diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/dictionary.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/dictionary.C
index 57ebd84f7611583e54dbf14ff7ecfe77a50dfe7f..fbc567b3bddffe10c1ac2abba7ee08b1a7b1ff57 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/dictionary.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/dictionary.C
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ License
 #include "dictionaryEntry.H"
 #include "regExp.H"
 #include "OSHA1stream.H"
+#include "DynamicList.H"
 
 /* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Static Member Data  * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
 
@@ -277,6 +278,25 @@ Foam::SHA1Digest Foam::dictionary::digest() const
 }
 
 
+Foam::tokenList Foam::dictionary::tokens() const
+{
+    // linearise dictionary into a string
+    OStringStream os;
+    write(os, false);
+    IStringStream is(os.str());
+
+    // parse string as tokens
+    DynamicList<token> tokens;
+    token t;
+    while (is.read(t))
+    {
+        tokens.append(t);
+    }
+
+    return tokenList(tokens.xfer());
+}
+
+
 bool Foam::dictionary::found
 (
     const word& keyword,
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/dictionary.H b/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/dictionary.H
index f7e7f8668c206d5e3c5cf1dd138de850c08b0bfe..3d4bdf1c633836df782fbaf320927bc71431b1b0 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/dictionary.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/dictionary.H
@@ -262,6 +262,9 @@ public:
         //- Return the SHA1 digest of the dictionary contents
         SHA1Digest digest() const;
 
+        //- Return the dictionary as a list of tokens
+        tokenList tokens() const;
+
 
         // Search and lookup
 
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/primitiveEntry/primitiveEntry.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/primitiveEntry/primitiveEntry.C
index 779709e4a06b326abd2bc549e05045e79615adbc..d605ddc0010b7f9da42b4d9840b8afbd4d99efc7 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/primitiveEntry/primitiveEntry.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/dictionary/primitiveEntry/primitiveEntry.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2012 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2013 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -72,7 +72,14 @@ bool Foam::primitiveEntry::expandVariable
         // ...if defined append its tokens into this
         if (ePtr)
         {
-            append(ePtr->stream());
+            if (ePtr->isDict())
+            {
+                append(ePtr->dict().tokens());
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                append(ePtr->stream());
+            }
         }
         else
         {