diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b66a784..7995689 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -547,16 +547,21 @@ the following entries:
     - ...
 ```
 
-* **actions** entry: a list of action
+* **actions** entry: a list of action (see [Use actions](#use-actions))
 ```
   <action-key>: <command-to-execute>
 ```
 
-* **trans** entry: a list of transformations
+* **trans** entry: a list of transformations (see [Use transformations](#use-transformations))
 ```
   <trans-key>: <command-to-execute>
 ```
 
+* **variables** entry: a list of template variables
+```
+  <variable-name>: <variable-content>
+```
+
 ## All dotfiles for a profile
 
 To use all defined dotfiles for a profile, simply use
@@ -621,6 +626,21 @@ Note that dotdrop uses different delimiters than
 * `{{@@ env['MY_VAR'] @@}}` contains environment variables (see [Environment variables](#environment-variables)).
 * `{{@@ header @@}}` insert dotdrop header (see [Dotdrop header](#dotdrop-header)).
 
+Addionally to the above, variables can be added in the config yaml file under
+the `variables` entry. The variables added there are directly reachable in
+any templates.
+
+For example in the config file:
+```yaml
+variables:
+  var1: some variable content
+```
+
+Those can then be used in any template with
+```
+{{@@ var1 @@}}
+```
+
 ## Dotdrop header
 
 Dotdrop is able to insert a header in the generated dotfiles. This allows
diff --git a/dotdrop/config.py b/dotdrop/config.py
index 57acabe..6ab8870 100644
--- a/dotdrop/config.py
+++ b/dotdrop/config.py
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ class Cfg:
     # transformations keys
     key_trans = 'trans'
 
+    # template variables
+    key_variables = 'variables'
+
     # dotfiles keys
     key_dotfiles = 'dotfiles'
     key_dotfiles_src = 'src'
@@ -479,6 +482,11 @@ class Cfg:
         """return all defined settings"""
         return self.lnk_settings.copy()
 
+    def get_variables(self):
+        if self.key_variables in self.content:
+            return self.content[self.key_variables]
+        return {}
+
     def dump(self):
         """return a dump of the config"""
         # temporary reset dotpath
diff --git a/dotdrop/dotdrop.py b/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
index a5ff0ed..bbadd09 100644
--- a/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
+++ b/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ def install(opts, conf):
         msg = 'no dotfiles defined for this profile (\"{}\")'
         LOG.err(msg.format(opts['profile']))
         return False
-    t = Templategen(base=opts['dotpath'], debug=opts['debug'])
+    t = Templategen(base=opts['dotpath'], variables=opts['variables'],
+                    debug=opts['debug'])
     inst = Installer(create=opts['create'], backup=opts['backup'],
                      dry=opts['dry'], safe=opts['safe'], base=opts['dotpath'],
                      diff=opts['installdiff'], debug=opts['debug'])
@@ -184,7 +185,8 @@ def compare(opts, conf, tmp, focus=None, ignore=[]):
     if len(selected) < 1:
         return False
 
-    t = Templategen(base=opts['dotpath'], debug=opts['debug'])
+    t = Templategen(base=opts['dotpath'], variables=opts['variables'],
+                    debug=opts['debug'])
     inst = Installer(create=opts['create'], backup=opts['backup'],
                      dry=opts['dry'], base=opts['dotpath'],
                      debug=opts['debug'])
@@ -339,6 +341,7 @@ def main():
     opts['installdiff'] = not args['--nodiff']
     opts['link'] = args['--link']
     opts['debug'] = args['--verbose']
+    opts['variables'] = conf.get_variables()
 
     if opts['debug']:
         LOG.dbg('config file: {}'.format(args['--cfg']))
diff --git a/dotdrop/templategen.py b/dotdrop/templategen.py
index 62618d2..db93459 100644
--- a/dotdrop/templategen.py
+++ b/dotdrop/templategen.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ COMMENT_END = '@@#}'
 
 class Templategen:
 
-    def __init__(self, base='.', debug=False):
+    def __init__(self, base='.', variables={}, debug=False):
         self.base = base.rstrip(os.sep)
         self.debug = debug
         loader = FileSystemLoader(self.base)
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class Templategen:
                                comment_start_string=COMMENT_START,
                                comment_end_string=COMMENT_END)
         self.env.globals['header'] = self._header
+        self.env.globals.update(variables)
         self.log = Logger()
 
     def generate(self, src, profile):
diff --git a/tests-ng/variables.sh b/tests-ng/variables.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2ef3c6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ng/variables.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# author: deadc0de6 (https://github.com/deadc0de6)
+# Copyright (c) 2017, deadc0de6
+#
+# test variables from yaml file
+# returns 1 in case of error
+#
+
+# 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"
+
+echo "dotdrop path: ${ddpath}"
+echo "pythonpath: ${PYTHONPATH}"
+
+# get the helpers
+source ${cur}/helpers
+
+echo "RUNNING $(basename $BASH_SOURCE)"
+
+################################################################
+# this is the test
+################################################################
+
+# the dotfile source
+tmps=`mktemp -d`
+mkdir -p ${tmps}/dotfiles
+#echo "dotfile source: ${tmps}"
+# the dotfile destination
+tmpd=`mktemp -d`
+#echo "dotfile destination: ${tmpd}"
+
+# create the config file
+cfg="${tmps}/config.yaml"
+
+cat > ${cfg} << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+variables:
+  var1: "this is some test"
+  var2: 12
+  var3: another test
+dotfiles:
+  f_abc:
+    dst: ${tmpd}/abc
+    src: abc
+profiles:
+  p1:
+    dotfiles:
+    - f_abc
+_EOF
+cat ${cfg}
+
+# create the dotfile
+echo "{{@@ var1 @@}}" > ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc
+echo "{{@@ var2 @@}}" >> ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc
+echo "{{@@ var3 @@}}" >> ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc
+echo "test" >> ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc
+
+# install
+cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} install -f -c ${cfg} -p p1
+
+grep '^this is some test' ${tmpd}/abc >/dev/null
+grep '^12' ${tmpd}/abc >/dev/null
+grep '^another test' ${tmpd}/abc >/dev/null
+
+cat ${tmpd}/abc
+
+## CLEANING
+rm -rf ${tmps} ${tmpd}
+
+echo "OK"
+exit 0
diff --git a/tests/helpers.py b/tests/helpers.py
index a89faac..b218c7c 100644
--- a/tests/helpers.py
+++ b/tests/helpers.py
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ def load_config(confpath, profile):
     opts['link'] = False
     opts['debug'] = True
     opts['dopts'] = ''
+    opts['variables'] = {}
     return conf, opts
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_install.py b/tests/test_install.py
index 5be0877..29dd263 100644
--- a/tests/test_install.py
+++ b/tests/test_install.py
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ exec bspwm
         conf, opts = load_config(confpath, profile)
         opts['safe'] = False
         opts['debug'] = True
+        opts['variables'] = {}
         install(opts, conf)
 
         # now compare the generated files