diff --git a/integration_tests/tuple_test.ucg b/integration_tests/tuple_test.ucg
index 48f2c23..953e9a1 100644
--- a/integration_tests/tuple_test.ucg
+++ b/integration_tests/tuple_test.ucg
@@ -85,4 +85,36 @@ let copy_maybe = base_maybe{
 
 assert |
     copy_maybe.real == NULL;
-|;
\ No newline at end of file
+|;
+
+let quotedself_tpl = {
+    "self" = "myself",
+};
+
+assert |
+    quotedself_tpl."self" == "myself";
+|;
+
+let quotedenv_tpl = {
+    "env" = "myenv",
+};
+
+assert |
+    quotedenv_tpl."env" == "myenv";
+|;
+
+let unquotedenv_tpl = {
+    env = "myenv",
+};
+
+assert |
+    unquotedenv_tpl."env" == "myenv";
+|;
+
+let unquotedself_tpl = {
+    self = "myself",
+};
+
+assert |
+    unquotedself_tpl."self" == "myself";
+|;
diff --git a/src/build/mod.rs b/src/build/mod.rs
index 229410c..f02b3af 100644
--- a/src/build/mod.rs
+++ b/src/build/mod.rs
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ impl<'a> FileBuilder<'a> {
             &Value::Str(ref s) => Ok(Rc::new(Val::Str(s.val.to_string()))),
             &Value::Symbol(ref s) => {
                 scope
-                    .lookup_sym(&(s.into()))
+                    .lookup_sym(&(s.into()), true)
                     .ok_or(Box::new(error::BuildError::new(
                         format!("Unable to find binding {}", s.val,),
                         error::ErrorType::NoSuchSymbol,
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ impl<'a> FileBuilder<'a> {
             pos: Position::new(0, 0, 0),
             val: name.to_string(),
         };
-        self.scope.lookup_sym(&key)
+        self.scope.lookup_sym(&key, true)
     }
 
     /// Puts the builder in validation mode.
@@ -741,14 +741,27 @@ impl<'a> FileBuilder<'a> {
         right: &Expression,
         scope: &Scope,
     ) -> Result<Rc<Val>, Box<dyn Error>> {
+        let pos = right.pos().clone();
         match right {
             Expression::Copy(_) => return self.eval_expr(right, scope),
             Expression::Call(_) => return self.eval_expr(right, scope),
             Expression::Simple(Value::Symbol(ref s)) => {
-                self.eval_value(&Value::Symbol(s.clone()), scope)
+                scope
+                    .lookup_sym(s, true)
+                    .ok_or(Box::new(error::BuildError::new(
+                        format!("Unable to find binding {}", s.val,),
+                        error::ErrorType::NoSuchSymbol,
+                        pos,
+                    )))
             }
             Expression::Simple(Value::Str(ref s)) => {
-                self.eval_value(&Value::Symbol(s.clone()), scope)
+                scope
+                    .lookup_sym(s, false)
+                    .ok_or(Box::new(error::BuildError::new(
+                        format!("Unable to find binding {}", s.val,),
+                        error::ErrorType::NoSuchSymbol,
+                        pos,
+                    )))
             }
             Expression::Simple(Value::Int(ref i)) => {
                 scope.lookup_idx(right.pos(), &Val::Int(i.val))
diff --git a/src/build/scope.rs b/src/build/scope.rs
index a407f08..be0ba6f 100644
--- a/src/build/scope.rs
+++ b/src/build/scope.rs
@@ -119,11 +119,11 @@ impl Scope {
     ///    valid when the current value is a tuple.
     /// * everything else is looked up in the currently accumulated build output
     ///   for this execution context.
-    pub fn lookup_sym(&self, sym: &PositionedItem<String>) -> Option<Rc<Val>> {
-        if &sym.val == "env" {
+    pub fn lookup_sym(&self, sym: &PositionedItem<String>, is_symbol: bool) -> Option<Rc<Val>> {
+        if &sym.val == "env" && is_symbol {
             return Some(self.env.clone());
         }
-        if &sym.val == "self" {
+        if &sym.val == "self" && is_symbol {
             return self.curr_val.clone();
         }
         if self.build_output.contains_key(sym) {