diff --git a/docs/config/config-dotfiles.md b/docs/config/config-dotfiles.md
index 82c801b..e591628 100644
--- a/docs/config/config-dotfiles.md
+++ b/docs/config/config-dotfiles.md
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ executed when the dotfile is installed (that is, when
 the version present in dotdrop differs from the one
 in the filesystem).
 
-For example, let's consider
-[Vundle](https://github.com/VundleVim/Vundle.vim), used
+For example, let's consider Vundle, used
 to manage Vim's plugins.  The following action could
 be set to update and install the plugins when `vimrc` is
 deployed:
diff --git a/docs/howto/test-latest-dotdrop.md b/docs/howto/test-latest-dotdrop.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..abe4cfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/howto/test-latest-dotdrop.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# Test latest dotdrop
+
+If you installed dotdrop from a package but want to test
+you current setup with the latest version from git
+(or from a specific branch), you can do the following
+
+```bash
+$ cd /tmp/
+$ git clone https://github.com/deadc0de6/dotdrop.git
+$ cd dotdrop
+## switch to a specific branch if needed
+$ git checkout <branch-name>
+$ ./dotdrop.sh --cfg <path-to-your-config-file.yaml>
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dotdrop/cfg_aggregator.py b/dotdrop/cfg_aggregator.py
index fa18a44..c1a79c4 100644
--- a/dotdrop/cfg_aggregator.py
+++ b/dotdrop/cfg_aggregator.py
@@ -274,37 +274,48 @@ class CfgAggregator:
                                reloading=reloading,
                                debug=self.debug)
 
+        self.log.dbg('parsing cfgyaml into cfg_aggregator')
+
         # settings
+        self.log.dbg('parsing settings')
         self.settings = Settings.parse(None, self.cfgyaml.settings)
         self.key_prefix = self.settings.key_prefix
         self.key_separator = self.settings.key_separator
 
         # dotfiles
+        self.log.dbg('parsing dotfiles')
         self.dotfiles = Dotfile.parse_dict(self.cfgyaml.dotfiles)
         debug_list('dotfiles', self.dotfiles, self.debug)
 
         # profiles
+        self.log.dbg('parsing profiles')
         self.profiles = Profile.parse_dict(self.cfgyaml.profiles)
         debug_list('profiles', self.profiles, self.debug)
 
         # actions
+        self.log.dbg('parsing actions')
         self.actions = Action.parse_dict(self.cfgyaml.actions)
         debug_list('actions', self.actions, self.debug)
 
         # trans_r
+        self.log.dbg('parsing trans_r')
         self.trans_r = Transform.parse_dict(self.cfgyaml.trans_r)
         debug_list('trans_r', self.trans_r, self.debug)
 
         # trans_w
+        self.log.dbg('parsing trans_w')
         self.trans_w = Transform.parse_dict(self.cfgyaml.trans_w)
         debug_list('trans_w', self.trans_w, self.debug)
 
         # variables
+        self.log.dbg('parsing variables')
         self.variables = self.cfgyaml.variables
         debug_dict('variables', self.variables, self.debug)
 
+        self.log.dbg('enrich variables')
         self._enrich_variables()
 
+        self.log.dbg('patch keys...')
         # patch dotfiles in profiles
         self._patch_keys_to_objs(self.profiles,
                                  "dotfiles", self.get_dotfile)
@@ -333,6 +344,8 @@ class CfgAggregator:
                                  self._get_trans_w_args(self.get_trans_w),
                                  islist=False)
 
+        self.log.dbg('done parsing cfgyaml into cfg_aggregator')
+
     def _enrich_variables(self):
         """
         enrich available variables
diff --git a/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py b/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
index 8c57964..ade9add 100644
--- a/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
+++ b/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ class CfgYaml:
         # process imported variables (import_variables)
         newvars = self._import_variables()
         self._clear_profile_vars(newvars)
-        self._add_variables(newvars)
+        self._add_variables(newvars, prio=True)
 
         # process imported actions (import_actions)
         self._import_actions()
@@ -1042,7 +1042,7 @@ class CfgYaml:
             if dvar.keys():
                 self._shell_exec_dvars(merged, keys=dvar.keys())
             self._clear_profile_vars(merged)
-            newvars = self._merge_dict(newvars, merged)
+            newvars = self._merge_dict(merged, newvars)
         if self._debug:
             self._debug_dict('imported variables', newvars)
         return newvars
diff --git a/dotdrop/options.py b/dotdrop/options.py
index 76cd7ee..2ea8231 100644
--- a/dotdrop/options.py
+++ b/dotdrop/options.py
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ class Options(AttrMonitor):
         # selected profile
         self.profile = self.args['--profile']
         self.confpath = self._get_config_path()
+        self.confpath = os.path.abspath(self.confpath)
+        self.log.dbg(f'config abs path: {self.confpath}')
         if not self.confpath:
             raise YamlException('no config file found')
         if not os.path.exists(self.confpath):
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
index dd0e657..8b82519 100644
--- a/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ nav:
     - 'Prompt user for variables': 'howto/prompt-user-for-variables.md'
     - 'Share content across dotfiles': 'howto/sharing-content.md'
     - 'Symlink dotfiles': 'howto/symlink-dotfiles.md'
+    - 'Test latest dotdrop': 'howto/test-latest-dotdrop.md'
     - '': ''
     - '': ''
 markdown_extensions:
diff --git a/tests-ng/import-variables.sh b/tests-ng/import-variables.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..bd5f91c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ng/import-variables.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# author: deadc0de6 (https://github.com/deadc0de6)
+# Copyright (c) 2023, deadc0de6
+#
+# test import_variables
+# returns 1 in case of error
+# see issue 380
+#
+
+# exit on first error
+set -e
+
+# all this crap to get current path
+rl="readlink -f"
+if ! ${rl} "${0}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  rl="realpath"
+
+  if ! hash ${rl}; then
+    echo "\"${rl}\" not found !" && exit 1
+  fi
+fi
+cur=$(dirname "$(${rl} "${0}")")
+
+#hash dotdrop >/dev/null 2>&1
+#[ "$?" != "0" ] && echo "install dotdrop to run tests" && exit 1
+
+#echo "called with ${1}"
+
+# dotdrop path can be pass as argument
+ddpath="${cur}/../"
+[ "${1}" != "" ] && ddpath="${1}"
+[ ! -d "${ddpath}" ] && echo "ddpath \"${ddpath}\" is not a directory" && exit 1
+
+export PYTHONPATH="${ddpath}:${PYTHONPATH}"
+bin="python3 -m dotdrop.dotdrop"
+if hash coverage 2>/dev/null; then
+  bin="coverage run -p --source=dotdrop -m dotdrop.dotdrop"
+fi
+
+echo "dotdrop path: ${ddpath}"
+echo "pythonpath: ${PYTHONPATH}"
+
+# get the helpers
+# shellcheck source=tests-ng/helpers
+source "${cur}"/helpers
+
+echo -e "$(tput setaf 6)==> RUNNING $(basename "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}") <==$(tput sgr0)"
+
+################################################################
+# this is the test
+################################################################
+
+# the dotfile source
+tmps=$(mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d)
+mkdir -p "${tmps}"/dotfiles
+# the dotfile destination
+tmpd=$(mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d)
+
+clear_on_exit "${tmps}"
+clear_on_exit "${tmpd}"
+
+# create the config file
+cfg="${tmps}/config.yaml"
+cfgvar1="${tmps}/var1.yaml"
+cfgvar2="${tmps}/var2.yaml"
+
+cat << _EOF > "${tmps}/dotfiles/abc"
+var1: {{@@ var1 @@}}
+var2: {{@@ var2 @@}}
+var3: {{@@ var3 @@}}
+var4: {{@@ var4 @@}}
+var5: {{@@ var5 @@}}
+var6: {{@@ var6 @@}}
+_EOF
+
+cat > "${cfg}" << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+  import_variables:
+  - ${cfgvar1}
+  - ${cfgvar2}
+variables:
+  var1: "this is var1 from main config"
+  var2: "this is var2 from main config"
+  var3: "this is var3 from main config"
+dotfiles:
+  f_abc:
+    dst: ${tmpd}/abc
+    src: 'abc'
+profiles:
+  p1:
+    dotfiles:
+    - f_abc
+_EOF
+echo "main config: ${cfg}"
+cat "${cfg}"
+
+cat << _EOF > "${cfgvar1}"
+variables:
+  var2: "this is var2 from sub1"
+  var3: "this is var3 from sub1"
+  var4: "this is var4 from sub1"
+  var5: "this is var5 from sub1"
+_EOF
+echo "cfgvar1: ${cfgvar1}"
+cat "${cfgvar1}"
+
+cat << _EOF > "${cfgvar2}"
+variables:
+  var3: "this is var3 from sub2"
+  var4: "this is var4 from sub2"
+  var6: "this is var6 from sub2"
+_EOF
+echo "cfgvar2: ${cfgvar2}"
+cat "${cfgvar2}"
+
+# install
+cd "${ddpath}" | ${bin} install -f -c "${cfg}" -p p1 --verbose
+
+# test file existence
+[ -f "${tmpd}/abc" ] || {
+    echo 'Dotfile not installed'
+    exit 1
+}
+
+# test file content
+cat "${tmpd}"/abc
+echo "----------------------"
+grep '^var1: this is var1 from main config$' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+echo "var1 ok"
+grep '^var2: this is var2 from sub1$' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+echo "var2 ok"
+grep '^var3: this is var3 from sub2$' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+echo "var3 ok"
+grep '^var4: this is var4 from sub2$' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+echo "var4 ok"
+grep '^var5: this is var5 from sub1$' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+echo "var5 ok"
+grep '^var6: this is var6 from sub2$' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+echo "var6 ok"
+
+echo "OK"
+exit 0
diff --git a/tests-requirements.txt b/tests-requirements.txt
index 36e4545..d496cec 100644
--- a/tests-requirements.txt
+++ b/tests-requirements.txt
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ coveralls; python_version > '3.5'
 pyflakes; python_version > '3.5'
 pylint; python_version > '3.5'
 halo; python_version > '3.5'
-distro; python_version > '3.5'
\ No newline at end of file
+distro; python_version > '3.5'
+urllib3; python_version > '3.5'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests.sh b/tests.sh
index d2c2866..d01d542 100755
--- a/tests.sh
+++ b/tests.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ if [ "${dotdrop_version}" != "${man_version}" ]; then
   echo "ERROR version.py (${dotdrop_version}) and manpage (${man_version}) differ!"
   exit 1
 fi
-echo "current version ${dotdrop_version}"
+echo "current dotdrop version ${dotdrop_version}"
+
+echo "=> python version:"
+python3 --version
 
 # test syntax
 echo "checking syntax..."