diff --git a/host/chez/host-contract.ss b/host/chez/host-contract.ss
index 7c850f7..27ce5be 100644
--- a/host/chez/host-contract.ss
+++ b/host/chez/host-contract.ss
@@ -119,8 +119,22 @@
 (define (hc-inst-source x) (jolt-get x hc-kw-form))
 (define (hc-uuid-source x) (jolt-get x hc-kw-form))
 
-;; The Chez reader does not record source offsets yet.
-(define (hc-form-position x) jolt-nil)
+;; Source position for a list form: the reader stamps :line/:column (+ :file when
+;; compiling a file) into the form's metadata. Return a clean {:line :column
+;; :file?} map, or nil for a synthetic/macro-built form that carries none.
+(define hc-kw-line   (keyword #f "line"))
+(define hc-kw-column (keyword #f "column"))
+(define hc-kw-file   (keyword #f "file"))
+(define (hc-form-position x)
+  (let ((m (jolt-meta x)))
+    (if (and (pmap? m) (not (jolt-nil? (jolt-get m hc-kw-line))))
+        (let ((line (jolt-get m hc-kw-line))
+              (col  (jolt-get m hc-kw-column))
+              (file (jolt-get m hc-kw-file)))
+          (if (jolt-nil? file)
+              (jolt-hash-map hc-kw-line line hc-kw-column col)
+              (jolt-hash-map hc-kw-line line hc-kw-column col hc-kw-file file)))
+        jolt-nil)))
 
 ;; --- special forms ----------------------------------------------------------
 ;; Mirrors host_iface special-names + interop-head? — forms the analyzer marks
diff --git a/host/chez/loader.ss b/host/chez/loader.ss
index d2cd31d..b456642 100644
--- a/host/chez/loader.ss
+++ b/host/chez/loader.ss
@@ -169,17 +169,20 @@
 ;; skip the no-op form and continue to true end-of-string.
 (define (load-jolt-file path)
   (let* ((src (read-file-string path)) (end (string-length src)))
-    (let loop ((i 0))
-      (when (< i end)
-        (let-values (((form j) (rdr-read-form src i end)))
-          (when (> j i)
-            (unless (rdr-eof? form)
-              (when (getenv "JOLT_TRACE_LOAD")
-                (display "  [load-form] " (current-error-port))
-                (display (jolt-pr-str form) (current-error-port)) (newline (current-error-port)))
-              (jolt-compile-eval-form (if data-readers-active (ldr-apply-readers form) form)
-                                      (chez-current-ns)))
-            (loop j)))))))
+    ;; parameterize (not a bare set!) so a require nested in this file's ns form
+    ;; restores path when control returns to the rest of this file.
+    (parameterize ((rdr-source-file path))   ; list forms read here carry :file = path
+      (let loop ((i 0))
+        (when (< i end)
+          (let-values (((form j) (rdr-read-form src i end)))
+            (when (> j i)
+              (unless (rdr-eof? form)
+                (when (getenv "JOLT_TRACE_LOAD")
+                  (display "  [load-form] " (current-error-port))
+                  (display (jolt-pr-str form) (current-error-port)) (newline (current-error-port)))
+                (jolt-compile-eval-form (if data-readers-active (ldr-apply-readers form) form)
+                                        (chez-current-ns)))
+              (loop j))))))))
 
 ;; load-namespace: load `name`'s source once. Marked loaded BEFORE eval so a
 ;; dependency cycle terminates (Clojure's behavior). The caller's current ns is
diff --git a/host/chez/reader.ss b/host/chez/reader.ss
index 42a9abb..1d0a1e2 100644
--- a/host/chez/reader.ss
+++ b/host/chez/reader.ss
@@ -316,7 +316,11 @@
     ;; (with-meta form meta) for a meta-carrying collection literal in code, so
     ;; (meta ^{:tag :int} [1 2]) / ^:foo {} still works.
     (else
-     (let ((c (jolt-with-meta target meta)))
+     ;; Merge onto any metadata the target already carries (a list form picks up
+     ;; :line/:column first, then ^meta folds its keys on top).
+     (let* ((old (jolt-meta target))
+            (merged (rdr-merge-meta (if (jolt-nil? old) jolt-nil old) meta))
+            (c (jolt-with-meta target merged)))
        ;; jolt-with-meta copies a pmap, giving it a fresh identity the rdr-map-order
        ;; side-table (source key order for left-to-right map-literal eval) loses —
        ;; carry the order entry over to the copy.
@@ -324,6 +328,45 @@
          (when order (hashtable-set! rdr-map-order c order)))
        c))))
 
+;; --- source position --------------------------------------------------------
+;; List forms (code) carry 1-based :line/:column, plus :file when the compiler
+;; bound rdr-source-file. read-string leaves the file unset. The analyzer reads
+;; this back via jolt.host/form-position to stamp :pos on call nodes; macros and
+;; (meta (read-string "(…)")) see it too.
+(define rdr-source-file (make-parameter #f))
+(define rdr-kw-line   (keyword #f "line"))
+(define rdr-kw-column (keyword #f "column"))
+(define rdr-kw-file   (keyword #f "file"))
+
+;; Forms are read left-to-right, so the indices queried are non-decreasing within
+;; one source string — keep a cursor and count newlines only over the delta
+;; (O(n) total, not O(n^2)). A different string or a backward index resets it.
+(define rdr-pos-cursor (make-parameter #f))   ; #f | (vector s i line col)
+(define (rdr-line-col-at s i)
+  (let* ((cur (rdr-pos-cursor))
+         (reuse (and (vector? cur) (eq? (vector-ref cur 0) s)
+                     (fx<=? (vector-ref cur 1) i)))
+         (k0 (if reuse (vector-ref cur 1) 0))
+         (l0 (if reuse (vector-ref cur 2) 1))
+         (c0 (if reuse (vector-ref cur 3) 1)))
+    (let loop ((k k0) (line l0) (col c0))
+      (if (fx>=? k i)
+          (begin (rdr-pos-cursor (vector s k line col)) (values line col))
+          (if (char=? (string-ref s k) #\newline)
+              (loop (fx+ k 1) (fx+ line 1) 1)
+              (loop (fx+ k 1) line (fx+ col 1)))))))
+
+(define (rdr-pos-meta line col)
+  (let ((f (rdr-source-file)))
+    (if f
+        (jolt-hash-map rdr-kw-line line rdr-kw-column col rdr-kw-file f)
+        (jolt-hash-map rdr-kw-line line rdr-kw-column col))))
+
+(define (rdr-attach-pos lst line col)
+  (if (empty-list-t? lst)            ; () is interned, can't carry meta (= Clojure)
+      lst
+      (rdr-attach-meta lst (rdr-pos-meta line col))))
+
 ;; --- # dispatch -------------------------------------------------------------
 ;; #(...) anonymous fn shorthand: % -> p1, %N -> pN, %& -> rest. The
 ;; fixed arity is the MAX positional used (Clojure: #(do %2 %&) -> [p1 p2 & rest]).
@@ -496,8 +539,9 @@
         (values rdr-eof i)
         (let ((c (string-ref s i)))
           (cond
-            ((char=? c #\() (let-values (((es j) (rdr-read-seq s (+ i 1) end #\))))
-                              (values (apply jolt-list es) j)))
+            ((char=? c #\() (let-values (((line col) (rdr-line-col-at s i)))
+                              (let-values (((es j) (rdr-read-seq s (+ i 1) end #\))))
+                                (values (rdr-attach-pos (apply jolt-list es) line col) j))))
             ((char=? c #\[) (let-values (((es j) (rdr-read-seq s (+ i 1) end #\])))
                               (values (apply jolt-vector es) j)))
             ((char=? c #\{) (let-values (((es j) (rdr-read-seq s (+ i 1) end #\})))
diff --git a/test/chez/unit.edn b/test/chez/unit.edn
index 6c0b5f9..004a0fe 100644
--- a/test/chez/unit.edn
+++ b/test/chez/unit.edn
@@ -331,6 +331,14 @@
   {:suite "reader" :expr "(nil? (read-string \"  , ,\"))" :expected "true"}
   {:suite "reader" :expr "(:tag (meta (read-string \"^String x\")))" :expected "String"}
   {:suite "reader" :expr "(:foo (meta (read-string \"^:foo x\")))" :expected "true"}
+  {:suite "reader" :expr "(:line (meta (read-string \"(foo bar)\")))" :expected "1"}
+  {:suite "reader" :expr "(:column (meta (read-string \"(foo bar)\")))" :expected "1"}
+  {:suite "reader" :expr "(:line (meta (read-string \"\\n\\n  (x)\")))" :expected "3"}
+  {:suite "reader" :expr "(:column (meta (read-string \"\\n\\n  (x)\")))" :expected "3"}
+  {:suite "reader" :expr "(nil? (meta (read-string \"[1 2]\")))" :expected "true"}
+  {:suite "reader" :expr "(nil? (meta (read-string \"()\")))" :expected "true"}
+  {:suite "reader" :expr "(:foo (meta (read-string \"^:foo (x y)\")))" :expected "true"}
+  {:suite "reader" :expr "(:line (meta (read-string \"^:foo (x y)\")))" :expected "1"}
   {:suite "reader" :expr "(= 42 (with-in-str \"42\" (read)))" :expected "true"}
   {:suite "reader" :expr "(= (quote (+ 1 2)) (with-in-str \"(+ 1 2)\" (read)))" :expected "true"}
   {:suite "reader" :expr "(with-in-str \"1 2\" [(read) (read)])" :expected "[1 2]"}