diff --git a/ice-9/ChangeLog b/ice-9/ChangeLog
index bf7807909..8aeed39a7 100644
--- a/ice-9/ChangeLog
+++ b/ice-9/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+Mon Mar 10 15:48:31 1997  Mikael Djurfeldt  <mdj@mdj.nada.kth.se>
+
+	* boot-9.scm (process-define-module): Modified to handle both
+	keywords and symbols.
+
 Sat Mar  8 04:32:44 1997  Gary Houston  <ghouston@actrix.gen.nz>
 
 	* slib.scm: update read usage.
diff --git a/ice-9/boot-9.scm b/ice-9/boot-9.scm
index 0ea2977eb..3da8ffef6 100644
--- a/ice-9/boot-9.scm
+++ b/ice-9/boot-9.scm
@@ -1722,8 +1722,12 @@
 	  (for-each (lambda (interface)
 		      (module-use! module interface))
 		    reversed-interfaces)
-	  (case (car kws)
-	    ((:use-module)
+	  (case (cond ((keyword? (car kws))
+		       (keyword->symbol (car kws)))
+		      ((symbol? (car kws))
+		       (string->symbol (substring (car kws) 1)))
+		      (else (car kws)))
+	    ((use-module)
 	     (if (not (pair? (cdr kws)))
 		 (error "unrecognized defmodule argument" kws))
 	     (let* ((used-name (cadr kws))