diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5a4ab60..ac7b458 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ for the whole project when speaking aloud. In writing, the full
 $ go get github.com/glycerine/zygomys/cmd/zygo
 ~~~
 
-### not your average parentheses... features in zygomys 4.3.5 include
+### not your average parentheses... features in zygomys 4.3.6 include
 
  * [x] struct defintion and type checking. [See `tests/declare.zy` for examples.](https://github.com/glycerine/zygomys/blob/master/tests/declare.zy)
  * [x] dot-symbols such as `.plane` or `.plane.wing` give OO-flavor and compact, expressive notation. [See the wiki](https://github.com/glycerine/zygomys/wiki#differences-from-traditional-lisp-syntax) for discussion
diff --git a/emacs/zygo.el b/emacs/zygo.el
index 40bc06e..c8fc7aa 100644
--- a/emacs/zygo.el
+++ b/emacs/zygo.el
@@ -61,11 +61,11 @@
 
 (setq *inferior-zygo-regex-prompt* "[^\(zygo>\)\|\(\.\.\.\)]*[> ]")
 
-(defvar *zygo-keypress-to-sendline* (kbd "C-u")
+(defvar *zygo-keypress-to-sendline* (kbd "C-n")
   "keypress that, when in a pure mode script, sends a line to the interpreter
    and then steps to the next line.")
 
-(defvar *zygo-keypress-to-send-sexp-jdev*      (kbd "C-n")
+(defvar *zygo-keypress-to-send-sexp-jdev*      (kbd "C-u")
   "keypress that sends the next sexp to the repl, and advances past it.")
 
 (defvar *zygo-keypress-to-send-sexp-jdev-prev* (kbd "C-p")
diff --git a/repl/gitcommit.go b/repl/gitcommit.go
index b718c5a..b51bef6 100644
--- a/repl/gitcommit.go
+++ b/repl/gitcommit.go
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 package zygo
-func init() { GITLASTTAG = "v4.3.5"; GITLASTCOMMIT = "9f55b209465717cf85b78961dde47a020994d896" }
+func init() { GITLASTTAG = "v4.3.6"; GITLASTCOMMIT = "9689ebf1fd897697d560058bdd185fda5b57e02e" }
diff --git a/repl/hashutils.go b/repl/hashutils.go
index 31027d8..e6a1ca0 100644
--- a/repl/hashutils.go
+++ b/repl/hashutils.go
@@ -194,8 +194,8 @@ func (hash *SexpHash) HashGet(env *Glisp, key Sexp) (Sexp, error) {
 	}
 
 	if val == SexpEnd {
-		msg := fmt.Sprintf("HashGet: key %s not found", key.SexpString(0))
-		return SexpNull, errors.New(msg)
+		return SexpNull, fmt.Errorf("%s has no field '%s'", hash.TypeName, key.SexpString(0))
+		//return SexpNull, fmt.Errorf("%s has no field '%s'", hash.UserStructDefn.Name, key.SexpString(0))
 	}
 	return val, nil
 }
diff --git a/repl/vm.go b/repl/vm.go
index 902d319..01aa4e7 100644
--- a/repl/vm.go
+++ b/repl/vm.go
@@ -227,18 +227,21 @@ func (c CallInstr) Execute(env *Glisp) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	//Q("\n in CallInstr, after looking up c.sym='%s', got funcobj='%v'. datastack is:\n", c.sym.name, funcobj.SexpString(0))
+	Q("\n in CallInstr, after looking up c.sym='%s', got funcobj='%v'. datastack is:\n", c.sym.name, funcobj.SexpString(0))
 	//env.datastack.PrintStack()
 	switch f := funcobj.(type) {
 	case *SexpSymbol:
 		// is it a dot-symbol call?
-		//Q("\n in CallInstr, found symbol\n")
+		Q("\n in CallInstr, found symbol\n")
 		if c.sym.isDot {
+			Q("\n in CallInstr, found symbol, c.sym.isDot is true\n")
 
 			dotSymRef, dotLookupErr := dotGetSetHelper(env, c.sym.name, nil)
+			// cannot error out yet, we might be assigning to a new field,
+			// not already set.
 
 			// are we a value request (no further args), or a fuction/method call?
-			//Q("\n in CallInstr, found dot-symbol\n")
+			Q("\n in CallInstr, found dot-symbol\n")
 			if c.nargs == 0 {
 				// value request
 				if dotLookupErr != nil {
@@ -256,43 +259,43 @@ func (c CallInstr) Execute(env *Glisp) error {
 					return err
 				}
 
-				top := expressions[0]
-				switch ftop := top.(type) {
+				// does our dot-symbol itself refer to a function?
+				Q("in CallInstr, found dot-symbol, dot-symbol itself is of type %T", dotSymRef)
+				switch fn := dotSymRef.(type) {
 				case *SexpFunction:
-					//Q("\n in CallInstr, fetched out function call from top of datastack.\n")
-					indirectFuncName = ftop
-					if ftop.user {
-						//Q("\n in CallInstr, with user func, passing dot-symbol in directly so assignment will work.\n")
-						env.datastack.PushExpr(c.sym)
-					} else {
-						//Q("\n in CallInstr, with sexp func, dereferencing dot-symbol '%s' -> '%s'\n", c.sym.name, dotSymRef.SexpString(0))
-						if dotLookupErr != nil {
-							return dotLookupErr
-						}
-						env.datastack.PushExpr(dotSymRef)
-					}
-					pushme := expressions[1:]
-					for j := range pushme {
-						env.datastack.PushExpr(pushme[j])
-					}
-					//Q("\n in CallInstr, after setting up stack for dot-symbol call, datastack:\n")
-					//env.datastack.PrintStack()
-
+					c.setupDotCallHelper(env, fn, &indirectFuncName, expressions, 0, dotSymRef)
 				default:
-					return fmt.Errorf("dot-symbol '%s' was followed by non-function '%s'.",
-						c.sym.name, ftop.SexpString(0))
+					top := expressions[0]
+					Q("in CallInstr, found dot-symbol, first arg to dot-symbol is of type %T", top)
+					switch ftop := top.(type) {
+					case *SexpFunction:
+						c.setupDotCallHelper(env, ftop, &indirectFuncName, expressions, 1, dotSymRef)
+					default:
+						return fmt.Errorf("dot-symbol '%s' was followed by non-function '%s'.",
+							c.sym.name, ftop.SexpString(0))
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		} else {
 			// not isDot
 
-			// allow symbols to refer to functions that we then call
-			indirectFuncName, err, _ = env.LexicalLookupSymbol(f, false)
-
+			// allow symbols to refer to dot-symbols, that then we call
+			indirectFuncName, err = dotGetSetHelper(env, f.name, nil)
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("'%s' refers to symbol '%s', but '%s' could not be resolved: '%s'.",
 					c.sym.name, f.name, f.name, err)
 			}
+
+			// allow symbols to refer to functions that we then call
+			/*
+				indirectFuncName, err, _ = env.LexicalLookupSymbol(f, false)
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("'%s' refers to symbol '%s', but '%s' could not be resolved: '%s'.",
+						c.sym.name, f.name, f.name, err)
+				}
+			*/
+			Q("\n in CallInstr, found symbol, c.sym.isDot is false. f of type %T/val = %v. indirectFuncName = '%v'\n", f, f.SexpString(0), indirectFuncName.SexpString(0))
+
 		}
 
 		switch g := indirectFuncName.(type) {
@@ -804,3 +807,28 @@ func (a AssignInstr) Execute(env *Glisp) error {
 	}
 	return fmt.Errorf("AssignInstr: don't know how to assign to %T", lhs)
 }
+
+func (c *CallInstr) setupDotCallHelper(
+	env *Glisp,
+	ftop *SexpFunction,
+	indirectFuncName *Sexp,
+	expressions []Sexp,
+	xprBegin int,
+	dotSymRef Sexp) {
+
+	Q("\n in CallInstr, fetched out function call from top of datastack.\n")
+	*indirectFuncName = ftop
+	if ftop.user {
+		Q("\n in CallInstr, with user func, passing dot-symbol in directly so assignment will work.\n")
+		env.datastack.PushExpr(c.sym)
+	} else {
+		Q("\n in CallInstr, with sexp func, dereferencing dot-symbol '%s' -> '%s'\n", c.sym.name, dotSymRef.SexpString(0))
+		env.datastack.PushExpr(dotSymRef)
+	}
+	pushme := expressions[xprBegin:]
+	for j := range pushme {
+		env.datastack.PushExpr(pushme[j])
+	}
+	Q("\n in CallInstr, after setting up stack for dot-symbol call, datastack:\n")
+	//env.datastack.PrintStack()
+}
diff --git a/tests/dotcall.zy b/tests/dotcall.zy
index 0cc7de5..b024b17 100644
--- a/tests/dotcall.zy
+++ b/tests/dotcall.zy
@@ -16,3 +16,15 @@
 (assert (== (g greet) expected))
 (assert (== (.greet g) expected))
 (assert (== (.greet) "hello"))
+
+// automatic * dereference of a.f dot-symbol should
+// happen for call-position
+(def h2 (hash g:3 f:(fn [x] {x*x})))
+(assert (== (h2.f 4) 16))
+
+(def g h2.f)
+(assert (== (g 3) 9))
+
+// perhaps more properly, not depending on the auto-deference mechanism:
+(def ff (* h2.f))
+(assert (== (ff 3) 9))