diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/ext/qquote.rs b/src/comp/syntax/ext/qquote.rs
index 90501870e73..b5ca673908e 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/ext/qquote.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/ext/qquote.rs
@@ -2,31 +2,94 @@ import driver::session;
 
 import option::{none, some};
 
-import syntax::ast::{crate, expr_, expr_mac, mac_invoc, mac_qq, mac_var};
+import syntax::ast::{crate, expr_, expr_mac, mac_invoc,
+                     mac_qq, mac_aq, mac_var};
 import syntax::fold::*;
+import syntax::visit::*;
 import syntax::ext::base::*;
 import syntax::ext::build::*;
 import syntax::parse::parser::parse_expr_from_source_str;
 
+import syntax::print::*;
+import std::io::*;
+
 import codemap::span;
 
-fn expand_qquote(cx: ext_ctxt, sp: span, _e: @ast::expr) -> ast::expr_ {
-    let str = codemap::span_to_snippet(sp, cx.session().parse_sess.cm);
+type aq_ctxt = @{lo: uint,
+                 mutable gather: [{lo: uint, hi: uint, e: @ast::expr}]};
+
+fn gather_anti_quotes(lo: uint, e: @ast::expr) -> aq_ctxt
+{
+    let v = @{visit_expr: visit_expr_aq
+              with *default_visitor()};
+    let cx = @{lo:lo, mutable gather: []};
+    visit_expr_aq(e, cx, mk_vt(v));
+    ret cx;
+}
+
+fn visit_expr_aq(expr: @ast::expr, &&cx: aq_ctxt, v: vt<aq_ctxt>)
+{
+    alt (expr.node) {
+      expr_mac({node: mac_aq(sp, e), _}) {
+        cx.gather += [{lo: sp.lo - cx.lo, hi: sp.hi - cx.lo,
+                       e: e}];
+      }
+      _ {visit_expr(expr, cx, v);}
+    }
+}
+
+fn expand_qquote(ecx: ext_ctxt, sp: span, e: @ast::expr) -> ast::expr_ {
+    let str = codemap::span_to_snippet(sp, ecx.session().parse_sess.cm);
+    let qcx = gather_anti_quotes(sp.lo, e);
+    let cx = qcx;
+    let prev = 0u;
+    for {lo: lo, _} in cx.gather {
+        assert lo > prev;
+        prev = lo;
+    }
+    let str2 = "";
+    let active = true;
+    let i = 0u, j = 0u;
+    let g_len = vec::len(cx.gather);
+    str::chars_iter(str) {|ch|
+        if (active && j < g_len && i == cx.gather[j].lo) {
+            assert ch == '$';
+            active = false;
+            str2 += #fmt(" $%u ", j);
+        }
+        if (active) {str::push_char(str2, ch);}
+        i += 1u;
+        if (!active && j < g_len && i == cx.gather[j].hi) {
+            assert ch == ')';
+            active = true;
+            j += 1u;
+        }
+    }
+
+    let cx = ecx;
     let session_call = bind mk_call_(cx,sp,
                                      mk_access(cx,sp,["ext_cx"], "session"),
                                      []);
-    let call = mk_call(cx,sp,
+    let pcall = mk_call(cx,sp,
                        ["syntax", "parse", "parser",
                         "parse_expr_from_source_str"],
                        [mk_str(cx,sp, "<anon>"),
                         mk_unary(cx,sp, ast::box(ast::imm),
-                                 mk_str(cx,sp, str)),
+                                 mk_str(cx,sp, str2)),
                         mk_access_(cx,sp,
                                    mk_access_(cx,sp, session_call(), "opts"),
                                    "cfg"),
                         mk_access_(cx,sp, session_call(), "parse_sess")]
                       );
-    ret call.node;
+    let rcall = pcall;
+    if (g_len > 0u) {
+        rcall = mk_call(cx,sp,
+                        ["syntax", "ext", "qquote", "replace"],
+                        [pcall,
+                         mk_vec_e(cx,sp, vec::map(qcx.gather, {|g| g.e}))]);
+    }
+
+    ret rcall.node;
 }
 
 fn replace(e: @ast::expr, repls: [@ast::expr]) -> @ast::expr {
@@ -43,14 +106,20 @@ fn replace_expr(repls: [@ast::expr],
                 orig: fn@(ast::expr_, span, ast_fold)->(ast::expr_, span))
     -> (ast::expr_, span)
 {
-    // note: nested enum matching will be really nice here so I can jusy say
-    //       expr_mac(mac_var(i))
     alt e {
       expr_mac({node: mac_var(i), _}) {let r = repls[i]; (r.node, r.span)}
       _ {orig(e,s,fld)}
     }
 }
 
+fn print_expr(expr: @ast::expr) {
+    let stdout = std::io::stdout();
+    let pp = pprust::rust_printer(stdout);
+    pprust::print_expr(pp, expr);
+    pp::eof(pp.s);
+    stdout.write_str("\n");
+}
+
 // Local Variables:
 // mode: rust
 // fill-column: 78;
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/parse/lexer.rs b/src/comp/syntax/parse/lexer.rs
index e023e5259fd..2ad3a7f0135 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/parse/lexer.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/parse/lexer.rs
@@ -372,10 +372,11 @@ fn next_token_inner(rdr: reader) -> token::token {
             }
             rdr.bump();
             ret token::DOLLAR_NUM(val);
-        } else if c == '(' {
+        } else if rdr.curr == '(' {
+            rdr.bump();
             ret token::DOLLAR_LPAREN;
         } else {
-            rdr.fatal("expected digit3");
+            rdr.fatal("expected digit");
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
index f2f1f7c14ed..ecbae8a1fc2 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -630,8 +630,19 @@ fn parse_seq<T: copy>(bra: token::token, ket: token::token,
 
 fn have_dollar(p: parser) -> option::t<ast::mac_> {
     alt p.token {
-      token::DOLLAR_NUM(num) {p.bump(); some(ast::mac_var(num))}
-      _                      {none}
+      token::DOLLAR_NUM(num) {
+        p.bump();
+        some(ast::mac_var(num))
+      }
+      token::DOLLAR_LPAREN {
+        let lo = p.span.lo;
+        p.bump();
+        let e = parse_expr(p);
+        expect(p, token::RPAREN);
+        let hi = p.last_span.hi;
+        some(ast::mac_aq(ast_util::mk_sp(lo,hi), e))
+      }
+      _ {none}
     }
 }