diff --git a/docs/template/template-variables.md b/docs/template/template-variables.md
index 29bccf4..3ee17d4 100644
--- a/docs/template/template-variables.md
+++ b/docs/template/template-variables.md
@@ -54,4 +54,13 @@ It's possible to access environment variables inside the templates:
 This allows for storing host-specific properties and/or secrets in environment variables.
 It is recommended to use `variables` (see [config variables](../config/config-file.md#variables))
 instead of environment variables unless these contain sensitive information that
-shouldn't be versioned in Git (see [handle secrets doc](../howto/sensitive-dotfiles.md)).
\ No newline at end of file
+shouldn't be versioned in Git (see [handle secrets doc](../howto/sensitive-dotfiles.md)).
+
+## Variables dictionary
+
+All variables are also available through the dictionary `_vars`
+```
+{%@@ for key in _vars @@%}
+key:{{@@ key @@}} - value:{{@@ _vars[key] @@}}
+{%@@ endfor @@%}
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dotdrop/templategen.py b/dotdrop/templategen.py
index f848d08..892702a 100644
--- a/dotdrop/templategen.py
+++ b/dotdrop/templategen.py
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ COMMENT_START = '{#@@'
 COMMENT_END = '@@#}'
 LOG = Logger()
 
+DICT_ENV_NAME = 'env'
+DICT_VARS_NAME = '_vars'
+
 
 class Templategen:
     """dotfile templater"""
@@ -62,9 +65,10 @@ class Templategen:
                                undefined=StrictUndefined)
 
         # adding variables
-        self.variables['env'] = os.environ
+        self.variables[DICT_ENV_NAME] = os.environ
         if variables:
             self.variables.update(variables)
+            self.variables[DICT_VARS_NAME] = variables
 
         # adding header method
         self.env.globals['header'] = self._header
diff --git a/tests-ng/template-vars-dict.sh b/tests-ng/template-vars-dict.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..09360ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-ng/template-vars-dict.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# author: deadc0de6 (https://github.com/deadc0de6)
+# Copyright (c) 2023, deadc0de6
+#
+# use of template _vars
+# returns 1 in case of error
+#
+
+## start-cookie
+set -e
+cur=$(cd "$(dirname "${0}")" && pwd)
+ddpath="${cur}/../"
+export PYTHONPATH="${ddpath}:${PYTHONPATH}"
+altbin="python3 -m dotdrop.dotdrop"
+if hash coverage 2>/dev/null; then
+  mkdir -p coverages/
+  altbin="coverage run -p --data-file coverages/coverage --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]}") <==$(tput sgr0)"
+## end-cookie
+
+################################################################
+# this is the test
+################################################################
+
+# dotdrop directory
+tmps=$(mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d)
+mkdir -p "${tmps}"/dotfiles
+echo "[+] dotdrop dir: ${tmps}"
+echo "[+] dotpath dir: ${tmps}/dotfiles"
+
+# dotfile destination
+tmpd=$(mktemp -d --suffix='-dotdrop-tests' || mktemp -d)
+
+clear_on_exit "${tmps}"
+clear_on_exit "${tmpd}"
+
+cat << _EOF > "${tmps}"/dotfiles/abc
+BEGIN
+{%@@ for key in _vars @@%}
+key:{{@@ key @@}},value:{{@@ _vars[key] @@}}
+{%@@ endfor @@%}
+END
+_EOF
+
+# create the config file
+cfg="${tmps}/config.yaml"
+cat > "${cfg}" << _EOF
+config:
+  backup: true
+  create: true
+  dotpath: dotfiles
+dotfiles:
+  f_abc:
+    src: abc
+    dst: ${tmpd}/abc
+profiles:
+  p1:
+    dotfiles:
+    - f_abc
+_EOF
+
+echo "[+] install"
+cd "${ddpath}" | ${bin} install -c "${cfg}" -f -p p1 --verbose
+[ "$?" != "0" ] && exit 1
+
+[ ! -f "${tmpd}/abc" ] && echo "abc not installed" && exit 1
+cat "${tmpd}/abc"
+cat "${tmpd}/abc" | grep 'key:profile,value:p1'
+cat "${tmpd}/abc" | grep "key:_dotdrop_cfgpath,value:${tmps}/config.yaml"
+cat "${tmpd}/abc" | grep "key:_dotdrop_workdir,value:${DOTDROP_WORKDIR}"
+cat "${tmpd}/abc" | grep "key:_dotdrop_dotpath,value:${tmps}/dotfiles"
+
+echo "OK"
+exit 0