diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 3fcbf727a..6405f2511 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2011-08-20  Robert Larice
+ * src/frontend/parse-bison.y :
+   the i() and v() function application have special semantics
+
 2011-08-20  Robert Larice
  * src/maths/fft/Makefile.am ,
  * visualc/vngspice.vcproj :
diff --git a/src/frontend/parse-bison.y b/src/frontend/parse-bison.y
index 271534f88..a997314b2 100644
--- a/src/frontend/parse-bison.y
+++ b/src/frontend/parse-bison.y
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 %{
+    /*
+     * (compile (concat "bison " buffer-file-name))
+     */
 
   #include <stdio.h>
   #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -75,7 +78,7 @@
  *   manifests my expectation, and will issue a `warning' when not met
  */
 
-%expect 2
+%expect 3
 
 %token <num>  TOK_NUM
 %token <str>  TOK_STR
@@ -144,6 +147,18 @@ exp:
   | '-' exp  %prec NEG                { $$ = mkunode(PT_OP_UMINUS, $2); }
   | '~' exp                           { $$ = mkunode(PT_OP_NOT, $2); }
 
+  | TOK_STR '(' TOK_STR ')'           {
+      char c = tolower($1[0]);
+      if((c == 'i' || c == 'v') && $1[1] == '\0') {
+          char buf[BSIZE_SP];
+          sprintf(buf, "%s(%s)", $1, $3);
+          $$ = mksnode(buf);
+      } else {
+          $$ = mkfnode($1, mksnode($3));
+      }
+      if(!$$) YYABORT;
+  }
+
   | TOK_STR '(' exp ')'               { $$ = mkfnode($1, $3); if(!$$) YYABORT; }
 
   | exp '=' exp                       { $$ = mkbnode(PT_OP_EQ, $1, $3); }