diff --git a/tconfpy.py b/tconfpy.py
index b954372..eba3679 100755
--- a/tconfpy.py
+++ b/tconfpy.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # Program Information
 
 PROGNAME = "tconfpy"
-RCSID = "$Id: tconfpy.py,v 1.137 2004/03/24 22:32:53 tundra Exp $"
+RCSID = "$Id: tconfpy.py,v 1.138 2004/03/24 23:11:42 tundra Exp $"
 VERSION = RCSID.split()[2]
 
 # Copyright Information
@@ -427,6 +427,19 @@
 
         sym = var[1:-1]   # Strip delimiters
 
+        # By default, all variable names assumed to be relative to
+        # current namespace context unless escaped with NSSEP
+        
+        # Look for an escape
+        
+        if sym and sym[0] == NSSEP:
+            sym = sym[1:]
+
+        # Prepend the current namespace for all but the top level
+
+        elif SymTable[NAMESPACE].Value:
+            sym = "%s%s%s" % (SymTable[NAMESPACE].Value, NSSEP, sym)
+
         # Handle environment variables
         if sym and sym[0] == ENVIRO and sym[1:] in os.environ:
             line = line.replace(var, os.getenv(sym[1:]))
@@ -800,6 +813,7 @@
                     # the current namespace
 
                     # Handle absolute variable references
+
                     if l.startswith(NSSEP):
                         l = l[1:]