diff --git a/src/libsyntax/ast.rs b/src/libsyntax/ast.rs
index 322338bf6a1..a817faad069 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/ast.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/ast.rs
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ enum token_tree {
     tt_delim(~[token_tree]),
     tt_flat(span, token::token),
     /* These only make sense for right-hand-sides of MBE macros*/
-    tt_dotdotdot(span, ~[token_tree]),
+    tt_dotdotdot(span, ~[token_tree], option<token::token>, bool),
     tt_interpolate(span, ident)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/ext/tt/transcribe.rs b/src/libsyntax/ext/tt/transcribe.rs
index 2fd29fa28d0..e84bc5c5421 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/ext/tt/transcribe.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/ext/tt/transcribe.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ type tt_frame = @{
     readme: ~[ast::token_tree],
     mut idx: uint,
     dotdotdoted: bool,
-    up: tt_frame_up
+    sep: option<token>,
+    up: tt_frame_up,
 };
 
 type tt_reader = @{
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ fn new_tt_reader(span_diagnostic: span_handler, itr: @interner<@str>,
     -> tt_reader {
     let r = @{span_diagnostic: span_diagnostic, interner: itr,
               mut cur: @{readme: src, mut idx: 0u, dotdotdoted: false,
-                         up: tt_frame_up(option::none)},
+                         sep: none, up: tt_frame_up(option::none)},
               interpolations: alt interp { /* just a convienience */
                 none { std::map::box_str_hash::<@arb_depth>() }
                 some(x) { x }
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ fn new_tt_reader(span_diagnostic: span_handler, itr: @interner<@str>,
 
 pure fn dup_tt_frame(&&f: tt_frame) -> tt_frame {
     @{readme: f.readme, mut idx: f.idx, dotdotdoted: f.dotdotdoted,
-      up: alt f.up {
+      sep: f.sep, up: alt f.up {
         tt_frame_up(some(up_frame)) {
           tt_frame_up(some(dup_tt_frame(up_frame)))
         }
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ fn lockstep_iter_size(&&t: token_tree, &&r: tt_reader) -> lis {
         }
     }
     alt t {
-      tt_delim(tts) | tt_dotdotdot(_, tts) {
+      tt_delim(tts) | tt_dotdotdot(_, tts, _, _) {
         vec::foldl(lis_unconstrained, tts, {|lis, tt|
             lis_merge(lis, lockstep_iter_size(tt, r)) })
       }
@@ -155,6 +156,13 @@ fn tt_next_token(&&r: tt_reader) -> {tok: token, sp: span} {
         } else {
             r.cur.idx = 0u;
             r.repeat_idx[r.repeat_idx.len() - 1u] += 1u;
+            alt r.cur.sep {
+              some(tk) {
+                r.cur_tok = tk; /* repeat same span, I guess */
+                ret ret_val;
+              }
+              none {}
+            }
         }
     }
     /* if `tt_delim`s could be 0-length, we'd need to be able to switch
@@ -164,15 +172,15 @@ fn tt_next_token(&&r: tt_reader) -> {tok: token, sp: span} {
         alt r.cur.readme[r.cur.idx] {
           tt_delim(tts) {
             r.cur = @{readme: tts, mut idx: 0u, dotdotdoted: false,
-                      up: tt_frame_up(option::some(r.cur)) };
+                      sep: none, up: tt_frame_up(option::some(r.cur)) };
           }
           tt_flat(sp, tok) {
             r.cur_span = sp; r.cur_tok = tok;
             r.cur.idx += 1u;
             ret ret_val;
           }
-          tt_dotdotdot(sp, tts) {
-            alt lockstep_iter_size(tt_dotdotdot(sp, tts), r) {
+          tt_dotdotdot(sp, tts, sep, zerok) {
+            alt lockstep_iter_size(tt_dotdotdot(sp, tts, sep, zerok), r) {
               lis_unconstrained {
                 r.span_diagnostic.span_fatal(
                     copy r.cur_span, /* blame macro writer */
@@ -183,10 +191,14 @@ fn tt_next_token(&&r: tt_reader) -> {tok: token, sp: span} {
                 r.span_diagnostic.span_fatal(sp, msg);
               }
               lis_constraint(len, _) {
+                if len == 0 && !zerok {
+                    r.span_diagnostic.span_fatal(sp, "this must repeat \
+                                                      at least once");
+                }
                 vec::push(r.repeat_len, len);
                 vec::push(r.repeat_idx, 0u);
                 r.cur = @{readme: tts, mut idx: 0u, dotdotdoted: true,
-                      up: tt_frame_up(option::some(r.cur)) };
+                          sep: sep, up: tt_frame_up(option::some(r.cur)) };
               }
             }
           }
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
index f6d59ccdb00..ae3cbc141c2 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -1130,6 +1130,26 @@ class parser {
         ret e;
     }
 
+    fn parse_sep_and_zerok() -> (option<token::token>, bool) {
+        if self.token == token::BINOP(token::STAR)
+            || self.token == token::BINOP(token::PLUS) {
+            let zerok = self.token == token::BINOP(token::STAR);
+            self.bump();
+            ret (none, zerok);
+        } else {
+            let sep = self.token;
+            self.bump();
+            if self.token == token::BINOP(token::STAR)
+                || self.token == token::BINOP(token::PLUS) {
+                let zerok = self.token == token::BINOP(token::STAR);
+                self.bump();
+                ret (some(sep), zerok);
+            } else {
+                self.fatal("expected '*' or '+'");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     fn parse_token_tree() -> token_tree {
         /// what's the opposite delimiter?
         fn flip(&t: token::token) -> token::token {
@@ -1142,12 +1162,6 @@ class parser {
         }
 
         fn parse_tt_flat(p: parser, delim_ok: bool) -> token_tree {
-            if p.eat_keyword("many") && p.quote_depth > 0u {
-                let seq = p.parse_seq(token::LPAREN, token::RPAREN,
-                                      seq_sep_none(),
-                                      |p| p.parse_token_tree());
-                ret tt_dotdotdot(seq.span, seq.node);
-            }
             alt p.token {
               token::RPAREN | token::RBRACE | token::RBRACKET
               if !delim_ok {
@@ -1161,7 +1175,16 @@ class parser {
               token::DOLLAR if p.quote_depth > 0u {
                 p.bump();
                 let sp = p.span;
-                ret tt_interpolate(sp, p.parse_ident());
+
+                if p.token == token::LPAREN {
+                    let seq = p.parse_seq(token::LPAREN, token::RPAREN,
+                                          seq_sep_none(),
+                                          |p| p.parse_token_tree());
+                    let (s, z) = p.parse_sep_and_zerok();
+                    ret tt_dotdotdot(mk_sp(sp.lo ,p.span.hi), seq.node, s, z);
+                } else {
+                    ret tt_interpolate(sp, p.parse_ident());
+                }
               }
               _ { /* ok */ }
             }
@@ -1221,34 +1244,32 @@ class parser {
 
     fn parse_matcher(name_idx: @mut uint) -> matcher {
         let lo = self.span.lo;
-        let mut sep = none;
-        if self.eat_keyword("sep") { sep = some(self.token); self.bump(); }
 
-        let m = if self.is_keyword("many")||self.is_keyword("at_least_one") {
-            let zero_ok = self.is_keyword("many");
+        let m = if self.token == token::DOLLAR {
             self.bump();
-            let ms = (self.parse_seq(token::LPAREN, token::RPAREN,
-                                     common::seq_sep_none(),
-                                     |p| p.parse_matcher(name_idx)).node);
-            if ms.len() == 0u {
-                self.fatal("repetition body must be nonempty");
+            if self.token == token::LPAREN {
+                let ms = (self.parse_seq(token::LPAREN, token::RPAREN,
+                                         common::seq_sep_none(),
+                                         |p| p.parse_matcher(name_idx)).node);
+                if ms.len() == 0u {
+                    self.fatal("repetition body must be nonempty");
+                }
+                let (sep, zerok) = self.parse_sep_and_zerok();
+                mtc_rep(ms, sep, zerok)
+            } else {
+                let bound_to = self.parse_ident();
+                self.expect(token::COLON);
+                let nt_name = self.parse_ident();
+                let m = mtc_bb(bound_to, nt_name, *name_idx);
+                *name_idx += 1u;
+                m
             }
-            mtc_rep(ms, sep, zero_ok)
-        } else if option::is_some(sep) {
-            self.fatal("`sep <tok>` must preceed `many` or `at_least_one`");
-        } else if self.eat_keyword("parse") {
-            let bound_to = self.parse_ident();
-            self.expect(token::EQ);
-            let nt_name = self.parse_ident();
-
-            let m = mtc_bb(bound_to, nt_name, *name_idx);
-            *name_idx += 1u;
-            m
         } else {
             let m = mtc_tok(self.token);
             self.bump();
             m
         };
+
         ret spanned(lo, self.span.hi, m);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
index 1e7ac337954..1fc8b10f385 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
@@ -274,9 +274,7 @@ fn contextual_keyword_table() -> hashmap<str, ()> {
         "self", "send", "static",
         "to",
         "use",
-        "with",
-        /* temp */
-        "sep", "many", "at_least_one", "parse"
+        "with"
     ];
     for keys.each |word| {
         words.insert(word, ());