diff --git a/lang/lexer.nex b/lang/lexer.nex
index 51b91b5a..8a8a9179 100644
--- a/lang/lexer.nex
+++ b/lang/lexer.nex
@@ -149,6 +149,11 @@
 			lval.str = yylex.Text()
 			return DOT
 		}
+/\$/		{
+			yylex.pos(lval) // our pos
+			lval.str = yylex.Text()
+			return DOLLAR
+		}
 /bool/		{
 			yylex.pos(lval) // our pos
 			lval.str = yylex.Text()
diff --git a/lang/lexparse_test.go b/lang/lexparse_test.go
index 6dd0886b..3aae144e 100644
--- a/lang/lexparse_test.go
+++ b/lang/lexparse_test.go
@@ -315,6 +315,216 @@ func TestLexParse0(t *testing.T) {
 			//exp: ???, // FIXME: add the expected AST
 		})
 	}
+	{
+		exp := &StmtProg{
+			Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
+				&StmtBind{
+					Ident: "x1",
+					Value: &ExprCall{
+						Name: "foo1",
+						Args: []interfaces.Expr{},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "func call 1",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = foo1()
+			`,
+			fail: false,
+			exp:  exp,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		exp := &StmtProg{
+			Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
+				&StmtBind{
+					Ident: "x1",
+					Value: &ExprCall{
+						Name: "foo1",
+						Args: []interfaces.Expr{
+							&ExprInt{
+								V: 13,
+							},
+							&ExprStr{
+								V: "hello",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "func call 2",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = foo1(13, "hello")
+			`,
+			fail: false,
+			exp:  exp,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		exp := &StmtProg{
+			Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
+				&StmtBind{
+					Ident: "x1",
+					Value: &ExprCall{
+						Name: "pkg.foo1",
+						Args: []interfaces.Expr{},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "func call dotted 1",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = pkg.foo1()
+			`,
+			fail: false,
+			exp:  exp,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		exp := &StmtProg{
+			Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
+				&StmtBind{
+					Ident: "x1",
+					Value: &ExprCall{
+						Name: "pkg.foo1",
+						Args: []interfaces.Expr{
+							&ExprBool{
+								V: true,
+							},
+							&ExprStr{
+								V: "hello",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "func call dotted 2",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = pkg.foo1(true, "hello")
+			`,
+			fail: false,
+			exp:  exp,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "func call dotted invalid 1",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = .pkg.foo1(true, "hello")
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "func call dotted invalid 2",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = pkg.foo1.(true, "hello")
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "func call dotted invalid 3",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = .pkg.foo1.(true, "hello")
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "func call dotted invalid 4",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = pkg..foo1(true, "hello")
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		exp := &StmtProg{
+			Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
+				&StmtBind{
+					Ident: "x1",
+					Value: &ExprVar{
+						Name: "pkg.foo1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "dotted var 1",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = $pkg.foo1
+			`,
+			fail: false,
+			exp:  exp,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		exp := &StmtProg{
+			Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
+				&StmtBind{
+					Ident: "x1",
+					Value: &ExprVar{
+						Name: "pkg.foo1.bar",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "dotted var 2",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = $pkg.foo1.bar
+			`,
+			fail: false,
+			exp:  exp,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "invalid dotted var 1",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = $.pkg.foo1.bar
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "invalid dotted var 2",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = $pkg.foo1.bar.
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "invalid dotted var 3",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = $.pkg.foo1.bar.
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "invalid dotted var 4",
+			code: `
+			$x1 = $pkg..foo1.bar
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
 	{
 		exp := &StmtProg{
 			Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
@@ -903,6 +1113,158 @@ func TestLexParse0(t *testing.T) {
 			exp:  exp,
 		})
 	}
+	{
+		exp := &StmtProg{
+			Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
+				&StmtClass{
+					Name: "c1",
+					Body: &StmtProg{
+						Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
+							&StmtRes{
+								Kind: "test",
+								Name: &ExprStr{
+									V: "t1",
+								},
+								Contents: []StmtResContents{
+									&StmtResField{
+										Field: "stringptr",
+										Value: &ExprStr{
+											V: "hello",
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				&StmtInclude{
+					Name: "pkg.c1",
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "simple dotted class 1",
+			code: `
+			# a dotted identifier only occurs via an imported class
+			class c1 {
+				test "t1" {
+					stringptr => "hello",
+				}
+			}
+			# a dotted identifier is allowed here if it's imported
+			include pkg.c1
+			`,
+			fail: false,
+			exp:  exp,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		exp := &StmtProg{
+			Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
+				&StmtClass{
+					Name: "c1",
+					Body: &StmtProg{
+						Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
+							&StmtRes{
+								Kind: "test",
+								Name: &ExprStr{
+									V: "t1",
+								},
+								Contents: []StmtResContents{
+									&StmtResField{
+										Field: "stringptr",
+										Value: &ExprStr{
+											V: "hello",
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				&StmtInclude{
+					Name: "pkg.ns.c1",
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "simple dotted class 2",
+			code: `
+			# a dotted identifier only occurs via an imported class
+			class c1 {
+				test "t1" {
+					stringptr => "hello",
+				}
+			}
+			# a dotted identifier is allowed here if it's imported
+			include pkg.ns.c1
+			`,
+			fail: false,
+			exp:  exp,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "simple dotted invalid class 1",
+			code: `
+			# a dotted identifier only occurs via an imported class
+			class foo.c1 {
+			}
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "simple dotted invalid class 2",
+			code: `
+			# a dotted identifier only occurs via an imported class
+			class foo.bar.c1 {
+			}
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "simple dotted invalid include 1",
+			code: `
+			class .foo.c1 {
+			}
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "simple dotted invalid include 2",
+			code: `
+			class foo.c1. {
+			}
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "simple dotted invalid include 3",
+			code: `
+			class .foo.c1. {
+			}
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
+	{
+		values = append(values, test{
+			name: "simple dotted invalid include 4",
+			code: `
+			class foo..c1 {
+			}
+			`,
+			fail: true,
+		})
+	}
 	{
 		exp := &StmtProg{
 			Prog: []interfaces.Stmt{
diff --git a/lang/parser.y b/lang/parser.y
index 2dfec3bc..a2ef6ef0 100644
--- a/lang/parser.y
+++ b/lang/parser.y
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func init() {
 %token OPEN_BRACK CLOSE_BRACK
 %token IF ELSE
 %token STRING BOOL INTEGER FLOAT
-%token EQUALS
+%token EQUALS DOLLAR
 %token COMMA COLON SEMICOLON
 %token ELVIS ROCKET ARROW DOT
 %token STR_IDENTIFIER BOOL_IDENTIFIER INT_IDENTIFIER FLOAT_IDENTIFIER
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ stmt:
 		}
 	}
 	// `include name`
-|	INCLUDE_IDENTIFIER IDENTIFIER
+|	INCLUDE_IDENTIFIER dotted_identifier
 	{
 		posLast(yylex, yyDollar) // our pos
 		$$.stmt = &StmtInclude{
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ stmt:
 		}
 	}
 	// `include name(...)`
-|	INCLUDE_IDENTIFIER IDENTIFIER OPEN_PAREN call_args CLOSE_PAREN
+|	INCLUDE_IDENTIFIER dotted_identifier OPEN_PAREN call_args CLOSE_PAREN
 	{
 		posLast(yylex, yyDollar) // our pos
 		$$.stmt = &StmtInclude{
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ struct_field:
 	}
 ;
 call:
-	IDENTIFIER OPEN_PAREN call_args CLOSE_PAREN
+	dotted_identifier OPEN_PAREN call_args CLOSE_PAREN
 	{
 		posLast(yylex, yyDollar) // our pos
 		$$.expr = &ExprCall{
@@ -610,7 +610,10 @@ call:
 			},
 		}
 	}
-//|	VAR_IDENTIFIER OPEN_CURLY INTEGER CLOSE_CURLY
+// TODO: fix conflicts with this method, and replace the above VAR_IDENTIFIER_HX
+// TODO: allow $pkg.ns.foo{4}, instead of $foo = $pkg.ns.foo ; $foo{4}
+// TODO: use this: dotted_var_identifier OPEN_BRACK INTEGER CLOSE_BRACK instead?
+//|	dotted_var_identifier OPEN_CURLY INTEGER CLOSE_CURLY
 //	{
 //		posLast(yylex, yyDollar) // our pos
 //		$$.expr = &ExprCall{
@@ -658,7 +661,7 @@ call_args:
 	}
 ;
 var:
-	VAR_IDENTIFIER
+	dotted_var_identifier
 	{
 		posLast(yylex, yyDollar) // our pos
 		$$.expr = &ExprVar{
@@ -952,6 +955,39 @@ type_struct_field:
 		$$.str = fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", $1.str, $2.typ.String())
 	}
 ;
+dotted_identifier:
+	IDENTIFIER
+	{
+		posLast(yylex, yyDollar) // our pos
+		$$.str = $1.str
+	}
+|	dotted_identifier DOT IDENTIFIER
+	{
+		posLast(yylex, yyDollar) // our pos
+		$$.str = $1.str + "." + $3.str
+	}
+;
+// there are different ways the lexer/parser might choose to represent this...
+dotted_var_identifier:
+	// eg: $foo (no dots)
+	VAR_IDENTIFIER
+	{
+		posLast(yylex, yyDollar) // our pos
+		$$.str = $1.str
+	}
+	// eg: $foo . bar.baz (identifier + dotted identifier)
+|	VAR_IDENTIFIER DOT dotted_identifier
+	{
+		posLast(yylex, yyDollar) // our pos
+		$$.str = $1.str + "." + $3.str
+	}
+	// eg: $ foo.bar.baz (dollar prefix + dotted identifier)
+|	DOLLAR dotted_identifier
+	{
+		posLast(yylex, yyDollar) // our pos
+		$$.str = $2.str
+	}
+;
 %%
 // pos is a helper function used to track the position in the parser.
 func pos(y yyLexer, dollar yySymType) {