diff --git a/GNUmakefile b/GNUmakefile
index 7266df4e..f454d080 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile
+++ b/GNUmakefile
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ dump: module/mes/read-0.mo
 
 guile-check:
 	set -e; for i in $(TESTS); do\
-		guile -s <(cat $(MES-0) module/mes/test.mes $$i);\
+		$(GUILE) -s <(cat $(MES-0) module/mes/test.mes $$i);\
 	done
 
 MAIN_C:=doc/examples/main.c
diff --git a/guile/mes-0.scm b/guile/mes-0.scm
index 64dd3463..9b9076be 100644
--- a/guile/mes-0.scm
+++ b/guile/mes-0.scm
@@ -27,5 +27,9 @@
 
 (define-macro (mes-use-module . rest) #t)
 (define builtin? procedure?) ; not strictly true, but ok for tests/*.test
+(define mes? (pair? (current-module)))
 (define guile? (not (pair? (current-module))))
+(define guile-1.8? (equal? (effective-version) "1.8"))
+(define guile-2? (and (not mes?) (not guile-1.8?)))
+(if guile-1.8? (use-modules (ice-9 syncase)))
 (define EOF (if #f #f))
diff --git a/module/mes/base-0.mes b/module/mes/base-0.mes
index 1cf396a3..28c0c2b4 100644
--- a/module/mes/base-0.mes
+++ b/module/mes/base-0.mes
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@
 
 ;;; Code:
 
-#f ;; FIXME -- needed for --dump, then --load
+(define (effective-version) "0.3")
+(define mes? #t)
+(define guile? #f)
+(define guile-1.8? #f)
+(define guile-2? #f)
 
 (define (primitive-eval e) (eval-env e (current-module)))
 (define eval eval-env)
diff --git a/module/mes/base.mes b/module/mes/base.mes
index e6b70dd6..7ac4b4d9 100644
--- a/module/mes/base.mes
+++ b/module/mes/base.mes
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@
                   (equal? (vector->list a) (vector->list b))
                   (eq? a b))))))
 
-(define guile? (not (pair? (current-module))))
-
 (define (list? x)
   (or (null? x)
       (and (pair? x) (list? (cdr x)))))
diff --git a/tests/cwv.test b/tests/cwv.test
index bdd450ad..28d673e2 100755
--- a/tests/cwv.test
+++ b/tests/cwv.test
@@ -28,9 +28,12 @@ exit $?
 (mes-use-module (mes scm))
 (mes-use-module (mes test))
 
-(pass-if "values" (seq? (values 0 1) 0))
-(pass-if "values 2" (seq? ((lambda (x) x) (values 1 2 3)) 1))
-(pass-if "values 3" (seq? 1 ((lambda (x) x) (values 1 2 3))))
+(if (not guile-1.8?)
+    (pass-if "values" (seq? (values 0 1) 0)))
+(if (not guile-1.8?)
+    (pass-if "values 2" (seq? ((lambda (x) x) (values 1 2 3)) 1)))
+(if (not guile-1.8?)
+    (pass-if "values 3" (seq? 1 ((lambda (x) x) (values 1 2 3)))))
 (pass-if "call-with-values" (seq? (call-with-values (lambda () (values 1 2 3))
                                     (lambda (a b c) (+ a b c)))
                                   6))