diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/core.go b/lang/funcs/core/core.go
index d962f616..5bda7995 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/core/core.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/core.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	// import so the funcs register
 	_ "github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/lang/funcs/core/datetime"
 	_ "github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/lang/funcs/core/example"
+	_ "github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/lang/funcs/core/example/nested"
 	_ "github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/lang/funcs/core/fmt"
 	_ "github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/lang/funcs/core/math"
 	_ "github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/lang/funcs/core/os"
diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/example/nested/hello_func.go b/lang/funcs/core/example/nested/hello_func.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d097f5c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/example/nested/hello_func.go
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// Mgmt
+// Copyright (C) 2013-2019+ James Shubin and the project contributors
+// Written by James Shubin <james@shubin.ca> and the project contributors
+//
+// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+package corenested
+
+import (
+	coreexample "github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/lang/funcs/core/example"
+	"github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/lang/funcs/simple"
+	"github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/lang/types"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	simple.ModuleRegister(coreexample.ModuleName+"/"+ModuleName, "hello", &types.FuncValue{
+		T: types.NewType("func() str"),
+		V: Hello,
+	})
+}
+
+// Hello returns some string. This is just to test nesting.
+func Hello(input []types.Value) (types.Value, error) {
+	return &types.StrValue{
+		V: "Hello!",
+	}, nil
+}
diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/example/nested/nested.go b/lang/funcs/core/example/nested/nested.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3611a5d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/example/nested/nested.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// Mgmt
+// Copyright (C) 2013-2019+ James Shubin and the project contributors
+// Written by James Shubin <james@shubin.ca> and the project contributors
+//
+// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+package corenested
+
+const (
+	// ModuleName is the prefix given to all the functions in this module.
+	ModuleName = "nested"
+)
diff --git a/lang/funcs/core/template_func.go b/lang/funcs/core/template_func.go
index 09c3d0e5..9c40fc85 100644
--- a/lang/funcs/core/template_func.go
+++ b/lang/funcs/core/template_func.go
@@ -333,6 +333,7 @@ func safename(name string) string {
 	// TODO: should we pick a different replacement char?
 	char := funcs.ReplaceChar // can't be any of: .-#
 	result := strings.Replace(name, funcs.ModuleSep, char, -1)
+	result = strings.Replace(result, "/", char, -1) // nested imports
 	if result == name {
 		// No change, so add a prefix for package-less functions... This
 		// prevents conflicts from sys.func1 -> sys_func1 which would be
diff --git a/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import0.output b/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import0.output
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8cc700c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import0.output
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Vertex: test[Hello!]
diff --git a/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import0/main.mcl b/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import0/main.mcl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8d414dee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import0/main.mcl
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import "example/nested"
+
+$x = nested.hello()
+
+test $x {}
diff --git a/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import1.output b/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import1.output
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8cc700c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import1.output
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Vertex: test[Hello!]
diff --git a/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import1/main.mcl b/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import1/main.mcl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..48ca5190
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/interpret_test/TestAstFunc2/nested-import1/main.mcl
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import "example/nested" as foo
+
+$x = foo.hello()
+
+test $x {}
diff --git a/lang/structs.go b/lang/structs.go
index 38b2f0b5..4f59dfd2 100644
--- a/lang/structs.go
+++ b/lang/structs.go
@@ -2072,9 +2072,9 @@ func (obj *StmtProg) importScope(info *interfaces.ImportData, scope *interfaces.
 	// but recursive imports mean this is not always the active file...
 
 	if info.IsSystem { // system imports are the exact name, eg "fmt"
-		systemScope, err := obj.importSystemScope(info.Alias)
+		systemScope, err := obj.importSystemScope(info.Name)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, errwrap.Wrapf(err, "system import of `%s` failed", info.Alias)
+			return nil, errwrap.Wrapf(err, "system import of `%s` failed", info.Name)
 		}
 		return systemScope, nil
 	}