@@ -285,8 +285,15 @@
 					return sp
 				end
 			elseif self.vars[var] then
 				return self.vars[var]
+			elseif ctx.invocation
+				and ctx.invocation.props
+				and ctx.invocation.props['.' .. var] then
+				return ctx.invocation.props['.' .. var]
+			elseif ctx.declaration
+				and ctx.declaration.props['.' .. var] then
+				return ctx.declaration.props['.' .. var]
 			else
 				local sp = scanParents(var)
 				if sp then return sp end
 				if test then return false end
@@ -1110,11 +1117,14 @@
 	end; fn = blockwrap(function(l,c,j,d)
 		local ref, val = l:match '\t+([^:]+):%s*(.*)$'
 		local last = d[#d]
 		local rsrc
-		if last and last.kind == 'resource' then
+		if last and last.kind == 'resource'
+		         or last.kind == 'embed'
+               or last.kind == 'macro' then
+			last.props = last.props or {}
 			last.props[ref] = val
-			j:hook('rsrc_set_prop', c, last, ref, val, l)
+			j:hook('set_prop', c, last, ref, val, l)
 			rsrc = last
 		elseif last and last.kind == 'reference' and last.rsrc then
 			last.rsrc.props[ref] = val
 			rsrc = last.rsrc
@@ -1289,10 +1299,8 @@
 			rsrc.raw = '';
 			if src == nil then
 				rsrc.props.src = 'text/x.cortav'
 			end
-		else
-			-- load the raw body, where possible
 		end
 		if id then
 			if c.sec.refs[id] then
 				c:fail('an object with id “%s” already exists in that section',id)
@@ -1301,13 +1309,14 @@
 			end
 		end
 		table.insert(d, rsrc)
 		j:hook('block_insert', c, rsrc, s)
-		if id == '' then --shorthand syntax
+		if id == nil then --shorthand syntax
 			local embed = {
 				kind = 'embed';
 				rsrc = rsrc;
 				origin = c;
+				mode = 'inline';
 			}
 			table.insert(d, embed)
 			j:hook('block_insert', c, embed, s)
 		end
@@ -1407,9 +1416,9 @@
 			end
 			mf(job, ctx, l, dest) --NOTE: you are responsible for triggering the appropriate hooks if you insert anything!
 		end
 	else
-		if l then
+		if l and l ~= '' then
 			local function tryseqs(seqs, ...)
 				for _, i in pairs(seqs) do
 					if ((not i.seq ) or startswith(l, i.seq)) and
 					   ((not i.pred) or i.pred    (l, ctx  )) then
@@ -1550,18 +1559,20 @@
 
 						-- the resource has been cached. check the mime-type to see if
 						-- we need to parse it or if it is suitable as-is
 
-						if resource.mime.class == "text" then
-							if resource.mime.kind == "x.cortav" then
-								local sd, sc = r.origin.doc:sub(r.origin)
-								local lines = ss.str.breaklines(r.origin.doc.enc, resource.raw, {})
-								for i, ln in ipairs(lines) do
-									sc.line = sc.line + 1
-									ct.parse_line(ln, sc, sc.sec.blocks)
-								end
-								resource.doc = sd
+						if ss.mime 'text/x.cortav' < resource.mime then
+							local sd, sc = r.origin.doc:sub(r.origin)
+							-- we store the resource block itself in the declaration
+							-- slot so that its properties (e.g. context variables)
+							-- can affect the way the document is rendered
+							sc.declaration = r
+							local lines = ss.str.breaklines(r.origin.doc.enc, resource.raw, {})
+							for i, ln in ipairs(lines) do
+								sc.line = sc.line + 1
+								ct.parse_line(ln, sc, sc.sec.blocks)
 							end
+							resource.doc = sd
 						end
 					end
 					table.insert(srcs, resource)
 				end
@@ -1579,23 +1590,25 @@
 	-- expand block macros
 	for i, sec in ipairs(ctx.doc.secorder) do
 		for n, r in pairs(sec.blocks) do
 			if r.kind == 'macro' then
-				local mc = r.origin:clone()
-				mc.invocation = r
-				local mac = r.origin:ref(r.macro)
+				local mc = r.origin
+				local mac = mc:ref(r.macro)
 				if not mac then
-					r.origin:fail('no such reference or resource “%s”', r.macro)
+					mc:fail('no such reference or resource “%s”', r.macro)
 				end
+
 				local subdoc, subctx = ctx.doc:sub(mc)
 				local rawbody
+				subctx.invocation = r
 
 				if type(mac) == 'string' then
 					rawbody = mac
 				elseif mac.raw then
 					rawbody = mac.raw
+					subctx.declaration = mac
 				else
-					r.origin:fail('block macro “%s” must be either a reference or an embedded text/x.cortav resource', r.macro)
+					mc:fail('block macro “%s” must be either a reference or an embedded text/x.cortav resource', r.macro)
 				end
 
 				local lines = ss.str.breaklines(ctx.doc.enc, rawbody)
 				for i, ln in ipairs(lines) do