diff --git a/hy/compiler.py b/hy/compiler.py
index c45a972..b023524 100644
--- a/hy/compiler.py
+++ b/hy/compiler.py
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ from hy.models.float import HyFloat
 from hy.models.list import HyList
 from hy.models.dict import HyDict
 
+from hy.core import process
+
 from hy.util import str_type
 
 import codecs
@@ -361,6 +363,7 @@ class HyASTCompiler(object):
 
     def compile_atom(self, atom_type, atom):
         if atom_type in _compile_table:
+            atom = process(atom)
             ret = _compile_table[atom_type](self, atom)
             if not isinstance(ret, Result):
                 ret = Result() + ret
diff --git a/hy/importer.py b/hy/importer.py
index 1287d8b..2368439 100644
--- a/hy/importer.py
+++ b/hy/importer.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 from py_compile import wr_long, MAGIC
 from hy.compiler import hy_compile
 from hy.models import HyObject
-from hy.core import process
 from hy.lex import tokenize
 
 
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ def ast_compile(ast, filename, mode):
 
 def import_buffer_to_hst(buf):
     """Import content from buf and return an Hy AST."""
-    return process(tokenize(buf + "\n"))
+    return tokenize(buf + "\n")
 
 
 def import_file_to_hst(fpath):