diff --git a/pollen/private/main-base.rkt b/pollen/private/main-base.rkt
index c769b2d..e261334 100644
--- a/pollen/private/main-base.rkt
+++ b/pollen/private/main-base.rkt
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
          (rename-out [dialect-module-begin #%module-begin]))
 
 
-(define-syntax-rule (dialect-module-begin PARSER-MODE-IN . OUTER-EXPRS)
+(define-syntax-rule (dialect-module-begin PARSER-MODE-FROM-EXPANDER . READER-SUBMOD-AND-OTHER-EXPRS)
   (#%module-begin
    (require racket/base)
    (provide (except-out (all-from-out racket/base) #%module-begin)
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
      (syntax-case stx ()
        [(_ . EXPRS)
         (let-values ([(meta-hash exprs-without-metas) (split-metas (syntax->datum #'EXPRS) (setup:define-meta-name))])
-          (with-syntax ([META-HASH meta-hash]
+          (with-syntax (;; 'parser-mode-from-reader will be #f for an inline submodule
+                        [PARSER-MODE-FROM-READER-PROPERTY (syntax-property stx 'parser-mode-from-reader)]
+                        [META-HASH meta-hash]
                         [EXPRS-WITHOUT-METAS exprs-without-metas]
                         [METAS (setup:meta-export)]
                         [META-MOD (setup:meta-export)]
@@ -37,21 +39,18 @@
                 
                 (module inner pollen/private/doclang-raw
                   DOC-RAW ; positional arg for doclang-raw that sets name of export.
-                  (require pollen/top pollen/setup pollen/core)
-                  (require (submod ".." META-MOD))
+                  (require pollen/top (submod ".." META-MOD) pollen/core pollen/setup)
                   (provide (all-defined-out) #%top (all-from-out (submod ".." META-MOD) pollen/core))
                   . EXPRS-WITHOUT-METAS)
                 
                 (require 'inner)
                 
                 (define DOC
-                  (let* ([parser-mode-undefined? (procedure? inner:parser-mode)] ; if undefined, #%top makes it a procedure
-                         [parser-mode (if parser-mode-undefined? PARSER-MODE-IN inner:parser-mode)]
+                  (let* ([parser-mode (or 'PARSER-MODE-FROM-READER-PROPERTY PARSER-MODE-FROM-EXPANDER)]
                          [proc (case parser-mode
                                  [(MODE-PAGETREE) decode-pagetree]
                                  [(MODE-MARKUP) (λ(xs) (apply ROOT xs))] ; if `root` undefined, it becomes a default tag function
-                                 [(MODE-MARKDOWN)
-                                  (λ(xs) (apply ROOT (map strip-empty-attrs ((dynamic-require 'markdown 'parse-markdown) (apply string-append (map to-string xs))))))]
+                                 [(MODE-MARKDOWN) (λ(xs) (apply ROOT (map strip-empty-attrs ((dynamic-require 'markdown 'parse-markdown) (apply string-append (map to-string xs))))))]
                                  [else (λ(xs) (apply string-append (map to-string xs)))])] ; string output for preprocessor
                          ;; drop leading newlines, as they're often the result of `defines` and `requires`
                          [doc-elements (or (memf (λ(ln) (not (equal? ln NEWLINE))) DOC-RAW) null)]
@@ -59,4 +58,4 @@
                     (proc doc-elements-spliced)))
                 
                 (provide DOC METAS (except-out (all-from-out 'inner) DOC-RAW #%top))))))]))
-   . OUTER-EXPRS))
\ No newline at end of file
+   . READER-SUBMOD-AND-OTHER-EXPRS))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pollen/private/reader-base.rkt b/pollen/private/reader-base.rkt
index aa6fac1..354f3be 100644
--- a/pollen/private/reader-base.rkt
+++ b/pollen/private/reader-base.rkt
@@ -33,27 +33,27 @@
                                         #:inside? #t)])
                        (read-inner path-string p)))
   (define reader-here-path (path-string->here-path path-string))
-  (define parser-mode (infer-parser-mode reader-mode reader-here-path))
+  (define parser-mode-from-reader (infer-parser-mode reader-mode reader-here-path))
   (define parsed-syntax
     (strip-context
-     (with-syntax ([HERE-KEY (setup:here-path-key)]
-                   [HERE-PATH reader-here-path]
-                   [POLLEN-MOD-NAME 'pollen-module]
-                   [PARSER-MODE-VALUE parser-mode]
-                   [DIRECTORY-REQUIRES (require+provide-directory-require-files path-string)]
-                   [SOURCE-LINES source-stx]
-                   [DOC (setup:main-export)])
+     (with-syntax* ([HERE-KEY (setup:here-path-key)]
+                    [HERE-PATH reader-here-path]
+                    [POLLEN-MOD-NAME 'pollen-module]
+                    [DIRECTORY-REQUIRES (require+provide-directory-require-files path-string)]
+                    [SOURCE-LINES source-stx]
+                    [DOC (setup:main-export)]
+                    [PARSER-MODE-FROM-READER parser-mode-from-reader]
+                    [POLLEN-MODULE-SYNTAX (let ([mod-stx #'(module POLLEN-MOD-NAME pollen
+                                                               (define-meta HERE-KEY HERE-PATH) 
+                                                               (provide (all-defined-out))
+                                                               DIRECTORY-REQUIRES
+                                                               . SOURCE-LINES)])
+                                            (syntax-property mod-stx 'parser-mode-from-reader parser-mode-from-reader))])
        #'(module runtime-wrapper racket/base
-           (module POLLEN-MOD-NAME pollen
-             (define-meta HERE-KEY HERE-PATH) 
-             (define parser-mode 'PARSER-MODE-VALUE)
-             (provide (except-out (all-defined-out) parser-mode)
-                      (prefix-out inner: parser-mode)) ; avoids conflicts with importing modules
-             DIRECTORY-REQUIRES
-             . SOURCE-LINES)
+           POLLEN-MODULE-SYNTAX
            (require (submod pollen/private/runtime-config show) 'POLLEN-MOD-NAME)
            (provide (all-from-out 'POLLEN-MOD-NAME))
-           (show DOC inner:parser-mode HERE-PATH))))) ; HERE-PATH acts as "local" runtime config
+           (show DOC 'PARSER-MODE-FROM-READER HERE-PATH))))) ; HERE-PATH acts as "local" runtime config
   (syntax-property parsed-syntax
                    'module-language
                    `#(pollen/private/language-info get-language-info ,reader-here-path))) ; reader-here-path acts as "top" runtime config
diff --git a/pollen/private/ts.rktd b/pollen/private/ts.rktd
index 18ea187..9d58af5 100644
--- a/pollen/private/ts.rktd
+++ b/pollen/private/ts.rktd
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1462218309
+1462223092