diff --git a/collects/syntax/module-reader.rkt b/collects/syntax/module-reader.rkt
index 953e7983db2..04420453487 100644
--- a/collects/syntax/module-reader.rkt
+++ b/collects/syntax/module-reader.rkt
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@
            [body (wrap-module-begin body)]
            [all-loc (vector src line col pos
                             (let-values ([(l c p) (port-next-location port)])
-                              (and p (- p pos))))]
+                              (and p pos (- p pos))))]
            [p-name (object-name port)]
            [name (if (path? p-name)
                    (let-values ([(base name dir?) (split-path p-name)])
@@ -199,9 +199,9 @@
                       (if stx?
                         (datum->syntax
                          #f v (vector src line col pos
-                                      (- (or (syntax-position modpath)
-                                             (add1 pos))
-                                         pos)))
+                                      (and pos (- (or (syntax-position modpath)
+                                                      (add1 pos))
+                                                  pos))))
                         v))]
            [r `(,(tag-src 'module) ,(tag-src name) ,lang ,body)])
       (if stx? (datum->syntax #f r all-loc) r)))
diff --git a/collects/tests/syntax/module-reader-synthetic-pos.rkt b/collects/tests/syntax/module-reader-synthetic-pos.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..300e6fe182d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collects/tests/syntax/module-reader-synthetic-pos.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+#lang racket/base
+
+;; Playing with input-port-append and transplant-input-port,
+;; with the idea of adding the #lang line for arbitrary text
+;; without screwing up the original input port's locations.
+(provide prepend-lang-line)
+
+(require racket/port)
+
+;; prepend-lang-line: string input-port -> input-port
+;; Prepends the lang line to the input port.
+(define (prepend-lang-line lang-line ip)
+  (define lang-ip (open-input-string lang-line))
+  (port-count-lines! ip)
+  (port-count-lines! lang-ip)
+  (define concatenated-port (input-port-append #f lang-ip ip))
+  (port-count-lines! concatenated-port)
+  
+  (define (get-location)
+    (define-values (line column position) (port-next-location concatenated-port))
+    (cond [(<= position (string-length lang-line))
+           (values #f #f #f)]
+          [else
+           (values (and line (sub1 line))
+                   column
+                   (and position (- position (string-length lang-line))))]))
+  
+  (define transplanted-port
+    (transplant-input-port concatenated-port get-location 1 #f))
+  (port-count-lines! transplanted-port)
+  transplanted-port)
+
+(module* test racket/base
+  (require (submod "..")
+           rackunit
+           syntax/parse
+           (for-syntax racket/base syntax/parse))
+  
+  (define-syntax (check-position stx)
+    (syntax-parse stx
+      [(_ source-stx
+          #:source source
+          #:line line
+          #:column column
+          #:position position
+          #:span span)
+       (let ([syntax-loc-info (lambda (s)
+                                (quasisyntax (list
+                                              (make-check-location
+                                               (list #,(syntax-source s)
+                                                     #,(syntax-line s)
+                                                     #,(syntax-column s)
+                                                     #,(syntax-position s)
+                                                     #,(syntax-span s))))))])
+         (quasisyntax/loc stx
+           (let ([stx-v source-stx])
+             (with-check-info* #,(syntax-loc-info #'source)
+                               (lambda ()
+                                 (check-equal? (syntax-source stx-v) source)))
+             (with-check-info* #,(syntax-loc-info #'line)
+                               (lambda () (check-equal? (syntax-line stx-v) line)))
+             (with-check-info* #,(syntax-loc-info #'column)
+                               (lambda () (check-equal? (syntax-column stx-v) column)))
+             (with-check-info* #,(syntax-loc-info #'position)
+                               (lambda () (check-equal? (syntax-position stx-v) position)))
+             (with-check-info* #,(syntax-loc-info #'span)
+                               (lambda () (check-equal? (syntax-span stx-v) span))))))]))
+  
+  (define an-input-port
+    (prepend-lang-line "#lang racket\n"
+                       (open-input-string "(+ 1\n 2 three)\n")))
+  
+  (define the-stx
+    (parameterize ([read-accept-reader #t])
+      (read-syntax 'my-source an-input-port)))
+  
+  (syntax-parse the-stx
+    [(m n l (#%mb (~and (plus ONE TWO THREE)
+                        papp)))
+     (check-position #'papp
+                     #:source 'my-source
+                     #:line 1
+                     #:column 0
+                     #:position 1
+                     #:span 14)
+     (check-position #'plus
+                     #:source 'my-source
+                     #:line 1
+                     #:column 1
+                     #:position 2
+                     #:span 1)
+     (check-position #'ONE
+                     #:source 'my-source
+                     #:line 1
+                     #:column 3
+                     #:position 4
+                     #:span 1)
+     (check-position #'TWO
+                     #:source 'my-source
+                     #:line 2
+                     #:column 1
+                     #:position 7
+                     #:span 1)
+     (check-position #'THREE
+                     #:source 'my-source
+                     #:line 2
+                     #:column 3
+                     #:position 9
+                     #:span 5)]))