diff --git a/base/linalg/factorization.jl b/base/linalg/factorization.jl
index 4aeec39a5eb0c7..272dff96c10d0b 100644
--- a/base/linalg/factorization.jl
+++ b/base/linalg/factorization.jl
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ transpose(F::Factorization) = error("transpose not implemented for $(typeof(F))"
 ctranspose(F::Factorization) = error("ctranspose not implemented for $(typeof(F))")
 
 macro assertposdef(A, info)
-   :(($info)==0 ? $A : throw(PosDefException($info)))
+   :($(esc(info)) == 0 ? $(esc(A)) : throw(PosDefException($(esc(info)))))
 end
 
 macro assertnonsingular(A, info)
-   :(($info)==0 ? $A : throw(SingularException($info)))
+   :($(esc(info)) == 0 ? $(esc(A)) : throw(SingularException($(esc(info)))))
 end
 
 
diff --git a/base/sparse/cholmod_h.jl b/base/sparse/cholmod_h.jl
index 5f51ec50463ea2..922b3b772b7cc3 100644
--- a/base/sparse/cholmod_h.jl
+++ b/base/sparse/cholmod_h.jl
@@ -75,5 +75,5 @@ type CHOLMODException <: Exception
 end
 
 macro isok(A)
-    :($A == TRUE || throw(CHOLMODException("")))
+    :($(esc(A)) == TRUE || throw(CHOLMODException("")))
 end
diff --git a/base/sparse/umfpack.jl b/base/sparse/umfpack.jl
index 3b426bb9f234d2..cdfc68b50a08e0 100644
--- a/base/sparse/umfpack.jl
+++ b/base/sparse/umfpack.jl
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ function umferror(status::Integer)
 end
 
 macro isok(A)
-    :(umferror($A))
+    :(umferror($(esc(A))))
 end
 
 # check the size of SuiteSparse_long
diff --git a/src/ast.c b/src/ast.c
index 3a97b4b975cbfc..9f66cc338056ce 100644
--- a/src/ast.c
+++ b/src/ast.c
@@ -172,14 +172,14 @@ value_t fl_invoke_julia_macro(fl_context_t *fl_ctx, value_t *args, uint32_t narg
     fl_gc_handle(fl_ctx, &scm);
     value_t scmresult;
     jl_module_t *defmod = mfunc->def->module;
-    if (defmod == NULL || defmod == jl_current_module) {
-        scmresult = fl_cons(fl_ctx, scm, fl_ctx->F);
-    }
-    else {
-        value_t opaque = cvalue(fl_ctx, jl_ast_ctx(fl_ctx)->jvtype, sizeof(void*));
-        *(jl_value_t**)cv_data((cvalue_t*)ptr(opaque)) = (jl_value_t*)defmod;
-        scmresult = fl_cons(fl_ctx, scm, opaque);
-    }
+    /* if (defmod == NULL || defmod == jl_current_module) { */
+    /*     scmresult = fl_cons(fl_ctx, scm, fl_ctx->F); */
+    /* } */
+    /* else { */
+    value_t opaque = cvalue(fl_ctx, jl_ast_ctx(fl_ctx)->jvtype, sizeof(void*));
+    *(jl_value_t**)cv_data((cvalue_t*)ptr(opaque)) = (jl_value_t*)defmod;
+    scmresult = fl_cons(fl_ctx, scm, opaque);
+    /* } */
     fl_free_gc_handles(fl_ctx, 1);
 
     JL_GC_POP();
@@ -667,6 +667,19 @@ static value_t julia_to_scm_(fl_context_t *fl_ctx, jl_value_t *v)
         return julia_to_list2(fl_ctx, (jl_value_t*)inert_sym, jl_fieldref(v,0));
     if (jl_typeis(v, jl_newvarnode_type))
         return julia_to_list2(fl_ctx, (jl_value_t*)newvar_sym, jl_fieldref(v,0));
+    if (jl_typeis(v, jl_globalref_type)) {
+        jl_module_t *m = jl_globalref_mod(v);
+        jl_sym_t *sym = jl_globalref_name(v);
+        if (m == jl_core_module)
+            return julia_to_list2(fl_ctx, (jl_value_t*)core_sym,
+                                  (jl_value_t*)sym);
+        value_t args = julia_to_list2(fl_ctx, (jl_value_t*)m, (jl_value_t*)sym);
+        fl_gc_handle(fl_ctx, &args);
+        value_t hd = julia_to_scm_(fl_ctx, (jl_value_t*)globalref_sym);
+        value_t scmv = fl_cons(fl_ctx, hd, args);
+        fl_free_gc_handles(fl_ctx, 1);
+        return scmv;
+    }
     if (jl_is_long(v) && fits_fixnum(jl_unbox_long(v)))
         return fixnum(jl_unbox_long(v));
     if (jl_is_ssavalue(v))
diff --git a/src/builtins.c b/src/builtins.c
index 60a323ac09b812..7a1f9515d8a137 100644
--- a/src/builtins.c
+++ b/src/builtins.c
@@ -676,8 +676,17 @@ JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_setfield)
     JL_NARGS(setfield!, 3, 3);
     jl_value_t *v = args[0];
     jl_value_t *vt = (jl_value_t*)jl_typeof(v);
-    if (vt == (jl_value_t*)jl_module_type)
-        jl_error("cannot assign variables in other modules");
+    if (vt == (jl_value_t*)jl_module_type) {
+        jl_module_t *m = (jl_module_t*)v;
+        jl_sym_t *sym = (jl_sym_t*)args[1];
+        if (!jl_is_symbol(sym))
+            jl_type_error("setfield!", (jl_value_t*)jl_symbol_type, args[1]);
+        jl_binding_t *b = jl_get_binding_wr(m, sym);
+        if (b == NULL)
+            jl_undefined_var_error(sym);
+        jl_checked_assignment(b, args[2]);
+        return args[2];
+    }
     if (!jl_is_datatype(vt))
         jl_type_error("setfield!", (jl_value_t*)jl_datatype_type, v);
     jl_datatype_t *st = (jl_datatype_t*)vt;
diff --git a/src/interpreter.c b/src/interpreter.c
index 32a087e6033b93..53286a5e988311 100644
--- a/src/interpreter.c
+++ b/src/interpreter.c
@@ -235,17 +235,28 @@ static jl_value_t *eval(jl_value_t *e, jl_value_t **locals, jl_lambda_info_t *la
     }
     else if (ex->head == method_sym) {
         jl_sym_t *fname = (jl_sym_t*)args[0];
-        assert(jl_expr_nargs(ex) != 1 || jl_is_symbol(fname));
+        assert(jl_expr_nargs(ex) != 1 || jl_is_symbol(fname) ||
+               jl_is_globalref(fname));
 
-        if (jl_is_symbol(fname)) {
-            jl_value_t **bp=NULL;
-            jl_value_t *bp_owner=NULL;
-            jl_binding_t *b=NULL;
-            if (bp == NULL) {
-                b = jl_get_binding_for_method_def(jl_current_module, fname);
-                bp = &b->value;
-                bp_owner = (jl_value_t*)jl_current_module;
-            }
+        if (jl_is_globalref(fname)) {
+            // allow defining a function using a existing owning binding
+            // in order for the following code, which may be the result of
+            // macro expansion, to work.
+            //
+            //     global f
+            //     M.f() = ...
+            jl_module_t *m = (jl_module_t*)jl_data_ptr(fname)[0];
+            jl_sym_t *sym = (jl_sym_t*)jl_data_ptr(fname)[1];
+            assert(jl_is_symbol(sym));
+            jl_binding_t *b = jl_get_binding_for_method_def(m, sym);
+            jl_value_t *gf = jl_generic_function_def(sym, &b->value,
+                                                     (jl_value_t*)m, b);
+            if (jl_expr_nargs(ex) == 1)
+                return gf;
+        } else if (jl_is_symbol(fname)) {
+            jl_binding_t *b = jl_get_binding_for_method_def(jl_current_module, fname);
+            jl_value_t **bp = &b->value;
+            jl_value_t *bp_owner = (jl_value_t*)jl_current_module;
             jl_value_t *gf = jl_generic_function_def(fname, bp, bp_owner, b);
             if (jl_expr_nargs(ex) == 1)
                 return gf;
diff --git a/src/julia-syntax.scm b/src/julia-syntax.scm
index 4bc954cfe2b791..07da3b2518f570 100644
--- a/src/julia-syntax.scm
+++ b/src/julia-syntax.scm
@@ -1607,6 +1607,16 @@
        (error (string "invalid assignment location \"" (deparse lhs) "\"")))
       (else
        (case (car lhs)
+         ((globalref)
+          ;; M.b =
+          (let* ((a   (cadr lhs))
+                 (b   (caddr lhs))
+                 (rhs (caddr e))
+                 (rr  (if (or (symbol-like? rhs) (atom? rhs)) rhs (make-ssavalue))))
+            `(block
+              ,.(if (eq? rr rhs) '() `((= ,rr ,(expand-forms rhs))))
+              (call (core setfield!) ,a (quote ,b) ,rr)
+              (unnecessary ,rr))))
          ((|.|)
           ;; a.b =
           (let* ((a   (cadr lhs))
diff --git a/src/macroexpand.scm b/src/macroexpand.scm
index ccf53c82e9efc9..9e2ad5ad02ca1f 100644
--- a/src/macroexpand.scm
+++ b/src/macroexpand.scm
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@
                (error (cadr form)))
            (let ((form (car form))
                  (m    (cdr form)))
-             ;; m is the macro's def module, or #f if def env === use env
+             ;; m is the macro's def module
              (rename-symbolic-labels
               (julia-expand-macros
                (resolve-expansion-vars form m))))))
diff --git a/test/core.jl b/test/core.jl
index baa4bbdd63be9b..7229c04cf630bd 100644
--- a/test/core.jl
+++ b/test/core.jl
@@ -3398,7 +3398,7 @@ end
 
 # issue 13855
 macro m13855()
-    Expr(:localize, :(() -> x))
+    Expr(:localize, :(() -> $(esc(:x))))
 end
 @noinline function foo13855(x)
     @m13855()
@@ -4203,3 +4203,30 @@ end
 g1090{T}(x::T)::T = x+1.0
 @test g1090(1) === 2
 @test g1090(Float32(3)) === Float32(4)
+
+module TestModuleAssignment
+using Base.Test
+@eval $(GlobalRef(TestModuleAssignment, :x)) = 1
+@test x == 1
+@eval $(GlobalRef(TestModuleAssignment, :x)) = 2
+@test x == 2
+end
+
+# issue #14893
+module M14893
+x = 14893
+macro m14893()
+    :x
+end
+function f14893()
+    x = 1
+    @m14893
+end
+end
+function f14893()
+    x = 2
+    M14893.@m14893
+end
+
+@test f14893() == 14893
+@test M14893.f14893() == 14893