diff --git a/lib/core/macros.nim b/lib/core/macros.nim
index d2985bc72c..98f6b7a5fb 100644
--- a/lib/core/macros.nim
+++ b/lib/core/macros.nim
@@ -1256,7 +1256,15 @@ proc `body=`*(someProc: NimNode, val: NimNode) {.compileTime.} =
   else:
     badNodeKind someProc, "body="
 
-proc basename*(a: NimNode): NimNode {.compileTime, benign.}
+proc basename*(a: NimNode): NimNode {.raises: [].} =
+  ## Pull an identifier from prefix/postfix expressions.
+  case a.kind
+  of nnkIdent: result = a
+  of nnkPostfix, nnkPrefix: result = a[1]
+  of nnkPragmaExpr: result = basename(a[0])
+  else:
+    error("Do not know how to get basename of (" & treeRepr(a) & ")\n" &
+      repr(a), a)
 
 proc `$`*(node: NimNode): string {.compileTime.} =
   ## Get the string of an identifier node.
@@ -1316,16 +1324,6 @@ proc insert*(a: NimNode; pos: int; b: NimNode) {.compileTime.} =
       a[i + 1] = a[i]
     a[pos] = b
 
-proc basename*(a: NimNode): NimNode =
-  ## Pull an identifier from prefix/postfix expressions.
-  case a.kind
-  of nnkIdent: result = a
-  of nnkPostfix, nnkPrefix: result = a[1]
-  of nnkPragmaExpr: result = basename(a[0])
-  else:
-    error("Do not know how to get basename of (" & treeRepr(a) & ")\n" &
-      repr(a), a)
-
 proc `basename=`*(a: NimNode; val: string) {.compileTime.}=
   case a.kind
   of nnkIdent:
diff --git a/tests/stdlib/tmacros.nim b/tests/stdlib/tmacros.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d22250221e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/stdlib/tmacros.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+import macros
+
+block: # bug #17454
+  proc f(v: NimNode): string {.raises: [].} = $v