diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index 4414274b..142ffe1a 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -137,14 +137,48 @@ static sexp sexp_make_procedure(char flags, unsigned short num_args,
   return (sexp) proc;
 }
 
+static sexp sexp_make_macro (procedure p, env e) {
+  macro mac = SEXP_ALLOC(sizeof(struct macro));
+  mac->tag = SEXP_MACRO;
+  mac->e = e;
+  mac->proc = p;
+  return (sexp) mac;
+}
+
 /************************* the compiler ***************************/
 
+sexp sexp_expand_macro (macro mac, sexp form, env e) {
+  sexp res, *stack = SEXP_ALLOC(sizeof(sexp)*INIT_STACK_SIZE);
+  bytecode bc;
+  unsigned int i;
+  fprintf(stderr, "expanding: ");
+  sexp_write(form, cur_error_port);
+  fprintf(stderr, "\n => ");
+  bc = (bytecode) SEXP_ALLOC(sizeof(struct bytecode)+32);
+  bc->tag = SEXP_BYTECODE;
+  bc->len = 32;
+  emit_push(&bc, &i, mac->e);
+  emit_push(&bc, &i, e);
+  emit_push(&bc, &i, form);
+  emit_push(&bc, &i, mac->proc);
+  emit(&bc, &i, OP_CALL);
+  emit_word(&bc, &i, (sexp_uint_t) sexp_make_integer(3));
+  emit(&bc, &i, OP_DONE);
+  res = vm(bc, e, stack, 0);
+  sexp_write(res, cur_error_port);
+  fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+  SEXP_FREE(bc);
+  SEXP_FREE(stack);
+  return res;
+}
+
 void analyze(sexp obj, bytecode *bc, unsigned int *i, env e,
              sexp params, sexp fv, sexp sv, unsigned int *d, int tailp) {
   int tmp1, tmp2, tmp3;
   env e2;
   sexp o1, o2, cell;
 
+ loop:
   if (SEXP_PAIRP(obj)) {
     if (SEXP_SYMBOLP(SEXP_CAR(obj))) {
       o1 = env_cell(e, SEXP_CAR(obj));
@@ -159,6 +193,10 @@ void analyze(sexp obj, bytecode *bc, unsigned int *i, env e,
           analyze_lambda(SEXP_FALSE, SEXP_CADR(obj), SEXP_CDDR(obj),
                          bc, i, e, params, fv, sv, d, tailp);
           break;
+        case CORE_DEFINE_SYNTAX:
+          env_define(e, SEXP_CADR(obj),
+                     sexp_make_macro((procedure) eval(SEXP_CADDR(obj), e), e));
+          break;
         case CORE_DEFINE:
           if ((((core_form)o1)->code == CORE_DEFINE)
               && SEXP_PAIRP(SEXP_CADR(obj))) {
@@ -293,6 +331,9 @@ void analyze(sexp obj, bytecode *bc, unsigned int *i, env e,
         default:
           errx(1, "unknown opcode class: %d", ((opcode)o1)->op_class);
         }
+      } else if (SEXP_MACROP(o1)) {
+        obj = sexp_expand_macro((macro) o1, obj, e);
+        goto loop;
       } else {
         /* general procedure call */
         analyze_app(obj, bc, i, e, params, fv, sv, d, tailp);
@@ -575,7 +616,7 @@ unsigned int sexp_restore_stack(sexp saved, sexp *current) {
   return len;
 }
 
-#define sexp_raise(exn) {stack[top-1]=(exn); goto call_error_handler;}
+#define sexp_raise(exn) {stack[top++]=(exn); goto call_error_handler;}
 
 sexp vm(bytecode bc, env e, sexp* stack, unsigned int top) {
   unsigned char *ip=bc->data;
@@ -590,6 +631,8 @@ sexp vm(bytecode bc, env e, sexp* stack, unsigned int top) {
     break;
   case OP_GLOBAL_REF:
     tmp1 = env_cell(e, ((sexp*)ip)[0]);
+    if (! tmp1)
+      sexp_raise(sexp_intern("undefined-variable"));
     stack[top++]=SEXP_CDR(tmp1);
     ip += sizeof(sexp);
     break;
@@ -893,6 +936,7 @@ sexp vm(bytecode bc, env e, sexp* stack, unsigned int top) {
     break;
   case OP_ERROR:
   call_error_handler:
+    fprintf(stderr, "in error handler\n");
     sexp_write_string("ERROR: ", cur_error_port);
     sexp_write(stack[top-1], cur_error_port);
     sexp_write_string("\n", cur_error_port);
@@ -970,6 +1014,8 @@ sexp vm(bytecode bc, env e, sexp* stack, unsigned int top) {
 /*     sexp_write(stack[top-1], cur_error_port); */
 /*     fprintf(stderr, "...\n"); */
     /* print_stack(stack, top); */
+    if (top<4)
+      goto end_loop;
     cp = stack[top-2];
     ip = (unsigned char*) sexp_unbox_integer(stack[top-3]);
     i = sexp_unbox_integer(stack[top-4]);
diff --git a/eval.h b/eval.h
index 658ceecf..a32aa26e 100644
--- a/eval.h
+++ b/eval.h
@@ -43,6 +43,12 @@ typedef struct env {
   sexp bindings;
 } *env;
 
+typedef struct macro {
+  char tag;
+  procedure proc;
+  env e;
+} *macro;
+
 typedef struct opcode {
   char tag;
   char op_class;
diff --git a/sexp.c b/sexp.c
index ebf3d620..f20d4607 100644
--- a/sexp.c
+++ b/sexp.c
@@ -411,10 +411,16 @@ void sexp_write (sexp obj, sexp out) {
       sexp_write_string("#<input-port>", out); break;
     case SEXP_OPORT:
       sexp_write_string("#<output-port>", out); break;
+    case SEXP_CORE:
+      sexp_write_string("#<core-form>", out); break;
+    case SEXP_OPCODE:
+      sexp_write_string("#<opcode>", out); break;
     case SEXP_BYTECODE:
       sexp_write_string("#<bytecode>", out); break;
     case SEXP_ENV:
       sexp_write_string("#<env>", out); break;
+    case SEXP_MACRO:
+      sexp_write_string("#<macro>", out); break;
     case SEXP_STRING:
       sexp_write_char('"', out);
       i = sexp_string_length(obj);
diff --git a/sexp.h b/sexp.h
index e889b98b..199be5c8 100644
--- a/sexp.h
+++ b/sexp.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ enum sexp_types {
   /* the following are used only by the evaluator */
   SEXP_EXCEPTION,
   SEXP_PROCEDURE,
+  SEXP_MACRO,
   SEXP_ENV,
   SEXP_BYTECODE,
   SEXP_CORE,
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ typedef long sexp_sint_t;
 #define SEXP_BYTECODEP(x) (SEXP_POINTERP(x) && ((sexp)(x))->tag ==SEXP_BYTECODE)
 #define SEXP_COREP(x)     (SEXP_POINTERP(x) && ((sexp)(x))->tag == SEXP_CORE)
 #define SEXP_OPCODEP(x)   (SEXP_POINTERP(x) && ((sexp)(x))->tag == SEXP_OPCODE)
+#define SEXP_MACROP(x)    (SEXP_POINTERP(x) && ((sexp)(x))->tag == SEXP_MACRO)
 
 #define SEXP_SYMBOLP(x)  (SEXP_ISYMBOLP(x) || SEXP_LSYMBOLP(x))