diff --git a/lib/ejs.js b/lib/ejs.js
index ca304a13..863f1649 100644
--- a/lib/ejs.js
+++ b/lib/ejs.js
@@ -95,6 +95,27 @@ function rethrow(err, str, filename, lineno){
   throw err;
 }
 
+/**
+ * parse an object notation string to object entities to retrieve value
+ * Example:
+ * var options = { group : [{ name: "The Marx Brothers", members : [{name: "Chico"}, {name : "Harpo"} , {name : "Groucho"}, {name : "Zeppo"}] }] }
+ * parseObjectNotationString('group[0].members[2]["name"]', options)
+ * Output:
+ * Groucho
+ *
+ * @param {String} str
+ * @param {Object} context
+ * @api private
+ */
+function parseObjectNotationString(str, context){
+    var parts = str.match(/\w+/g), i, ref = context, undef;
+    for (i=0; i<parts.length; i++){
+        if (typeof ref[parts[i]] == 'undefined') return undef;
+        ref = ref[parts[i]];
+    }
+    return ref;
+}
+
 /**
  * Parse the given `str` of ejs, returning the function body.
  *
@@ -158,16 +179,24 @@ var parse = exports.parse = function(str, options){
 
       if (0 == js.trim().indexOf('include')) {
         var name = js.trim().slice(7).trim();
+        var value = parseObjectNotationString(name, options);
+        if (typeof value != 'undefined') name = value;
         if (!filename) throw new Error('filename option is required for includes');
         var path = resolveInclude(name, filename);
         include = read(path, 'utf8');
-        include = exports.parse(include, { filename: path, _with: false, open: open, close: close, compileDebug: compileDebug });
+        var newOptions = { filename: path, _with: false, open: open, close: close, compileDebug: compileDebug };
+        var hop = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;
+        for (var key in options){
+            if (hop.call(options, key) && !hop.call(newOptions, key))
+                newOptions[key] = options[key];
+        }
+        include = exports.parse(include, newOptions);
         buf += "' + (function(){" + include + "})() + '";
         js = '';
       }
 
       while (~(n = js.indexOf("\n", n))) n++, lineno++;
-      
+
       switch(js.substr(0, 1)) {
         case ':':
           js = filtered(js);
@@ -179,7 +208,7 @@ var parse = exports.parse = function(str, options){
           js = "";
           break;
       }
-      
+
       if (js) {
         if (js.lastIndexOf('//') > js.lastIndexOf('\n')) js += '\n';
         buf += prefix;