diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/quoted/PickledQuotes.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/quoted/PickledQuotes.scala
index 629edec591d6..faf50b5848a6 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/quoted/PickledQuotes.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/quoted/PickledQuotes.scala
@@ -23,19 +23,6 @@ object PickledQuotes {
 
   /** Pickle the tree of the quoted.Expr */
   def pickleExpr(tree: Tree)(implicit ctx: Context): scala.quoted.Expr[Any] = {
-    // Check that there are no free variables
-    new TreeTraverser {
-      private val definedHere = scala.collection.mutable.Set.empty[Symbol]
-      def traverse(tree: tpd.Tree)(implicit ctx: Context): Unit = tree match {
-        case tree: Ident if tree.symbol.exists && !definedHere(tree.symbol) =>
-          throw new scala.quoted.FreeVariableError(tree.name.toString)
-        case tree: DefTree =>
-          definedHere += tree.symbol
-          traverseChildren(tree)
-        case _ =>
-          traverseChildren(tree)
-      }
-    }.traverse(tree)
     val pickled = pickleQuote(tree)
     scala.runtime.quoted.Unpickler.unpickleExpr(pickled, Nil)
   }
@@ -64,7 +51,7 @@ object PickledQuotes {
         case value: Class[_] => ref(defn.Predef_classOf).appliedToType(classToType(value))
         case value => Literal(Constant(value))
       }
-    case expr: TreeExpr[Tree] @unchecked => expr.tree
+    case expr: TastyTreeExpr[Tree] @unchecked => expr.tree
     case expr: FunctionAppliedTo[_, _] =>
       functionAppliedTo(quotedExprToTree(expr.f), quotedExprToTree(expr.x))
   }
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/tasty/TreeUnpickler.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/tasty/TreeUnpickler.scala
index ce0edf52a31c..1a8fd49a5d99 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/tasty/TreeUnpickler.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/tasty/TreeUnpickler.scala
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import config.Config
 import core.quoted.PickledQuotes
 import scala.quoted
 import scala.quoted.Types.TreeType
-import scala.quoted.Exprs.TreeExpr
+import scala.quoted.Exprs.TastyTreeExpr
 
 /** Unpickler for typed trees
  *  @param reader          the reader from which to unpickle
@@ -1150,7 +1150,7 @@ class TreeUnpickler(reader: TastyReader,
       val args = until(end)(readTerm())
       val splice = splices(idx)
       def wrap(arg: Tree) =
-        if (arg.isTerm) new TreeExpr(arg, PickledQuotes.pickleExpr(arg))
+        if (arg.isTerm) new TastyTreeExpr(arg)
         else new TreeType(arg)
       val reifiedArgs = args.map(wrap)
       if (isType) {
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/quoted/Toolbox.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/quoted/Toolbox.scala
index 59ad7a5070be..9296aa31a680 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/quoted/Toolbox.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/quoted/Toolbox.scala
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import dotty.tools.dotc.printing.RefinedPrinter
 
 import scala.quoted.Expr
 import scala.runtime.BoxedUnit
-import scala.quoted.Exprs.{LiftedExpr, TreeExpr}
+import scala.quoted.Exprs.{LiftedExpr, TastyTreeExpr}
 import scala.runtime.quoted._
 
 /** Default runners for quoted expressions */
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ object Toolbox {
     def run(expr: Expr[T]): T = expr match {
       case expr: LiftedExpr[T] =>
         expr.value
-      case expr: TreeExpr[Tree] @unchecked =>
-        new QuoteDriver().run(expr.pickled, runSettings)
+      case expr: TastyTreeExpr[Tree] @unchecked =>
+        throw new Exception("Cannot call `Expr.run` on an `Expr` that comes from an inline macro argument.")
       case _ =>
         new QuoteDriver().run(expr, runSettings)
     }
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Splicer.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Splicer.scala
index 9435843dd7de..90df1b9e2428 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Splicer.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Splicer.scala
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ object Splicer {
             assert(!tp.hasAnnotation(defn.InlineParamAnnot))
             // Replace argument by its binding
             val arg1 = bindMap.getOrElse(arg, arg)
-            new scala.quoted.Exprs.TreeExpr(arg1, PickledQuotes.pickleExpr(arg1))
+            new scala.quoted.Exprs.TastyTreeExpr(arg1)
         }
         args1 ::: liftArgs(tp.resType, args.tail)
       case tp: PolyType =>
diff --git a/library/src/scala/quoted/Expr.scala b/library/src/scala/quoted/Expr.scala
index 7e9fd0e9d9f1..f6fe2d478389 100644
--- a/library/src/scala/quoted/Expr.scala
+++ b/library/src/scala/quoted/Expr.scala
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ object Expr {
 object Exprs {
   /** An Expr backed by a pickled TASTY tree */
   final class TastyExpr[T](val tasty: Pickled, val args: Seq[Any]) extends Expr[T] {
-    override def toString: String = s"Expr(<pickled>)"
+    override def toString: String = s"Expr(<pickled tasty>)"
   }
 
   /** An Expr backed by a lifted value.
@@ -48,11 +48,10 @@ object Exprs {
    *  These expressions are used for arguments of inline macros. They contain and actual tree
    *  from the program that is being expanded by the macro.
    *
-   *  May contain references to code defined outside this Expr instance.
+   *  May contain references to code defined outside this TastyTreeExpr instance.
    */
-  final class TreeExpr[Tree](val tree: Tree, pickle: => Expr[_]) extends quoted.Expr[Any] {
-    def pickled[T]: Expr[T] = pickle.asInstanceOf[Expr[T]]
-    override def toString: String = s"Expr(<raw>)"
+  final class TastyTreeExpr[Tree](val tree: Tree) extends quoted.Expr[Any] {
+    override def toString: String = s"Expr(<tasty tree>)"
   }
 
   /** An Expr representing `'{(~f).apply(~x)}` but it is beta-reduced when the closure is known */
diff --git a/library/src/scala/quoted/FreeVariableError.scala b/library/src/scala/quoted/FreeVariableError.scala
deleted file mode 100644
index 4dac11ddbc6f..000000000000
--- a/library/src/scala/quoted/FreeVariableError.scala
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-package scala.quoted
-
-/** Exception is thrown when trying to evaluate the contents of an expression
- *  that has free variables (i.e. has some local references to code that is
- *  outside of the expression). This can happen on Expr that passed as arguments to
- *  an inline macro.
- */
-class FreeVariableError(val name: String) extends QuoteError("Free variable " + name + " could not be handled")
diff --git a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-1/quoted_1.scala b/tests/neg/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_1.scala
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-1/quoted_1.scala
rename to tests/neg/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_1.scala
diff --git a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-1/quoted_2.scala b/tests/neg/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_2.scala
similarity index 57%
rename from tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-1/quoted_2.scala
rename to tests/neg/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_2.scala
index 8d1f280a2bab..02a0925642f4 100644
--- a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-1/quoted_2.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_2.scala
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import Macros._
 object Test {
   def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
-    println(foo(1))
-    println(foo(1  + 3))
+    println(foo(1)) // error
+    println(foo(1  + 3)) // error
     val x = 3
-    println(foo {
+    println(foo { // error
       val x = 5
       x
     })
diff --git a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-1.check b/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-1.check
deleted file mode 100644
index 5da50a4e6e5b..000000000000
--- a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-1.check
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-1
-4
-5
diff --git a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-2.check b/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-2.check
deleted file mode 100644
index 3c3aff685b58..000000000000
--- a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-2.check
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-"> 3"
-"> 12"
-(x: scala.Int) => "> ".+(y).apply(3)
diff --git a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_1.scala b/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_1.scala
deleted file mode 100644
index 96cc93c8f1b2..000000000000
--- a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_1.scala
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-import scala.quoted._
-
-import dotty.tools.dotc.quoted.Toolbox._
-
-object Macros {
-  inline def foo(f: => Int => String): String = ~bar('(f))
-  def bar(f: Expr[Int => String]): Expr[String] = {
-    try {
-      val y: Int => String = f.run
-      val res = y(3).toExpr // evaluate at compile time
-      res.show.toExpr
-    } catch {
-      case ex: scala.quoted.FreeVariableError =>
-        val res = ('((~f)(3))) // evaluate at run time
-        res.show.toExpr
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_2.scala b/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_2.scala
deleted file mode 100644
index f9e4d32c83e6..000000000000
--- a/tests/run/quote-run-in-macro-2/quoted_2.scala
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-import Macros._
-object Test {
-  def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
-    println(foo(x => "> " + x))
-    println(foo(x => "> " + 4 * x))
-    val y = 9
-    println(foo(x => "> " + y))
-  }
-}