diff --git a/src/libcore/future.rs b/src/libcore/future.rs
index f7efe70b5dcf..86837285c2b7 100644
--- a/src/libcore/future.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/future.rs
@@ -60,11 +60,8 @@ fn from_value<A>(+val: A) -> future<A> {
     })
 }
 
-fn macros() {
-    #macro[
-        [#move[x],
-         unsafe { let y <- *ptr::addr_of(x); y }]
-    ];
+macro_rules! move{
+    {$x:expr} => { unsafe { let y <- *ptr::addr_of($x); y } }
 }
 
 fn from_port<A:send>(-port: future_pipe::client::waiting<A>) -> future<A> {
@@ -81,7 +78,7 @@ fn from_port<A:send>(-port: future_pipe::client::waiting<A>) -> future<A> {
         port_ <-> *port;
         let port = option::unwrap(port_);
         alt recv(port) {
-          future_pipe::completed(data) { #move(data) }
+          future_pipe::completed(data) { move!{data} }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
index de772b0ff1cb..d14905e1290c 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -101,52 +101,43 @@ enum class_contents { ctor_decl(fn_decl, ~[attribute], blk, codemap::span),
 type arg_or_capture_item = either<arg, capture_item>;
 type item_info = (ident, item_, option<~[attribute]>);
 
+
+/* The expr situation is not as complex as I thought it would be.
+The important thing is to make sure that lookahead doesn't balk
+at ACTUALLY tokens */
+macro_rules! maybe_whole_expr{
+    {$p:expr} => { alt copy $p.token {
+      ACTUALLY(token::w_expr(e)) {
+        $p.bump();
+        ret pexpr(e);
+      }
+      ACTUALLY(token::w_path(pt)) {
+        $p.bump();
+        ret $p.mk_pexpr($p.span.lo, $p.span.lo,
+                       expr_path(pt));
+      }
+      _ {}
+    }}
+}
+
+macro_rules! maybe_whole {
+    {$p:expr, $constructor:path} => { alt copy $p.token {
+      ACTUALLY($constructor(x)) { $p.bump(); ret x; }
+      _ {}
+    }}
+}
+
+/* ident is handled by common.rs */
+
 fn dummy() {
-
-
-
-    #macro[[#maybe_whole_item[p],
-            alt copy p.token {
-                ACTUALLY(token::w_item(i)) { p.bump(); ret i; }
-                _ {} }]];
-    #macro[[#maybe_whole_block[p],
-            alt copy p.token {
-                ACTUALLY(token::w_block(b)) { p.bump(); ret b; }
-                _ {} }]];
-    #macro[[#maybe_whole_stmt[p],
-            alt copy p.token {
-                ACTUALLY(token::w_stmt(s)) { p.bump(); ret s; }
-                _ {} }]];
-    #macro[[#maybe_whole_pat[p],
-            alt copy p.token {
-                ACTUALLY(token::w_pat(pt)) { p.bump(); ret pt; }
-                _ {} }]];
-    /* The expr situation is not as complex as I thought it would be.
-    The important thing is to make sure that lookahead doesn't balk
-    at ACTUALLY tokens */
-    #macro[[#maybe_whole_expr_pexpr[p], /* ack! */
-            alt copy p.token {
-                ACTUALLY(token::w_expr(e)) {
-                    p.bump();
-                    ret pexpr(e);
-                }
-                ACTUALLY(token::w_path(pt)) {
-                    p.bump();
-                    ret p.mk_pexpr(p.span.lo, p.span.lo,
-                                   expr_path(pt));
-                }
-                _ {} }]];
-    #macro[[#maybe_whole_ty[p],
-            alt copy p.token {
-                ACTUALLY(token::w_ty(t)) { p.bump(); ret t; }
-                _ {} }]];
-    /* ident is handled by common.rs */
+    /* we will need this to bootstrap maybe_whole! */
     #macro[[#maybe_whole_path[p],
             alt p.token {
                 ACTUALLY(token::w_path(pt)) { p.bump(); ret pt; }
                 _ {} }]];
 }
 
+
 class parser {
     let sess: parse_sess;
     let cfg: crate_cfg;
@@ -734,7 +725,7 @@ class parser {
     }
 
     fn parse_bottom_expr() -> pexpr {
-        #maybe_whole_expr_pexpr[self];
+        maybe_whole_expr!{self};
         let lo = self.span.lo;
         let mut hi = self.span.hi;
 
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/macro-by-example-1.rs b/src/test/run-pass/macro-by-example-1.rs
index 5c04e1f2bb71..568739b0663d 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/macro-by-example-1.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/macro-by-example-1.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ fn main() {
 
     fn add(a: int, b: int) -> int { ret a + b; }
 
-    assert (#apply[add, [1, 15]] == 16);
+    assert(#apply[add, [1, 15]] == 16);
+    assert(apply!{add, [1, 15]} == 16);
     assert(apply_tt!{add, (1, 15)} == 16);
 }