diff --git a/stdlib/REPL/src/REPL.jl b/stdlib/REPL/src/REPL.jl
index a815678b7ba52..d2054990ceb81 100644
--- a/stdlib/REPL/src/REPL.jl
+++ b/stdlib/REPL/src/REPL.jl
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ function check_for_missing_packages_and_run_hooks(ast)
 end
 
 function modules_to_be_loaded(ast, mods = Symbol[])
+    ast.head == :quote && return mods # don't search if it's not going to be run during this eval
     if ast.head in [:using, :import]
         for arg in ast.args
             if first(arg.args) isa Symbol # i.e. `Foo`
diff --git a/stdlib/REPL/test/repl.jl b/stdlib/REPL/test/repl.jl
index 8c4ee75850fbf..8d67be4b773d2 100644
--- a/stdlib/REPL/test/repl.jl
+++ b/stdlib/REPL/test/repl.jl
@@ -1355,6 +1355,11 @@ end
         mods = REPL.modules_to_be_loaded(Base.parse_input_line("using Core"))
         @test isempty(mods)
 
+        mods = REPL.modules_to_be_loaded(Base.parse_input_line(":(using Foo)"))
+        @test isempty(mods)
+        mods = REPL.modules_to_be_loaded(Base.parse_input_line("ex = :(using Foo)"))
+        @test isempty(mods)
+
         mods = REPL.modules_to_be_loaded(Base.parse_input_line("# comment"))
         @test isempty(mods)
         mods = REPL.modules_to_be_loaded(Base.parse_input_line("Foo"))