diff --git a/src/template/lib.zig b/src/template/lib.zig
index 26783c8..6e5944d 100644
--- a/src/template/lib.zig
+++ b/src/template/lib.zig
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ fn EvaluateExpression(
             .isTag => bool,
             .slice => |sl| []const std.meta.Elem(EvaluateExpression(sl.iterable, Args, Captures, Context)),
         },
-        .optional_unwrap => |expr| std.meta.Child(EvaluateExpression(expr, Args, Captures, Context)),
+        .optional_unwrap => |expr| std.meta.Child(EvaluateExpression(expr.*, Args, Captures, Context)),
     };
 }
 
@@ -279,7 +279,10 @@ fn evaluateExpression(
                 return iterable[start..end];
             },
         },
-        .optional_unwrap => unreachable,
+        .optional_unwrap => |expr| {
+            const val = try evaluateExpression(expr.*, args, captures, context);
+            return val orelse error.NullOptional;
+        },
     };
 }
 
@@ -561,15 +564,24 @@ fn parseExpression(comptime tokens: ControlTokenIter) ParseResult(ControlTokenIt
                     if (expr == null) {
                         expr = .{ .args = {} };
                         if (iter.peek()) |n| if (n == .text) iter.putBack(.{ .period = {} });
-                    } else {
-                        const field = iter.next();
-                        expectToken(field, .text);
-                        expr = .{
+                    } else switch (iter.next() orelse break) {
+                        .text => |text| expr = .{
                             .deref = &.{
                                 .container = expr.?,
-                                .field = field.?.text,
+                                .field = text,
                             },
-                        };
+                        },
+                        .question_mark => expr = .{
+                            .optional_unwrap = blk: {
+                                const e = expr.?;
+                                break :blk &e;
+                            },
+                        },
+                        else => |t2| {
+                            iter.pushBack(t2);
+                            iter.pushBack(token);
+                            break;
+                        },
                     }
                     last_valid_iter = iter;
                 },
diff --git a/src/template/test.tmp.html b/src/template/test.tmp.html
index 04507de..1b484b9 100644
--- a/src/template/test.tmp.html
+++ b/src/template/test.tmp.html
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
       {#if .maybe_foo |$v|}{$v}{#else}null{/if}
       {#if .maybe_bar |$v|}{$v}{#else}null{/if}
       {#if .maybe_foo |$_|}abcd{#else}null{/if}
-      {{.maybe_foo.?}}
+      {.maybe_foo.?}
       This causes an error: {{.maybe_bar.?}}
 
       <template>{#template test_tmpl .bar}</template>