diff --git a/src/macro.c b/src/macro.c
index 531ffb1f..57f79423 100644
--- a/src/macro.c
+++ b/src/macro.c
@@ -347,6 +347,9 @@ macroexpand(pic_state *pic, pic_value expr, struct pic_senv *senv)
 
 	  /* defined symbol */
 	  a = pic_car(pic, var);
+          if (! pic_symbol_p(a)) {
+            a = macroexpand(pic, a, senv);
+          }
 	  if (! pic_symbol_p(a)) {
 	    pic_error(pic, "binding to non-symbol object");
 	  }
@@ -364,6 +367,9 @@ macroexpand(pic_state *pic, pic_value expr, struct pic_senv *senv)
 	  return v;
 	}
 
+        if (! pic_symbol_p(var)) {
+          var = macroexpand(pic, var, senv);
+        }
 	if (! pic_symbol_p(var)) {
 	  pic_error(pic, "binding to non-symbol object");
 	}
diff --git a/t/ir-macro.scm b/t/ir-macro.scm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..28d4985c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/ir-macro.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+(define-syntax aif
+  (ir-macro-transformer
+   (lambda (form inject cmp)
+     (let ((it (inject 'it))
+           (expr (car (cdr form)))
+           (then (car (cdr (cdr form))))
+           (else (car (cdr (cdr (cdr form))))))
+       `(let ((,it ,expr))
+          (if ,it ,then ,else))))))
+
+(aif (member 'b '(a b c)) (car it) #f)
+
+;;; test hygiene begin
+
+(define-syntax mif
+  (ir-macro-transformer
+   (lambda (form inject cmp)
+     (let ((expr (car (cdr form)))
+           (then (car (cdr (cdr form))))
+           (else (car (cdr (cdr (cdr form))))))
+       `(let ((it ,expr))
+          (if it ,then ,else))))))
+
+(let ((if 42))
+  (mif 1 2 3))
+; => 2
+
+(let ((it 42))
+  (mif 1 it 2))
+; => 42
+
+;;; end
+
+
+
+;;; test core syntax begin
+
+(mif 'a 'b 'c)
+; => b
+
+(define-syntax loop
+  (ir-macro-transformer
+   (lambda (expr inject cmp)
+     (let ((body (cdr expr)))
+       `(call-with-current-continuation
+         (lambda (,(inject 'exit))
+           (let f ()
+             ,@body (f))))))))
+
+(define a 1)
+(loop
+ (if (= a 2) (exit #f))
+ (set! a 2))
+; => #f
+
+(loop
+ (define a 1)
+ (if (= a 1) (exit #f)))
+; => #f
+
+;;; end