diff --git a/basis/macros/expander/expander.factor b/basis/macros/expander/expander.factor
index 3666fa2423..cdd2b49d9c 100644
--- a/basis/macros/expander/expander.factor
+++ b/basis/macros/expander/expander.factor
@@ -37,9 +37,17 @@ M: wrapper expand-macros* wrapped>> literal ;
         [ '[ _ ndrop _ nnip call ] [ ] like ] 2map , \ dispatch ,
     ] bi ;
 
-: expand-macro ( quot -- )
-    stack [ swap with-datastack >vector ] change
-    stack get pop >quotation end (expand-macros) ;
+: word, ( word -- ) end , ;
+
+: expand-macro ( word quot -- )
+    '[
+        drop
+        stack [ _ with-datastack >vector ] change
+        stack get pop >quotation end (expand-macros)
+    ] [
+        drop
+        word,
+    ] recover ;
 
 : expand-macro? ( word -- quot ? )
     dup [ "transform-quot" word-prop ] [ "macro" word-prop ] bi or dup [
@@ -47,11 +55,9 @@ M: wrapper expand-macros* wrapped>> literal ;
         stack get length <=
     ] [ 2drop f f ] if ;
 
-: word, ( word -- ) end , ;
-
 M: word expand-macros*
     dup expand-dispatch? [ drop expand-dispatch ] [
-        dup expand-macro? [ nip expand-macro ] [
+        dup expand-macro? [ expand-macro ] [
             drop word,
         ] if
     ] if ;