diff --git a/tests-ng/variables-tree.sh b/tests-ng/variables-tree.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..465ba51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ng/variables-tree.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# author: deadc0de6 (https://github.com/deadc0de6)
+# Copyright (c) 2023, deadc0de6
+#
+# test variables tree (see #383)
+# returns 1 in case of error
+#
+
+## start-cookie
+set -e
+cur=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE:-$0}")" && pwd)
+ddpath="${cur}/../"
+export PYTHONPATH="${ddpath}:${PYTHONPATH}"
+altbin="python3 -m dotdrop.dotdrop"
+if hash coverage 2>/dev/null; then
+  altbin="coverage run -p --source=dotdrop -m dotdrop.dotdrop"
+fi
+bin="${DT_BIN:-${altbin}}"
+# shellcheck source=tests-ng/helpers
+source "${cur}"/helpers
+echo -e "$(tput setaf 6)==> RUNNING $(basename "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}") <==$(tput sgr0)"
+## end-cookie
+
+################################################################
+# this is the test
+################################################################
+
+# the dotfile source
+tmps=$(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="${tmps}/config.yaml"
+
+cat > "${cfg}" << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+variables:
+  hello:
+    k: "hello1"
+  wow1: "{{@@ hello.k @@}}"
+  hello2: "hello2"
+  z2:
+    wow2: "{{@@ hello2 @@}}"
+dotfiles:
+  f_abc:
+    dst: ${tmpd}/abc
+    src: abc
+profiles:
+  p1:
+    dotfiles:
+    - f_abc
+_EOF
+#cat ${cfg}
+
+# create the dotfile
+echo "wow1: {{@@ wow1 @@}}" > "${tmps}"/dotfiles/abc
+echo "wow2: {{@@ wow2 @@}}" >> "${tmps}"/dotfiles/abc
+
+# install
+cd "${ddpath}" | ${bin} install -f -c "${cfg}" -p p1 --verbose
+
+cat "${tmpd}"/abc
+
+#[ ! -e "${tmpd}"/abc ] && echo "abc not installed" && exit 1
+#grep '^this is some test' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+#grep '^12' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+#grep '^another test' "${tmpd}"/abc >/dev/null
+#
+#[ ! -e "${tmpd}"/def ] && echo "def not installed" && exit 1
+#grep '^test_def' "${tmpd}"/def >/dev/null
+
+#cat ${tmpd}/abc
+
+echo "OK"
+exit 0