diff --git a/dotdrop/cfg_aggregator.py b/dotdrop/cfg_aggregator.py
index 747a2fb..3f074db 100644
--- a/dotdrop/cfg_aggregator.py
+++ b/dotdrop/cfg_aggregator.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class CfgAggregator:
             self.log.dbg('trans_w: {}'.format(self.trans_w))
 
         # variables
-        self.variables = self.cfgyaml.variables
+        self.variables = self.cfgyaml.get_variables()
         if self.debug:
             self.log.dbg('variables: {}'.format(self.variables))
 
diff --git a/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py b/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
index bfe959b..1f3a1b6 100644
--- a/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
+++ b/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ class CfgYaml:
         if self.debug:
             self.log.dbg('after normalization: {}'.format(self.yaml_dict))
 
+    def get_variables(self):
+        """retrieve all variables"""
+        return self._merge_dict(self.variables, self.dvariables)
+
     def _parse_main_yaml(self, dic):
         """parse the different blocks"""
         self.ori_settings = self._get_entry(dic, self.key_settings)
@@ -183,6 +187,17 @@ class CfgYaml:
             dst = dotfile[self.key_dotfile_dst]
             dotfile[self.key_dotfile_dst] = self._resolve_path(dst)
 
+    def _shell_dynvars(self, dvars):
+        new = {}
+        for k, v in dvars.items():
+            ret, val = shell(v)
+            if not ret:
+                err = 'command \"{}\" failed: {}'.format(k, val)
+                self.log.err(err)
+                raise YamlException(err)
+            new[k] = val
+        return new
+
     def _merge_and_apply_variables(self):
         """
         resolve all variables across the config
@@ -212,7 +227,7 @@ class CfgYaml:
             ret, out = shell(allvars[k])
             if not ret:
                 err = 'command \"{}\" failed: {}'.format(allvars[k], out)
-                self.log.error(err)
+                self.log.err(err)
                 raise YamlException(err)
             allvars[k] = out
 
@@ -296,6 +311,14 @@ class CfgYaml:
                     self.log.dbg('resolved: {}'.format(new))
                 v[self.key_import_profile_dfs] = new
 
+        # profile includes
+        for k, v in self.profiles.items():
+            if self.key_profile_include in v:
+                new = []
+                for k in v[self.key_profile_include]:
+                    new.append(t.generate_string(k))
+                v[self.key_profile_include] = new
+
         return allvars
 
     def _norm_actions(self, actions):
@@ -435,7 +458,8 @@ class CfgYaml:
                                               mandatory=False)
             self.dvariables = self._import_sub(path, self.key_dvariables,
                                                self.dvariables,
-                                               mandatory=False)
+                                               mandatory=False,
+                                               patch_func=self._shell_dynvars)
 
     def _import_actions(self, paths):
         """import external actions from paths"""
@@ -593,7 +617,7 @@ class CfgYaml:
             new = patch_func(new)
         if not new:
             self.log.warn('no \"{}\" imported from \"{}\"'.format(key, path))
-            return
+            return current
         if self.debug:
             self.log.dbg('found: {}'.format(new))
         if isinstance(current, dict) and isinstance(new, dict):
@@ -609,6 +633,10 @@ class CfgYaml:
 
     def _merge_dict(self, high, low):
         """merge low into high"""
+        if not high:
+            high = {}
+        if not low:
+            low = {}
         return {**low, **high}
 
     def _get_entry(self, dic, key, mandatory=True):
diff --git a/tests-ng/dynextvariables.sh b/tests-ng/dynextvariables.sh
index 744e717..155b07e 100755
--- a/tests-ng/dynextvariables.sh
+++ b/tests-ng/dynextvariables.sh
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ echo "test: {{@@ test @@}}" >> ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc
 # install
 cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} install -f -c ${cfg} -p p1 -V
 
-#cat ${tmpd}/abc
+cat ${tmpd}/abc
 
 grep '^var1: var' ${tmpd}/abc >/dev/null
 grep '^dvar1: dynvar' ${tmpd}/abc >/dev/null
diff --git a/tests-ng/ext-actions.sh b/tests-ng/ext-actions.sh
index f753dbf..64ad359 100755
--- a/tests-ng/ext-actions.sh
+++ b/tests-ng/ext-actions.sh
@@ -101,12 +101,19 @@ cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} install -f -c ${cfg} -p p1 -V
 # checks
 [ ! -e ${tmpa}/pre ] && exit 1
 grep pre ${tmpa}/pre >/dev/null
+echo "pre is ok"
+
 [ ! -e ${tmpa}/post ] && exit 1
 grep post ${tmpa}/post >/dev/null
+echo "post is ok"
+
 [ ! -e ${tmpa}/naked ] && exit 1
 grep naked ${tmpa}/naked >/dev/null
+echo "naked is ok"
+
 [ ! -e ${tmpa}/write ] && exit 1
-grep write ${tmpa}/write >/dev/null
+grep over ${tmpa}/write >/dev/null
+echo "write is ok"
 
 ## CLEANING
 rm -rf ${tmps} ${tmpd} ${tmpa}
diff --git a/tests-ng/extvariables.sh b/tests-ng/extvariables.sh
index 0787da8..07d3cb4 100755
--- a/tests-ng/extvariables.sh
+++ b/tests-ng/extvariables.sh
@@ -109,8 +109,7 @@ echo "evar1: {{@@ evar1 @@}}" >> ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc
 # install
 cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} install -f -c ${cfg} -p p1 -V
 
-#cat ${tmpd}/abc
-
+cat ${tmpd}/abc
 grep '^var3: extvar1 var2 var3' ${tmpd}/abc >/dev/null
 grep '^dvar3: extdvar1 dvar2 dvar3' ${tmpd}/abc >/dev/null
 grep '^var4: echo extvar1 var2 var3' ${tmpd}/abc >/dev/null
@@ -168,7 +167,7 @@ echo "varx: {{@@ varx @@}}" >> ${tmps}/dotfiles/abc
 # install
 cd ${ddpath} | ${bin} install -f -c ${cfg} -p p1 -V
 
-#cat ${tmpd}/abc
+cat ${tmpd}/abc
 
 grep '^var3: extvar1 var2 var3' ${tmpd}/abc >/dev/null
 grep '^dvar3: extdvar1 dvar2 dvar3' ${tmpd}/abc >/dev/null