diff --git a/expand.go b/expand.go
index eb06dc5..494da80 100644
--- a/expand.go
+++ b/expand.go
@@ -10,18 +10,24 @@ import (
 
 
 // Expand a word. This includes substituting variables and handling quotes.
-func expand(input string, vars map[string][]string, expandBackticks bool) string {
-	expanded := make([]byte, 0)
+func expand(input string, vars map[string][]string, expandBackticks bool) []string {
+    parts := make([]string, 0)
+    expanded := ""
 	var i, j int
 	for i = 0; i < len(input); {
 		j = i + strings.IndexAny(input[i:], "\"'`$\\")
 
 		if j < 0 {
-			expanded = append(expanded, input[i:]...)
+            expanded += input[i:]
 			break
 		}
 
-		expanded = append(expanded, input[i:j]...)
+        println("-------------------")
+        println(len(input))
+        println(i)
+        println(j)
+
+        expanded += input[i:j]
 		c, w := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(input[j:])
 		i = j + w
 
@@ -30,12 +36,15 @@ func expand(input string, vars map[string][]string, expandBackticks bool) string
 		switch c {
 		case '\\':
 			out, off = expandEscape(input[i:])
+            expanded += out
 
 		case '"':
 			out, off = expandDoubleQuoted(input[i:], vars, expandBackticks)
+            expanded += out
 
 		case '\'':
 			out, off = expandSingleQuoted(input[i:])
+            expanded += out
 
 		case '`':
             if expandBackticks {
@@ -44,16 +53,26 @@ func expand(input string, vars map[string][]string, expandBackticks bool) string
                 out = input
                 off = len(input)
             }
+            expanded += out
 
 		case '$':
-            out, off = expandSigil(input[i:], vars)
+            var outparts []string
+            outparts, off = expandSigil(input[i:], vars)
+            if len(outparts) > 0 {
+                outparts[0] = expanded + outparts[0]
+                expanded = outparts[len(outparts)-1]
+                parts = append(parts, outparts[:len(outparts)-1]...)
+            }
 		}
 
-		expanded = append(expanded, out...)
 		i += off
 	}
 
-	return string(expanded)
+    if len(expanded) > 0 {
+        parts = append(parts, expanded)
+    }
+
+	return parts
 }
 
 // Expand following a '\\'
@@ -79,7 +98,7 @@ func expandDoubleQuoted(input string, vars map[string][]string, expandBackticks
 		j += w
 
 		if c == '"' {
-			return expand(input[:j], vars, expandBackticks), (j + w)
+			return strings.Join(expand(input[:j], vars, expandBackticks), " "), (j + w)
 		}
 
 		if c == '\\' {
@@ -106,21 +125,21 @@ func expandSingleQuoted(input string) (string, int) {
 }
 
 // Expand something starting with at '$'.
-func expandSigil(input string, vars map[string][]string) (string, int) {
+func expandSigil(input string, vars map[string][]string) ([]string, int) {
     c, w := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(input)
     var offset int
     var varname string
     if c == '{' {
         j := strings.IndexRune(input[w:], '}')
         if j < 0 {
-            return input, len(input)
+            return []string{"$" + input}, len(input)
         }
 
         varname = input[w:j]
         offset = j + 1
     } else {
         // try to match a variable name
-        i := w
+        i := 0
         j := i
         for j < len(input) {
             c, w = utf8.DecodeRuneInString(input)
@@ -132,38 +151,48 @@ func expandSigil(input string, vars map[string][]string) (string, int) {
 
         if j > i {
             varname = input[i:j]
+            offset = j
         } else {
-            return input, len(input)
+            return []string{"$" + input}, len(input)
         }
     }
 
     if isValidVarName(varname) {
         varvals, ok := vars[varname]
         if ok {
-            return strings.Join(varvals, " "), offset
+            return varvals, offset
         }
     }
 
-    return input, len(input)
+    return []string{"$" + input}, len(input)
 }
 
 
 // Find and expand all sigils.
-func expandSigils(input string, vars map[string][]string) string {
-    expanded := make([]byte, 0)
+func expandSigils(input string, vars map[string][]string) []string {
+    parts := make([]string, 0)
+    expanded := ""
     for i := 0; i < len(input); {
         j := strings.IndexRune(input[i:], '$')
         if j < 0 {
-            expanded = append(expanded, input[i:]...)
+            expanded += input[i:]
             break
         }
 
         ex, k := expandSigil(input[j+1:], vars)
-        expanded = append(expanded, ex...)
+        if len(ex) > 0 {
+            ex[0] = expanded + ex[0]
+            expanded = ex[len(ex)-1]
+            parts = append(parts, ex[:len(ex)-1]...)
+        }
         i = k
     }
 
-    return string(expanded)
+    if len(expanded) > 0 {
+        parts = append(parts, expanded)
+    }
+
+    return parts
 }
 
 
@@ -212,3 +241,39 @@ func expandBackQuoted(input string, vars map[string][]string) (string, int) {
 }
 
 
+// Split a string on whitespace taking into account escaping and quoting.
+//func splitQuoted(input string) []string {
+    //parts := make([]string, 0)
+    //var i, j int
+    //i = 0
+    //for {
+        //// skip all unescaped whitespace
+        //for i < len(input) {
+            //c, w := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(input[i:])
+            //if strings.IndexRune(" \t", c) < 0 {
+                //break
+            //}
+            //i += w
+        //}
+
+        //if i >= len(input) {
+            //break
+        //}
+
+        //// Ugh. Will this take into account quoting in variables?
+
+        //switch c {
+        //case '"':
+        //case '\'':
+        //default:
+
+        //}
+    //}
+
+    //return parts
+//}
+
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/parse.go b/parse.go
index 16f336d..6c950b5 100644
--- a/parse.go
+++ b/parse.go
@@ -269,9 +269,10 @@ func parseRecipe(p *parser, t token) parserStateFun {
 
 	// rule has attributes
 	if j < len(p.tokenbuf) {
-		attribs := make([]string, j-i-1)
+		attribs := make([]string, 0)
 		for k := i + 1; k < j; k++ {
-			attribs[k-i-1] = expand(p.tokenbuf[k].val, p.rules.vars, true)
+            exparts := expand(p.tokenbuf[k].val, p.rules.vars, true)
+            attribs = append(attribs, exparts...)
 		}
 		err := r.parseAttribs(attribs)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -287,46 +288,50 @@ func parseRecipe(p *parser, t token) parserStateFun {
 	}
 
 	// targets
-	r.targets = make([]pattern, i)
+	r.targets = make([]pattern, 0)
 	for k := 0; k < i; k++ {
-        targetstr := expand(p.tokenbuf[k].val, p.rules.vars, true)
-        r.targets[k].spat = targetstr
+        exparts := expand(p.tokenbuf[k].val, p.rules.vars, true)
+        for i := range exparts {
+            targetstr := exparts[i]
+            r.targets = append(r.targets, pattern{spat: targetstr})
 
-        if r.attributes.regex {
-            rpat, err := regexp.Compile(targetstr)
-            if err != nil {
-                msg := fmt.Sprintf("invalid regular expression: %q", err)
-                p.basicErrorAtToken(msg, p.tokenbuf[k])
-            }
-            r.targets[k].rpat = rpat
-        } else {
-            idx := strings.IndexRune(targetstr, '%')
-            if idx >= 0 {
-                var left, right string
-                if idx > 0 {
-                    left = regexp.QuoteMeta(targetstr[:idx])
-                }
-                if idx < len(targetstr) - 1 {
-                    right = regexp.QuoteMeta(targetstr[idx+1:])
-                }
-
-                patstr := fmt.Sprintf("^%s(.*)%s$", left, right)
-                rpat, err := regexp.Compile(patstr)
+            if r.attributes.regex {
+                rpat, err := regexp.Compile(targetstr)
                 if err != nil {
-                    msg := fmt.Sprintf("error compiling suffix rule. This is a bug.", err)
+                    msg := fmt.Sprintf("invalid regular expression: %q", err)
                     p.basicErrorAtToken(msg, p.tokenbuf[k])
                 }
-                r.targets[k].rpat = rpat
-                r.targets[k].issuffix = true
-                r.ismeta = true
+                r.targets[len(r.targets)-1].rpat = rpat
+            } else {
+                idx := strings.IndexRune(targetstr, '%')
+                if idx >= 0 {
+                    var left, right string
+                    if idx > 0 {
+                        left = regexp.QuoteMeta(targetstr[:idx])
+                    }
+                    if idx < len(targetstr) - 1 {
+                        right = regexp.QuoteMeta(targetstr[idx+1:])
+                    }
+
+                    patstr := fmt.Sprintf("^%s(.*)%s$", left, right)
+                    rpat, err := regexp.Compile(patstr)
+                    if err != nil {
+                        msg := fmt.Sprintf("error compiling suffix rule. This is a bug.", err)
+                        p.basicErrorAtToken(msg, p.tokenbuf[k])
+                    }
+                    r.targets[len(r.targets)-1].rpat = rpat
+                    r.targets[len(r.targets)-1].issuffix = true
+                    r.ismeta = true
+                }
             }
         }
 	}
 
 	// prereqs
-	r.prereqs = make([]string, len(p.tokenbuf)-j-1)
+	r.prereqs = make([]string, 0)
 	for k := j + 1; k < len(p.tokenbuf); k++ {
-        r.prereqs[k-j-1] = expand(p.tokenbuf[k].val, p.rules.vars, true)
+        exparts := expand(p.tokenbuf[k].val, p.rules.vars, true)
+        r.prereqs = append(r.prereqs, exparts...)
 	}
 
 	if t.typ == tokenRecipe {
diff --git a/ruleset.go b/ruleset.go
index 562cb98..b781d0d 100644
--- a/ruleset.go
+++ b/ruleset.go
@@ -173,12 +173,14 @@ func (rs *ruleSet) executeAssignment(ts []token) *assignmentError {
 			ts[0]}
 	}
 
+
 	// expanded variables
-	vals := make([]string, len(ts)-1)
-	for i := 0; i < len(vals); i++ {
-		vals[i] = expand(ts[i+1].val, rs.vars, true)
+	vals := make([]string, 0)
+	for i := 1; i < len(ts); i++ {
+        vals = append(vals, expand(ts[i].val, rs.vars, true)...)
 	}
 
+
 	rs.vars[assignee] = vals
 	return nil
 }