diff --git a/src/op.cc b/src/op.cc
index c8e099e7..56d3710e 100644
--- a/src/op.cc
+++ b/src/op.cc
@@ -262,13 +262,18 @@ value_t expr_t::op_t::calc(scope_t& scope, ptr_op_t * locus, const int depth)
 
   case O_CALL: {
     ptr_op_t func = left();
-    const string& name(func->as_ident());
+    string   name;
 
-    func = func->left();
-    if (! func)
-      func = scope.lookup(symbol_t::FUNCTION, name);
-    if (! func)
-      throw_(calc_error, _("Calling unknown function '%1'") << name);
+    if (func->is_ident()) {
+      name = func->as_ident();
+      func = func->left();
+      if (! func)
+        func = scope.lookup(symbol_t::FUNCTION, name);
+      if (! func)
+        throw_(calc_error, _("Calling unknown function '%1'") << name);
+    } else {
+      name = "<lambda>";
+    }
 
     call_scope_t call_args(scope, locus, depth + 1);
     if (has_right())
diff --git a/src/parser.cc b/src/parser.cc
index 2c9069d7..b3f50e41 100644
--- a/src/parser.cc
+++ b/src/parser.cc
@@ -54,20 +54,6 @@ expr_t::parser_t::parse_value_term(std::istream&        in,
 
     node = new op_t(op_t::IDENT);
     node->set_ident(ident);
-
-    // An identifier followed by ( represents a function call
-    tok = next_token(in, tflags.plus_flags(PARSE_OP_CONTEXT));
-    if (tok.kind == token_t::LPAREN) {
-      op_t::kind_t kind = op_t::O_CALL;
-      ptr_op_t call_node(new op_t(kind));
-      call_node->set_left(node);
-      node = call_node;
-
-      push_token(tok);          // let the parser see it again
-      node->set_right(parse_value_expr(in, tflags.plus_flags(PARSE_SINGLE)));
-    } else {
-      push_token(tok);
-    }
     break;
   }
 
@@ -85,11 +71,40 @@ expr_t::parser_t::parse_value_term(std::istream&        in,
   return node;
 }
 
+
+expr_t::ptr_op_t
+expr_t::parser_t::parse_call_expr(std::istream& in,
+                                 const parse_flags_t& tflags) const
+{
+  ptr_op_t node(parse_value_term(in, tflags));
+
+  if (node && ! tflags.has_flags(PARSE_SINGLE)) {
+    while (true) {
+      token_t& tok = next_token(in, tflags.plus_flags(PARSE_OP_CONTEXT));
+      if (tok.kind == token_t::LPAREN) {
+        ptr_op_t prev(node);
+        node = new op_t(op_t::O_CALL);
+        node->set_left(prev);
+        push_token(tok);        // let the parser see the '(' again
+        node->set_right(parse_value_expr(in, tflags.plus_flags(PARSE_SINGLE)));
+        if (! node->right())
+          throw_(parse_error,
+                 _("%1 operator not followed by argument") << tok.symbol);
+      } else {
+        push_token(tok);
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return node;
+}
+
 expr_t::ptr_op_t
 expr_t::parser_t::parse_dot_expr(std::istream& in,
                                  const parse_flags_t& tflags) const
 {
-  ptr_op_t node(parse_value_term(in, tflags));
+  ptr_op_t node(parse_call_expr(in, tflags));
 
   if (node && ! tflags.has_flags(PARSE_SINGLE)) {
     while (true) {
@@ -98,7 +113,7 @@ expr_t::parser_t::parse_dot_expr(std::istream& in,
         ptr_op_t prev(node);
         node = new op_t(op_t::O_LOOKUP);
         node->set_left(prev);
-        node->set_right(parse_value_term(in, tflags));
+        node->set_right(parse_call_expr(in, tflags));
         if (! node->right())
           throw_(parse_error,
                  _("%1 operator not followed by argument") << tok.symbol);
diff --git a/src/parser.h b/src/parser.h
index 75fd9a41..db16a919 100644
--- a/src/parser.h
+++ b/src/parser.h
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ class expr_t::parser_t : public noncopyable
 
   ptr_op_t parse_value_term(std::istream& in,
                             const parse_flags_t& flags) const;
+  ptr_op_t parse_call_expr(std::istream& in,
+                           const parse_flags_t& flags) const;
   ptr_op_t parse_dot_expr(std::istream& in,
                           const parse_flags_t& flags) const;
   ptr_op_t parse_unary_expr(std::istream& in,