diff --git a/libguile/vm-engine.c b/libguile/vm-engine.c
index f43f8c7fe..34764c659 100644
--- a/libguile/vm-engine.c
+++ b/libguile/vm-engine.c
@@ -212,10 +212,6 @@ VM_NAME (struct scm_vm *vp, SCM program, SCM *argv, int nargs)
     finish_args = SCM_EOL;
     goto vm_error;
 
-  vm_error_no_such_module:
-    err_msg  = scm_from_locale_string ("VM: No such module: ~A");
-    goto vm_error;
-
 #if VM_CHECK_IP
   vm_error_invalid_address:
     err_msg  = scm_from_locale_string ("VM: Invalid program address");
diff --git a/libguile/vm-i-loader.c b/libguile/vm-i-loader.c
index 515001d61..b231d392f 100644
--- a/libguile/vm-i-loader.c
+++ b/libguile/vm-i-loader.c
@@ -124,29 +124,7 @@ VM_DEFINE_INSTRUCTION (66, link_now, "link-now", 0, 1, 1)
   SCM what;
   POP (what);
   SYNC_REGISTER ();
-  if (SCM_LIKELY (SCM_SYMBOLP (what)))
-    {
-      PUSH (scm_lookup (what)); /* might longjmp */
-    }
-  else
-    {
-      SCM mod;
-      /* compilation of @ or @@
-         `what' is a three-element list: (MODNAME SYM INTERFACE?)
-         INTERFACE? is #t if we compiled @ or #f if we compiled @@
-      */
-      mod = scm_resolve_module (SCM_CAR (what));
-      if (scm_is_true (SCM_CADDR (what)))
-        mod = scm_module_public_interface (mod);
-      if (SCM_FALSEP (mod))
-        {
-          finish_args = scm_list_1 (SCM_CAR (what));
-          goto vm_error_no_such_module;
-        }
-      /* might longjmp */
-      PUSH (scm_module_lookup (mod, SCM_CADR (what)));
-    }
-      
+  PUSH (resolve_variable (what, scm_current_module ()));
   NEXT;
 }
 
diff --git a/libguile/vm-i-system.c b/libguile/vm-i-system.c
index 42f2b1973..32b772afa 100644
--- a/libguile/vm-i-system.c
+++ b/libguile/vm-i-system.c
@@ -278,47 +278,12 @@ VM_DEFINE_INSTRUCTION (25, toplevel_ref, "toplevel-ref", 1, 0, 1)
   if (!SCM_VARIABLEP (what)) 
     {
       SYNC_REGISTER ();
-      if (SCM_LIKELY (SCM_SYMBOLP (what))) 
-        {
-          SCM mod = SCM_EOL;
-          if (SCM_LIKELY (scm_module_system_booted_p
-                          && scm_is_true ((mod = scm_program_module (program)))))
-            /* might longjmp */
-            what = scm_module_lookup (mod, what);
-          else
-            {
-              SCM v = scm_sym2var (what, SCM_BOOL_F, SCM_BOOL_F);
-              if (scm_is_false (v))
-                SCM_MISC_ERROR ("unbound variable: ~S", scm_list_1 (what));
-              else
-                what = v;
-            }
-        }
-      else
-        {
-          SCM mod;
-          /* compilation of @ or @@
-             `what' is a three-element list: (MODNAME SYM INTERFACE?)
-             INTERFACE? is #t if we compiled @ or #f if we compiled @@
-          */
-          mod = scm_resolve_module (SCM_CAR (what));
-          if (scm_is_true (SCM_CADDR (what)))
-            mod = scm_module_public_interface (mod);
-          if (SCM_FALSEP (mod))
-            {
-              finish_args = scm_list_1 (mod);
-              goto vm_error_no_such_module;
-            }
-          /* might longjmp */
-          what = scm_module_lookup (mod, SCM_CADR (what));
-        }
-          
+      what = resolve_variable (what, scm_program_module (program));
       if (!VARIABLE_BOUNDP (what))
         {
           finish_args = scm_list_1 (what);
           goto vm_error_unbound;
         }
-
       OBJECT_SET (objnum, what);
     }
 
@@ -367,41 +332,7 @@ VM_DEFINE_INSTRUCTION (29, toplevel_set, "toplevel-set", 1, 1, 0)
   if (!SCM_VARIABLEP (what)) 
     {
       SYNC_BEFORE_GC ();
-      if (SCM_LIKELY (SCM_SYMBOLP (what))) 
-        {
-          SCM mod = SCM_EOL;
-          if (SCM_LIKELY (scm_module_system_booted_p
-                          && scm_is_true ((mod = scm_program_module (program)))))
-            /* might longjmp */
-            what = scm_module_lookup (mod, what);
-          else
-            {
-              SCM v = scm_sym2var (what, SCM_BOOL_F, SCM_BOOL_F);
-              if (scm_is_false (v))
-                SCM_MISC_ERROR ("unbound variable: ~S", scm_list_1 (what));
-              else
-                what = v;
-            }
-        }
-      else
-        {
-          SCM mod;
-          /* compilation of @ or @@
-             `what' is a three-element list: (MODNAME SYM INTERFACE?)
-             INTERFACE? is #t if we compiled @ or #f if we compiled @@
-          */
-          mod = scm_resolve_module (SCM_CAR (what));
-          if (scm_is_true (SCM_CADDR (what)))
-            mod = scm_module_public_interface (mod);
-          if (SCM_FALSEP (mod))
-            {
-              finish_args = scm_list_1 (what);
-              goto vm_error_no_such_module;
-            }
-          /* might longjmp */
-          what = scm_module_lookup (mod, SCM_CADR (what));
-        }
-
+      what = resolve_variable (what, scm_program_module (program));
       OBJECT_SET (objnum, what);
     }
 
diff --git a/libguile/vm.c b/libguile/vm.c
index 081a691ff..f708b2108 100644
--- a/libguile/vm.c
+++ b/libguile/vm.c
@@ -267,6 +267,43 @@ vm_make_boot_program (long nargs)
  * VM
  */
 
+static SCM
+resolve_variable (SCM what, SCM program_module)
+{
+  if (SCM_LIKELY (SCM_SYMBOLP (what))) 
+    {
+      if (SCM_LIKELY (scm_module_system_booted_p
+                      && scm_is_true (program_module)))
+        /* might longjmp */
+        return scm_module_lookup (program_module, what);
+      else
+        {
+          SCM v = scm_sym2var (what, SCM_BOOL_F, SCM_BOOL_F);
+          if (scm_is_false (v))
+            scm_misc_error (NULL, "unbound variable: ~S", scm_list_1 (what));
+          else
+            return v;
+        }
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      SCM mod;
+      /* compilation of @ or @@
+         `what' is a three-element list: (MODNAME SYM INTERFACE?)
+         INTERFACE? is #t if we compiled @ or #f if we compiled @@
+      */
+      mod = scm_resolve_module (SCM_CAR (what));
+      if (scm_is_true (SCM_CADDR (what)))
+        mod = scm_module_public_interface (mod);
+      if (SCM_FALSEP (mod))
+        scm_misc_error (NULL, "no such module: ~S",
+                        scm_list_1 (SCM_CAR (what)));
+      /* might longjmp */
+      return scm_module_lookup (mod, SCM_CADR (what));
+    }
+}
+  
+
 #define VM_DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE	(16 * 1024)
 
 #define VM_NAME   vm_regular_engine