diff --git a/module/language/scheme/translate.scm b/module/language/scheme/translate.scm
index f26b37d84..87f4435bb 100644
--- a/module/language/scheme/translate.scm
+++ b/module/language/scheme/translate.scm
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@
       (lambda (env loc exp)
         (retrans (apply (defmacro-transformer val) (cdr exp)))))
 
+     ((and (macro? val) (eq? (macro-name val) 'sc-macro))
+      ;; syncase!
+      (let ((syncase (module-ref (resolve-interface '(ice-9 syncase)) 'syncase)))
+        (lambda (env loc exp)
+          (retrans (syncase exp)))))
+
      ((macro? val)
       (syntax-error #f "unknown kind of macro" head))
 
diff --git a/module/system/vm/assemble.scm b/module/system/vm/assemble.scm
index ad0aac9a6..cbb307b92 100644
--- a/module/system/vm/assemble.scm
+++ b/module/system/vm/assemble.scm
@@ -280,8 +280,7 @@
      ((symbol? x)
       (push-code! `(load-symbol ,(symbol->string x))))
      ((keyword? x)
-      (push-code! `(load-keyword
-                    ,(symbol->string (keyword-dash-symbol x)))))
+      (push-code! `(load-keyword ,(symbol->string (keyword->symbol x)))))
      ((list? x)
       (for-each dump! x)
       (let ((len (length x)))
diff --git a/src/vm_loader.c b/src/vm_loader.c
index e658381dc..2b182d819 100644
--- a/src/vm_loader.c
+++ b/src/vm_loader.c
@@ -91,11 +91,9 @@ VM_DEFINE_LOADER (load_symbol, "load-symbol")
 
 VM_DEFINE_LOADER (load_keyword, "load-keyword")
 {
-  SCM sym;
   size_t len;
   FETCH_LENGTH (len);
-  sym = scm_from_locale_symboln ((char *)ip, len);
-  PUSH (scm_make_keyword_from_dash_symbol (sym));
+  PUSH (scm_from_locale_keywordn ((char *)ip, len));
   ip += len;
   NEXT;
 }