diff --git a/cfg_samples/kanata.kbd b/cfg_samples/kanata.kbd
index 18c35f152..df6570126 100644
--- a/cfg_samples/kanata.kbd
+++ b/cfg_samples/kanata.kbd
@@ -1192,7 +1192,8 @@ If you need help, please feel welcome to ask in the GitHub discussions.
 (defvar chord-timeout 200)
 
 (template-expand left-hand-chords qwerty a s d f qwa qws qwd qwf)
-(template-expand left-hand-chords dvorak a o e u dva dvo dve dvu)
+;; You can use t! as a short form of template-expand
+(t! left-hand-chords dvorak a o e u dva dvo dve dvu)
 
 (deflayer template-example
   _    _    _    _    _    _    _    _    _    _    _    _    _    _
diff --git a/docs/config.adoc b/docs/config.adoc
index d05112637..e184df1b6 100644
--- a/docs/config.adoc
+++ b/docs/config.adoc
@@ -3129,7 +3129,8 @@ you wouldn't want this. Rather than retyping the code with `fork` and
 ;; Templates are a simple text substitution, so the above is exactly equivalent to:
 ;; (defalias fn1 (fork 1 (multi (unmod ralt lalt) f1) (lalt ralt)))
 (defalias fn2 (template-expand alt-fork 2 f2))
-(defalias fn3 (template-expand alt-fork 3 f3))
+;; You can use t! as a short form of template-expand
+(defalias fn3 (t! alt-fork 3 f3))
 (deflayer default (@fn1 @fn2 @fn3))
 ----
 
diff --git a/parser/src/cfg/deftemplate.rs b/parser/src/cfg/deftemplate.rs
index 55f06dc54..2707634f3 100644
--- a/parser/src/cfg/deftemplate.rs
+++ b/parser/src/cfg/deftemplate.rs
@@ -113,7 +113,9 @@ pub fn expand_templates(mut toplevel_exprs: Vec<TopLevel>) -> Result<Vec<TopLeve
             .collect();
         visit_validate_all_atoms(&content, &mut |s| match s.t.as_str() {
             "deftemplate" => err_span!(s, "deftemplate is not allowed within deftemplate"),
-            "template-expand" => err_span!(s, "template-expand is not allowed within deftemplate"),
+            "template-expand" | "t!" => {
+                err_span!(s, "template-expand is not allowed within deftemplate")
+            }
             s => {
                 if let Some(count) = var_usage_counts.get_mut(s) {
                     *count += 1;
@@ -175,7 +177,7 @@ fn expand(exprs: &mut Vec<SExpr>, templates: &[Template]) -> Result<()> {
             SExpr::List(l) => {
                 if !matches!(
                     l.t.first().and_then(|expr| expr.atom(None)),
-                    Some("template-expand")
+                    Some("template-expand") | Some("t!")
                 ) {
                     expand(&mut l.t, templates)?;
                     continue;
diff --git a/parser/src/cfg/tests.rs b/parser/src/cfg/tests.rs
index cc1b0c927..2cbd015bb 100644
--- a/parser/src/cfg/tests.rs
+++ b/parser/src/cfg/tests.rs
@@ -1645,6 +1645,44 @@ fn parse_template_7() {
         .expect("parses");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn parse_template_8() {
+    let _lk = lock(&CFG_PARSE_LOCK);
+
+    let source = r#"
+(deftemplate home-row (version)
+  a s d f g h
+  (if-in-list $version (v0 v3 (concat v (((1)))) v4) (concat j))
+  (if-in-list $version ((concat v 0) (concat v (2)) v3 v4) (tap-hold 200 200 (concat j) (if-in-list $version (v0 v3 v4 v2) (concat "k"))))
+   k l ; '
+)
+(deftemplate var () (defvar num 200))
+(defsrc
+  (t! home-row v1)
+)
+(deflayer base
+  (t! home-row v2)
+)
+(t! var)
+(defalias a (tap-dance $num (a)))
+"#;
+    let mut s = ParserState::default();
+    parse_cfg_raw_string(
+        source,
+        &mut s,
+        &PathBuf::from("test"),
+        &mut FileContentProvider {
+            get_file_content_fn: &mut |_| unimplemented!(),
+        },
+        DEF_LOCAL_KEYS,
+        Err("env vars not implemented".into()),
+    )
+    .map_err(|e| {
+        eprintln!("{:?}", miette::Error::from(e));
+    })
+    .expect("parses");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_deflayermap() {
     let source = r#"