diff --git a/src/pkg/exp/template/doc.go b/src/pkg/exp/template/doc.go
index 736b1a3d87..a0fdd0a1f9 100644
--- a/src/pkg/exp/template/doc.go
+++ b/src/pkg/exp/template/doc.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ maps, and strings, any value v with len(v)==0 counts as a zero value.
 
 Arguments
 
-An argument is a simple value, denoted by one of the following:
+An argument is a simple value, denoted by one of the following.
 
 	- A boolean, string, character, integer, floating-point, imaginary
 	  or complex constant in Go syntax. These behave like Go's untyped
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ An argument is a simple value, denoted by one of the following:
 	  The result is the value of the field. Field invocations may be
 	  chained:
 	    .Field1.Field2
+	  Fields can also be evaluated on variables, including chaining:
+	    $x.Field1.Field2
 	- The name of a niladic method of the data, preceded by a period,
 	  such as
 		.Method
@@ -111,6 +113,8 @@ An argument is a simple value, denoted by one of the following:
 	  Method invocations may be chained, but only the last element of
 	  the chain may be a method; other others must be struct fields:
 	    .Field1.Field2.Method
+	  Methods can also be evaluated on variables, including chaining:
+	    $x.Field1.Method
 	- The name of a niladic function, such as
 		fun
 	  The result is the value of invoking the function, fun(). The return
diff --git a/src/pkg/exp/template/exec.go b/src/pkg/exp/template/exec.go
index 21e8e812ea..d24e8b9084 100644
--- a/src/pkg/exp/template/exec.go
+++ b/src/pkg/exp/template/exec.go
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ func (s *state) evalPipeline(data reflect.Value, pipe *pipeNode) (value reflect.
 		}
 	}
 	if pipe.decl != nil {
-		s.push(pipe.decl.ident, value)
+		s.push(pipe.decl.ident[0], value)
 	}
 	return value
 }
@@ -290,6 +290,8 @@ func (s *state) evalCommand(data reflect.Value, cmd *commandNode, final reflect.
 	case *identifierNode:
 		// Must be a function.
 		return s.evalFunction(data, n.ident, cmd.args, final)
+	case *variableNode:
+		return s.evalVariableNode(n, cmd.args, final)
 	}
 	s.notAFunction(cmd.args, final)
 	switch word := firstWord.(type) {
@@ -313,21 +315,32 @@ func (s *state) evalCommand(data reflect.Value, cmd *commandNode, final reflect.
 		}
 	case *stringNode:
 		return reflect.ValueOf(word.text)
-	case *variableNode:
-		return s.varValue(word.ident)
 	}
 	s.errorf("can't handle command %q", firstWord)
 	panic("not reached")
 }
 
 func (s *state) evalFieldNode(data reflect.Value, field *fieldNode, args []node, final reflect.Value) reflect.Value {
+	return s.evalFieldChain(data, field.ident, args, final)
+}
+
+func (s *state) evalVariableNode(v *variableNode, args []node, final reflect.Value) reflect.Value {
+	// $x.Field has $x as the first ident, Field as the second. Eval the var, then the fields.
+	data := s.varValue(v.ident[0])
+	if len(v.ident) == 1 {
+		return data
+	}
+	return s.evalFieldChain(data, v.ident[1:], args, final)
+}
+
+func (s *state) evalFieldChain(data reflect.Value, ident []string, args []node, final reflect.Value) reflect.Value {
 	// Up to the last entry, it must be a field.
-	n := len(field.ident)
+	n := len(ident)
 	for i := 0; i < n-1; i++ {
-		data = s.evalField(data, field.ident[i], nil, zero, false)
+		data = s.evalField(data, ident[i], nil, zero, false)
 	}
 	// Now it can be a field or method and if a method, gets arguments.
-	return s.evalField(data, field.ident[n-1], args, final, true)
+	return s.evalField(data, ident[n-1], args, final, true)
 }
 
 func (s *state) evalFunction(data reflect.Value, name string, args []node, final reflect.Value) reflect.Value {
@@ -468,7 +481,7 @@ func (s *state) evalArg(data reflect.Value, typ reflect.Type, n node) reflect.Va
 	case *fieldNode:
 		return s.validateType(s.evalFieldNode(data, arg, []node{n}, zero), typ)
 	case *variableNode:
-		return s.validateType(s.varValue(arg.ident), typ)
+		return s.validateType(s.evalVariableNode(arg, nil, zero), typ)
 	}
 	switch typ.Kind() {
 	case reflect.Bool:
@@ -578,7 +591,7 @@ func (s *state) evalEmptyInterface(data reflect.Value, n node) reflect.Value {
 	case *stringNode:
 		return reflect.ValueOf(n.text)
 	case *variableNode:
-		return s.varValue(n.ident)
+		return s.evalVariableNode(n, nil, zero)
 	}
 	s.errorf("can't handle assignment of %s to empty interface argument", n)
 	panic("not reached")
diff --git a/src/pkg/exp/template/exec_test.go b/src/pkg/exp/template/exec_test.go
index 55cb681363..e4fd4e6ab8 100644
--- a/src/pkg/exp/template/exec_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/exp/template/exec_test.go
@@ -165,6 +165,9 @@ var execTests = []execTest{
 	{"range $x PSI", "{{range $x := .PSI}}<{{$x}}>{{end}}", "<21><22><23>", tVal, true},
 	{"if $x with $y int", "{{if $x := true}}{{with $y := .I}}{{$x}},{{$y}}{{end}}{{end}}", "true,17", tVal, true},
 	{"if $x with $x int", "{{if $x := true}}{{with $x := .I}}{{$x}},{{end}}{{$x}}{{end}}", "17,true", tVal, true},
+	{"$.I", "{{$.I}}", "17", tVal, true},
+	{"$.U.V", "{{$.U.V}}", "v", tVal, true},
+	{"with $x struct.U.V", "{{with $x := $}}{{$.U.V}}{{end}}", "v", tVal, true},
 
 	// Pointers.
 	{"*int", "{{.PI}}", "23", tVal, true},
@@ -186,6 +189,7 @@ var execTests = []execTest{
 	{".Method2(3, .X)", "-{{.Method2 3 .X}}-", "-Method2: 3 x-", tVal, true},
 	{".Method2(.U16, `str`)", "-{{.Method2 .U16 `str`}}-", "-Method2: 16 str-", tVal, true},
 	{".Method2(.U16, $x)", "{{if $x := .X}}-{{.Method2 .U16 $x}}{{end}}-", "-Method2: 16 x-", tVal, true},
+	{"method on var", "{{if $x := .}}-{{$x.Method2 .U16 $x.X}}{{end}}-", "-Method2: 16 x-", tVal, true},
 
 	// Pipelines.
 	{"pipeline", "-{{.Method0 | .Method2 .U16}}-", "-Method2: 16 M0-", tVal, true},
diff --git a/src/pkg/exp/template/lex.go b/src/pkg/exp/template/lex.go
index 7aebe02a31..72eff105e4 100644
--- a/src/pkg/exp/template/lex.go
+++ b/src/pkg/exp/template/lex.go
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ Loop:
 		switch r := l.next(); {
 		case isAlphaNumeric(r):
 			// absorb.
-		case r == '.' && l.input[l.start] == '.':
+		case r == '.' && (l.input[l.start] == '.' || l.input[l.start] == '$'):
 			// field chaining; absorb into one token.
 		default:
 			l.backup()
diff --git a/src/pkg/exp/template/lex_test.go b/src/pkg/exp/template/lex_test.go
index e88fd363fd..36079e22f5 100644
--- a/src/pkg/exp/template/lex_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/exp/template/lex_test.go
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ var lexTests = []lexTest{
 		tRight,
 		tEOF,
 	}},
-	{"variables", "{{$c := printf $ $hello $23 $.Method}}", []item{
+	{"variables", "{{$c := printf $ $hello $23 $ $var.Field .Method}}", []item{
 		tLeft,
 		{itemVariable, "$c"},
 		{itemColonEquals, ":="},
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ var lexTests = []lexTest{
 		{itemVariable, "$hello"},
 		{itemVariable, "$23"},
 		{itemVariable, "$"},
+		{itemVariable, "$var.Field"},
 		{itemField, ".Method"},
 		tRight,
 		tEOF,
diff --git a/src/pkg/exp/template/parse.go b/src/pkg/exp/template/parse.go
index 38a415dbd5..774a7dd84b 100644
--- a/src/pkg/exp/template/parse.go
+++ b/src/pkg/exp/template/parse.go
@@ -214,11 +214,11 @@ func (i *identifierNode) String() string {
 // variableNode holds a variable.
 type variableNode struct {
 	nodeType
-	ident string
+	ident []string
 }
 
 func newVariable(ident string) *variableNode {
-	return &variableNode{nodeType: nodeVariable, ident: ident}
+	return &variableNode{nodeType: nodeVariable, ident: strings.Split(ident, ".")}
 }
 
 func (v *variableNode) String() string {
@@ -716,6 +716,9 @@ func (t *Template) pipeline(context string) (pipe *pipeNode) {
 		if ce := t.peek(); ce.typ == itemColonEquals {
 			t.next()
 			decl = newVariable(v.val)
+			if len(decl.ident) != 1 {
+				t.errorf("illegal variable in declaration: %s", v.val)
+			}
 			t.vars = append(t.vars, v.val)
 		} else {
 			t.backup2(v)
@@ -854,9 +857,10 @@ Loop:
 		case itemDot:
 			cmd.append(newDot())
 		case itemVariable:
+			v := newVariable(token.val)
 			found := false
 			for _, varName := range t.vars {
-				if varName == token.val {
+				if varName == v.ident[0] {
 					found = true
 					break
 				}
@@ -864,7 +868,7 @@ Loop:
 			if !found {
 				t.errorf("undefined variable %q", token.val)
 			}
-			cmd.append(newVariable(token.val))
+			cmd.append(v)
 		case itemField:
 			cmd.append(newField(token.val))
 		case itemBool:
diff --git a/src/pkg/exp/template/parse_test.go b/src/pkg/exp/template/parse_test.go
index 7439ec8092..2a2fa648d7 100644
--- a/src/pkg/exp/template/parse_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/exp/template/parse_test.go
@@ -172,15 +172,17 @@ var parseTests = []parseTest{
 	{"simple command", "{{printf}}", noError,
 		`[(action: [(command: [I=printf])])]`},
 	{"$ invocation", "{{$}}", noError,
-		"[(action: [(command: [V=$])])]"},
+		"[(action: [(command: [V=[$]])])]"},
 	{"variable invocation", "{{with $x := 3}}{{$x 23}}{{end}}", noError,
-		"[({{with $x := [(command: [N=3])]}} [(action: [(command: [V=$x N=23])])])]"},
+		"[({{with [$x] := [(command: [N=3])]}} [(action: [(command: [V=[$x] N=23])])])]"},
+	{"variable with fields", "{{$.I}}", noError,
+		"[(action: [(command: [V=[$ I]])])]"},
 	{"multi-word command", "{{printf `%d` 23}}", noError,
 		"[(action: [(command: [I=printf S=`%d` N=23])])]"},
 	{"pipeline", "{{.X|.Y}}", noError,
 		`[(action: [(command: [F=[X]]) (command: [F=[Y]])])]`},
 	{"pipeline with decl", "{{$x := .X|.Y}}", noError,
-		`[(action: $x := [(command: [F=[X]]) (command: [F=[Y]])])]`},
+		`[(action: [$x] := [(command: [F=[X]]) (command: [F=[Y]])])]`},
 	{"declaration", "{{.X|.Y}}", noError,
 		`[(action: [(command: [F=[X]]) (command: [F=[Y]])])]`},
 	{"simple if", "{{if .X}}hello{{end}}", noError,
@@ -217,6 +219,7 @@ var parseTests = []parseTest{
 	{"undefined function", "hello{{undefined}}", hasError, ""},
 	{"undefined variable", "{{$x}}", hasError, ""},
 	{"variable undefined after end", "{{with $x := 4}}{{end}}{{$x}}", hasError, ""},
+	{"declare with field", "{{with $x.Y := 4}}{{end}}", hasError, ""},
 }
 
 func TestParse(t *testing.T) {