diff --git a/mes/module/mes/syntax.mes b/mes/module/mes/syntax.mes
index f8229624..124bbc86 100644
--- a/mes/module/mes/syntax.mes
+++ b/mes/module/mes/syntax.mes
@@ -25,7 +25,15 @@
 ;;; syntax-rules is adapted from scheme48-1.1/scheme/alt/syntax.scm
 
 ;;; Code:
-(mes-use-module (mes scm))
+
+(define-module (mes syntax)
+  #:export (define-syntax
+            define-syntax-rule
+            syntax-error
+            silent-syntax-error
+            id-pattern
+            let-syntax))
+
 (include-from-path "mes/syntax.scm")
 
 (define (syntax-error message thing)
diff --git a/tests/syntax.test b/tests/syntax.test
index 8e5c4005..b1c459fe 100755
--- a/tests/syntax.test
+++ b/tests/syntax.test
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 # -*-scheme-*-
+MES_BOOT=boot-5.mes
+export MES_BOOT
 exec ${MES-bin/mes} --no-auto-compile -L ${0%/*} -L module -C module -e '(tests syntax)' -s "$0" "$@"
 !#
 
@@ -27,9 +29,6 @@ exec ${MES-bin/mes} --no-auto-compile -L ${0%/*} -L module -C module -e '(tests
   #:use-module (mes mes-0)
   #:use-module (mes test))
 
-(mes-use-module (mes test))
-(mes-use-module (mes syntax))
-
 (pass-if "first dummy" #t)
 (pass-if-not "second dummy" #f)