diff --git a/module/ice-9/psyntax-pp.scm b/module/ice-9/psyntax-pp.scm
index 254f7018b..7b801ad24 100644
--- a/module/ice-9/psyntax-pp.scm
+++ b/module/ice-9/psyntax-pp.scm
@@ -2974,7 +2974,14 @@
         ((read-file
            (lambda (fn dir k)
              (let ((p (open-input-file
-                        (if (absolute-file-name? fn) fn (in-vicinity dir fn)))))
+                        (if (absolute-file-name? fn)
+                          fn
+                          (if dir
+                            (in-vicinity dir fn)
+                            (syntax-violation
+                              'include
+                              "relative file name only allowed when the include form is in a file"
+                              x))))))
                (let ((enc (file-encoding p)))
                  (set-port-encoding! p (let ((t enc)) (if t t "UTF-8")))
                  (let f ((x (read p)) (result '()))
diff --git a/module/ice-9/psyntax.scm b/module/ice-9/psyntax.scm
index 576fc3ff7..5f1bd8ae4 100644
--- a/module/ice-9/psyntax.scm
+++ b/module/ice-9/psyntax.scm
@@ -2952,9 +2952,15 @@
     (define read-file
       (lambda (fn dir k)
         (let* ((p (open-input-file
-                   (if (absolute-file-name? fn)
-                       fn
-                       (in-vicinity dir fn))))
+                   (cond ((absolute-file-name? fn)
+                          fn)
+                         (dir
+                          (in-vicinity dir fn))
+                         (else
+                          (syntax-violation
+                           'include
+                           "relative file name only allowed when the include form is in a file"
+                           x)))))
                (enc (file-encoding p)))
 
           ;; Choose the input encoding deterministically.