diff --git a/module/system/il/compile.scm b/module/system/il/compile.scm
index f0e636bcf..51b914b6a 100644
--- a/module/system/il/compile.scm
+++ b/module/system/il/compile.scm
@@ -100,8 +100,9 @@
 	 ((eq? e (ghil-var-env var))
 	  (make-glil-external op depth (ghil-var-index var)))))
     ((module)
-     (make-glil-module op (ghil-mod-module (ghil-env-mod (ghil-var-env var)))
-                       (ghil-var-name var)))
+     (let ((env (ghil-var-env var)))
+       (make-glil-module op (and env (ghil-mod-module (ghil-env-mod env)))
+                         (ghil-var-name var))))
     (else (error "Unknown kind of variable:" var))))
 
 (define (codegen ghil)
diff --git a/module/system/il/ghil.scm b/module/system/il/ghil.scm
index c3f3f82ca..0def60ad0 100644
--- a/module/system/il/ghil.scm
+++ b/module/system/il/ghil.scm
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
 
 (define (ghil-define mod sym)
   (or (assq-ref (ghil-mod-table mod) sym)
-      (let ((var (make-ghil-var mod sym 'module)))
+      (let ((var (make-ghil-var (make-ghil-env mod) sym 'module)))
         (apush! sym var (ghil-mod-table mod))
         var)))
           
diff --git a/module/system/vm/assemble.scm b/module/system/vm/assemble.scm
index 19e633b82..33274e780 100644
--- a/module/system/vm/assemble.scm
+++ b/module/system/vm/assemble.scm
@@ -257,8 +257,9 @@
 	 ;; dump bytecode
 	 (push-code! `(load-program ,bytes)))
 	((<vlink> module name)
-	 ;; FIXME: dump module
-	 (push-code! `(link ,(symbol->string name))))
+         (dump! (and=> module module-name))
+         (dump! name)
+	 (push-code! '(link)))
 	((<vdefine> module name)
 	 ;; FIXME: dump module
 	 (push-code! `(define ,(symbol->string name))))
diff --git a/src/vm_loader.c b/src/vm_loader.c
index f90100272..e658381dc 100644
--- a/src/vm_loader.c
+++ b/src/vm_loader.c
@@ -178,16 +178,23 @@ VM_DEFINE_LOADER (load_program, "load-program")
   NEXT;
 }
 
-VM_DEFINE_LOADER (link, "link")
+VM_DEFINE_INSTRUCTION (link, "link", 0, 2, 1)
 {
-  SCM sym;
-  size_t len;
-
-  FETCH_LENGTH (len);
-  sym = scm_from_locale_symboln ((char *)ip, len);
-  ip += len;
-
-  PUSH (scm_lookup (sym));
+  SCM modname, mod, sym;
+  POP (sym);
+  POP (modname);
+  if (SCM_NFALSEP (modname)) 
+    {
+      mod = scm_c_module_lookup (scm_resolve_module (modname),
+                                 "%module-public-interface");
+      if (SCM_FALSEP (mod))
+        SCM_MISC_ERROR ("Could not load module", SCM_LIST1 (modname));
+      
+      PUSH (scm_module_lookup (SCM_VARIABLE_REF (mod), sym));
+    }
+  else
+    PUSH (scm_lookup (sym));
+  
   NEXT;
 }