheme -*-
 ;;;;
-;;;; Copyright (C) 2001, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+;;;; Copyright (C) 2001, 2006, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 ;;;; 
 ;;;; This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 ;;;; it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -17,17 +17,17 @@
 ;;;; the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
 ;;;; Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
 
-(use-modules (ice-9 documentation))
+(define-module (test-suite test-symbols)
+  #:use-module (test-suite lib)
+  #:use-module (ice-9 documentation))
 
 
 ;;;
 ;;; miscellaneous
 ;;;
 
-;; FIXME:  As soon as guile supports immutable strings, this has to be
-;; replaced with the appropriate error type and message.
 (define exception:immutable-string
-  (cons 'some-error-type "^trying to modify an immutable string"))
+  (cons 'misc-error "^string is read-only"))
 
 (define (documented? object)
   (not (not (object-documentation object))))
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 
 (with-test-prefix "symbol->string"
 
-  (expect-fail-exception "result is an immutable string"
+  (pass-if-exception "result is an immutable string"
     exception:immutable-string
     (string-set! (symbol->string 'abc) 1 #\space)))