diff --git a/bend2/main.ts b/bend2/main.ts
index 063b9733b..6fd7998bf 100755
--- a/bend2/main.ts
+++ b/bend2/main.ts
@@ -333,8 +333,15 @@ async function cli_checkup(file: string): Promise<void> {
   const base = await book_read(BASE);
   let bad = false;
   for (const raw of fs.readFileSync(file, "utf8").split("\n")) {
+    const line = raw.trim();
+    if (line === "" || line.startsWith("#")) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (!/^import(\s|$)/.test(line)) {
+      break;
+    }
     const m = /^import\s+(\S+)\s+as\s+[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*\s*(?:#.*)?$/
-      .exec(raw.trim());
+      .exec(line);
     if (m === null) {
       continue;
     }
@@ -343,7 +350,8 @@ async function cli_checkup(file: string): Promise<void> {
     cli_say(1, "--- " + m[1] + " ---\n");
     let code = 1;
     try {
-      const own = /^import Base\s*(?:#.*)?$/m.test(fs.readFileSync(at, "utf8"));
+      const own = /^(?:[\t\r ]*(?:(?:#|import )[^\n]*)?\n)*[\t ]*import Base\s/
+        .test(fs.readFileSync(at, "utf8"));
       code = book_run(await book_read(at, own ? base : undefined), [at]);
     } catch (e) {
       cli_say(2, book_err(e) + "\n");
diff --git a/gates/ping.ts b/gates/ping.ts
index 9575607d5..6d9b62840 100644
--- a/gates/ping.ts
+++ b/gates/ping.ts
@@ -293,6 +293,26 @@ try {
   check("guide, base and a program run through the executable",
     guide.out.startsWith("# Bend") && base.out.startsWith("type Map")
     && sum5.code === 0 && sum5.out === "5n\n");
+  const header_source = path.join(TMP, "literal-checkup.bend");
+  fs.writeFileSync(header_source,
+    "# a header\nimport Base\n\nimport ./sum.bend as Sum\n"
+    + "def text() -> String:\n  \"body text\n"
+    + "import ./absent.bend as Hidden\nmore text\"\n");
+  const header_check = await bend([header_source, "--check-only"],
+    { BEND_NO_TELEMETRY: "1" });
+  const header_run = await bend([header_source, "--checkup"],
+    { BEND_NO_TELEMETRY: "1" });
+  check("valid body literal text does not add an independent import",
+    header_check.code === 0 && header_run.code === 0
+    && header_run.out.endsWith("5n\n"));
+  const no_base = path.join(TMP, "no-base.bend");
+  fs.writeFileSync(no_base,
+    "def main() -> String:\n  \"body\nimport Base\n\"\n");
+  fs.writeFileSync(header_source, "import ./no-base.bend as NoBase\n");
+  const base_run = await bend([header_source, "--checkup"],
+    { BEND_NO_TELEMETRY: "1" });
+  check("--checkup gives Base only to a module that imports it",
+    base_run.code === 1);
   fs.writeFileSync(path.join(TMP, "page.html"),
     "<script type=\"module\" src=\"./page.ts\"></script>\n");
   fs.writeFileSync(path.join(TMP, "page.ts"), "import \"./none.ts\";\n");