diff --git a/kiss/src/kiss/Helpers.hx b/kiss/src/kiss/Helpers.hx
index d143d6bf..80059b89 100644
--- a/kiss/src/kiss/Helpers.hx
+++ b/kiss/src/kiss/Helpers.hx
@@ -344,6 +344,8 @@ class Helpers {
                 FieldExp(field, removeTypeAnnotations(innerExp));
             case KeyValueExp(keyExp, valueExp):
                 KeyValueExp(removeTypeAnnotations(keyExp), removeTypeAnnotations(valueExp));
+            case None:
+                None;
             default:
                 throw CompileError.fromExp(exp, 'cannot remove type annotations');
         };
@@ -404,6 +406,7 @@ class Helpers {
         });
         interp.variables.set("k", k.forMacroEval());
         interp.variables.set("Macros", Macros);
+        interp.variables.set("Stream", Stream);
         for (name => value in k.macroVars) {
             interp.variables.set(name, value);
         }
diff --git a/projects/hollywoo/src/hollywoo/Movie.kiss b/projects/hollywoo/src/hollywoo/Movie.kiss
index b2f2311a..9218f156 100644
--- a/projects/hollywoo/src/hollywoo/Movie.kiss
+++ b/projects/hollywoo/src/hollywoo/Movie.kiss
@@ -50,14 +50,20 @@
             readerMacroStart "$(.toUpperCase methodName) "]
         `{
             (defReaderMacro ,readerMacroStart [stream &builder b]
-                (b.callSymbol
-                    ,methodName
-                    ,(for arg args
-                        (exprCase arg
-                            ((exprTyped Continuation cc)
-                                (b.callSymbol "b.symbol" [(b.str "cc")]))
-                            (_
-                                (b.callSymbol "read" [(b.symbol "stream")]))))))
+                (let [nextLineStream
+                        (Stream.fromString (stream.expect "hollywoo macro line" ->(stream.takeLine)))]
+                    (b.callSymbol
+                        ,methodName
+                        ,(for arg args
+                            (exprCase arg
+                                ((exprTyped Continuation cc)
+                                    (b.callSymbol "b.symbol" [(b.str "cc")]))
+                                (_
+                                    (b.callSymbol "try" [
+                                        (b.callSymbol "read" [(b.symbol "nextLineStream")])
+                                        // optional arguments may not be present:
+                                        (b.callSymbol "catch" [(b.list [(b.symbol "e")]) (b.callSymbol "b.symbol" [(b.str "null")])])
+                                    ])))))))
             (#unless subclass (method ,nameAndType ,argList ,@body))
         }))