diff --git a/astar_utils/nested_mapping.py b/astar_utils/nested_mapping.py
index e4e8ce7..5e348bf 100644
--- a/astar_utils/nested_mapping.py
+++ b/astar_utils/nested_mapping.py
@@ -227,24 +227,30 @@ def _repr_pretty_(self, printer, cycle):
             printer.text(str(self))
 
 
-class RecursiveNestedMapping(NestedMapping):
-    """Like NestedMapping but internally resolves any bang-string values.
-
-    In the event of an infinite loop of recursive bang-string keys pointing
-    back to each other, this should savely and quickly throw a
-    ``RecursionError``.
-    """
+class RecursiveMapping:
+    """Mixin class just to factor out resolving string key functionality."""
 
     def __getitem__(self, key: str):
         """x.__getitem__(y) <==> x[y]."""
-        value = super().__getitem__(key)
-        while is_bangkey(value):
+        value = super().__getitem__(key.removesuffix("!"))
+
+        if is_bangkey(value) and is_resolving_key(key):
             try:
-                value = self[value]
+                value = self[f"{value}!"]
             except KeyError:
-                return value
+                pass  # return value unresolved
+
         return value
 
+
+class RecursiveNestedMapping(RecursiveMapping, NestedMapping):
+    """Like NestedMapping but internally resolves any bang-string values.
+
+    In the event of an infinite loop of recursive bang-string keys pointing
+    back to each other, this should savely and quickly throw a
+    ``RecursionError``.
+    """
+
     @classmethod
     def from_maps(cls, maps, key):
         """Yield instances from maps if key is found."""
@@ -255,7 +261,7 @@ def from_maps(cls, maps, key):
                     mapping[key], title=f"[{i}] mapping")
 
 
-class NestedChainMap(ChainMap):
+class NestedChainMap(RecursiveMapping, ChainMap):
     """Subclass of ``collections.ChainMap`` using ``RecursiveNestedMapping``.
 
     Only overrides ``__getitem__`` to allow for both recursive bang-string keys
@@ -278,16 +284,14 @@ def __getitem__(self, key):
         """x.__getitem__(y) <==> x[y]."""
         value = super().__getitem__(key)
 
-        if isinstance(value, abc.Mapping):
-            submaps = tuple(RecursiveNestedMapping.from_maps(self.maps, key))
-            if len(submaps) == 1:
-                # Don't need the chain if it's just one...
-                return submaps[0]
-            return NestedChainMap(*submaps)
+        if not isinstance(value, abc.Mapping):
+            return value
 
-        if is_bangkey(value):
-            value = self[value]
-        return value
+        submaps = tuple(RecursiveNestedMapping.from_maps(self.maps, key))
+        if len(submaps) == 1:
+            # Don't need the chain if it's just one...
+            return submaps[0]
+        return NestedChainMap(*submaps)
 
     def __str__(self):
         """Return str(self)."""
@@ -306,6 +310,11 @@ def is_bangkey(key) -> bool:
     return isinstance(key, str) and key.startswith("!")
 
 
+def is_resolving_key(key) -> bool:
+    """Return ``True`` if the key is a ``str`` and ends with a "!"."""
+    return isinstance(key, str) and key.endswith("!")
+
+
 def is_nested_mapping(mapping) -> bool:
     """Return ``True`` if `mapping` contains any further map as a value."""
     if not isinstance(mapping, abc.Mapping):
diff --git a/tests/test_nested_mapping.py b/tests/test_nested_mapping.py
index fbd10b8..711c2d2 100644
--- a/tests/test_nested_mapping.py
+++ b/tests/test_nested_mapping.py
@@ -230,7 +230,15 @@ def test_repr_pretty(self, nested_nestmap):
 
 
 class TestRecursiveNestedMapping:
-    def test_resolves_bangs(self):
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(("key", "result"), (("bar", "!foo"),
+                                                 ("bar!", "a")))
+    def test_resolves_bangs(self, key, result):
+        rnm = RecursiveNestedMapping({"foo": "a", "bar": "!foo"})
+        assert rnm[key] == result
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(("key", "result"), (("!foo.b", "!bar.y"),
+                                                 ("!foo.b!", 42)))
+    def test_resolves_bangs_multistage(self, key, result):
         rnm = RecursiveNestedMapping(
             {"foo": {
                 "a": "!bar.x",
@@ -241,7 +249,7 @@ def test_resolves_bangs(self):
                  "y": "!foo.a",
               },
              })
-        assert rnm["!foo.b"] == 42
+        assert rnm[key] == result
 
     def test_infinite_loop(self):
         rnm = RecursiveNestedMapping(
@@ -255,7 +263,7 @@ def test_infinite_loop(self):
               },
              })
         with pytest.raises(RecursionError):
-            rnm["!foo.b"]
+            rnm["!foo.b!"]
 
     def test_returns_unresolved_as_is(self):
         rnm = RecursiveNestedMapping(
@@ -264,12 +272,21 @@ def test_returns_unresolved_as_is(self):
                 "b": "!bar.y",
               },
              })
-        assert rnm["!foo.b"] == "!bar.y"
+        assert rnm["!foo.b!"] == "!bar.y"
 
 
 class TestNestedChainMap:
-    def test_resolves_bangs(self, simple_nestchainmap):
-        assert simple_nestchainmap["!foo.a"] == "bogus"
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(("key", "result"), (("!foo.a", "!foo.b"),
+                                                 ("!foo.a!", "bogus")))
+    def test_resolves_bangs(self, simple_nestchainmap, key, result):
+        assert simple_nestchainmap[key] == result
+
+    def test_returns_unresolved_as_is(self):
+        ncm = NestedChainMap(
+            RecursiveNestedMapping({"foo": {"a": "!foo.b"}}),
+            RecursiveNestedMapping({"foo": {"b": "!foo.c"}})
+        )
+        assert ncm["!foo.a!"] == "!foo.c"
 
     def test_infinite_loop(self):
         ncm = NestedChainMap(
@@ -277,7 +294,7 @@ def test_infinite_loop(self):
             RecursiveNestedMapping({"foo": {"b": "!foo.a"}})
         )
         with pytest.raises(RecursionError):
-            ncm["!foo.a"]
+            ncm["!foo.a!"]
 
     def test_repr_pretty(self, simple_nestchainmap):
         printer = Mock()